Boundary Waters Canoe Area Passes
Every Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness-permit entry point on recreation.gov - AllTrails ratings, demand scores, and a trailhead map.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Superior National Forest is a vast maze of interconnected lakes and portages along the Minnesota–Ontario border, world-famous for canoe tripping and remote paddle-in camping. An overnight permit is required for each entry point during the quota season and lets your group launch a multi-day trip into the wilderness. Because every entry point and every season date goes on sale at once, the most popular launches for prime summer weekends sell out quickly.
Top Boundary Waters Canoe Area entry points
The most in-demand entry points, ranked by how fast each one books up on recreation.gov.
- Brule Lake Only (OP) (OP) (OP) - Very high demand
- Daniels Lake (OP) (OP) - Very high demand
- Fall Lake and Beyond (DM) (DM) - Very high demand
- Hog Creek (OP) (OP) - Very high demand
- Lake One #30F (OP) (OP) - Very high demand
- Little Isabella River (OP) (OP) - Very high demand
- Moose Newfound Sucker (DM) (DM) (DM) (DM) (DM) - Very high demand
- Moose River South (OP) (OP) (OP) - Very high demand
- Moose-Basswood via Prairie Portage (DM) (DM) (DM) (DM) (DM) (DM) (DM) (DM) - Very high demand
- Saganaga Lake Only (OP) (OP) - Very high demand
- Seagull Lake Only (OP) (OP) - Very high demand
- South Farm Lake (DM) (DM) (DM) - Very high demand
All Boundary Waters Canoe Area passes
Choose an entry point or campsite for permit rules, release timing, demand, and nearby alternatives.
- Angleworm Lake (OP)
- Angleworm Lake Trail (OH)
- Baker Lake (OP)
- Big Moose Lake Trail (OH)
- Blandin Trail (OH)
- Bog Lake (OP)
- Border Route Trail (center) (OH)
- Border Route Trail (east) (OH)
- Border Route Trail (west) (OH)
- Bower Trout Lake (OP)
- Brant Lake (OP)
- Brule Lake (OP)
- Brule Lake Only (OP)
- Brule Lake Trail (OH)
- Clearwater Lake (DM)
- Clearwater Lake (OM)
- Clearwater Lake (OP)
- Crab Lake & Cummings Lake (OP)
- Crocodile River (OP)
- Cross Bay Lake (OP)
- Daniels Lake (OP)
- Duncan Lake (OP)
- Eagle Mountain Trail (OH)
- East Bearskin (DM)
- East Bearskin (OM)
- East Bearskin (OP)
- Fall Lake (OM)
- Fall Lake (OP)
- Fall Lake and Beyond (DM)
- Fall Lake ONLY (DM)
- Farm Lake (OM)
- Farm Lake (OP)
- From Big Lake (OP)
- From Canada (OP)
- Herriman Lake Trail (OH)
- Hog Creek (OP)
- Homer Lake (OP)
- Isabella Lake (OP)
- Island River (OP)
- John Lake (OP)
- Kawishiwi Lake (OP)
- Kekekabic Trail (east) (OH)
- Kekekabic Trail (west) /Snowbank (OH)
- Lac LaCroix Only (OM)
- Lac LaCroix Only (OP)
- Lake One (OP)
- Lake One #30F (OP)
- Larch Creek (OP)
- Little Gabbro Lake (OP)
- Little Indian Sioux North (OP)
- Little Indian Sioux SOUTH (OP)
- Little Isabella River (OP)
- Little Vermilion Lake (OM)
- Little Vermilion Lake (OP)
- Little Vermillion Lake and Beyond (DM)
- Lizz and Swamp Lakes (OP)
- Magnetic Lake (OP)
- Meeds Lake (OP)
- Missing Link Lake (OP)
- Moose Lake (OM)
- Moose Lake (OP)
- Moose Newfound Sucker (DM)
- Moose River South (OP)
- Moose-Basswood via Prairie Portage (DM)
- Moose/Portage River North (OP)
- Morgan Lake (OP)
- Mudro Lake (OP)
- Mudro Lake Restricted (OP)
- NCT - East (thru-hike) (OH)
- NCT - West (thru-hike) (OH)
- North Fowl Lake (OP)
- North Kawishiwi River (OP)
- Norway Trail (OH)
- Partridge Lake Trail (OH)
- Pine Lake (OP)
- Pow Wow Trail (OH)
- Ram Lake (OP)
- Saganaga Lake (DM)
- Saganaga Lake (OM)
- Saganaga Lake (OP)
- Saganaga Lake Only (OP)
- Sawbill Lake (OP)
- Seagull Lake (DM)
- Seagull Lake (OM)
- Seagull Lake (OP)
- Seagull Lake Only (OP)
- Sioux-Hustler Trail (OH)
- Skipper & Portage Lakes (OP)
- Slim Lake (OP)
- Snake River (OP)
- Snowbank Lake (DM)
- Snowbank Lake (OM)
- Snowbank Lake (OP)
- Snowbank Lake Restricted (OP)
- South Farm Lake (DM)
- South Hegman Lake (OP)
- South Kawishiwi River (OP)
- South Lake (OP)
- Stuart River (OP)
- Trout Lake (DM)
- Trout Lake (OM)
- Trout Lake (OP)
- Wood Lake (OP)
Popular trails
- Brule Lake Trail to Eagle Mountain - 4.6 on AllTrails
- Angleworm Lake Trail - 4.6 on AllTrails
- Eagle Mountain Trail - 4.5 on AllTrails
- Powwow Trail Full Loop - 4.5 on AllTrails
- Sioux Hustler Trail - 4.5 on AllTrails
- Kekekabic Trail - 4.4 on AllTrails
- Border Route Trail - 4.1 on AllTrails
- Herriman Trail - 4.1 on AllTrails
Boundary Waters Canoe Area permit guide · Book on recreation.gov