Proposed Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Fee Changes
The Superior National Forest is proposing changes to recreation fees at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to increase education, maintenance and visitor experience.
Proposed Recreation Fee Changes
The Superior National Forest has not raised fees since 2008. In that time, wilderness ranger staffing and maintenance costs for points of entry, portages and campsites have increased substantially.
We are proposing an increase in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness fees to:
| Fee | Current Fee | Proposed Change |
|---|---|---|
| Per Youth Per Trip | $8.00 | $20.00 |
| Per Adult/Senior Per Trip | $16.00 | $40.00 |
Fee History
- For 17 years (since 2008) Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness user fees have been: $16/adult, $8/youth, $8/senior with Senior Access Pass per overnight trip.
- The current $6 non-refundable “reservation fee” is not associated with Federal Recreation Enhancement Act (REA). Rather, this fee covers the costs associated with administration of the Recreation.gov platform.
- Recreation fees are charged May 1 through September 30
- First Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness fees were $10/adult and $5/youth per overnight trip (1998-2007).
Public Review and Comments
The Forest is sharing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Recreation Fee proposal for public review and comments:
Comment Period: June 16 through September 2, 2025.
Open Houses
There will be three open houses, one virtual and two in-person:
There are several ways to comment:
Submit a Written Comment
Submit Via Email
Next Steps After the Comment Period
Once comments are reviewed and integrated into the proposal, the proposal will go for review and recommendation to the Regional Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC).
Proposed Implementation
Implementation of the proposed action is anticipated to begin in January 2027. View the proposal on the Story Map.
Benefits of Recreation Fees in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The Superior National Forest’s fee programs provide a valuable source of funding which helps to maintain and enhance high quality recreation sites such as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The recreation fee proposal will go right back to the national forest, improving public access and safety as well as help to preserve the unique character of the wilderness.
Visitors to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will see portage, entry point and campsite improvements to degraded amenities such as fire rings, latrines and many other improvements. Additionally, when implemented, the fees will support county search and rescue costs in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please see the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Forest Plan Amendment project page
- Limits of acceptable change for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Campsites from 2011 to 2023 (Map)
- Please note the key at the bottom for color coding (see page 3-66 of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness chapter of the Forest Plan for Management area details).
- See also the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Chapter of the Superior National Forest, Forest Plan in the project documents for additional detailed information on managing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
By law, at least 80% of recreation fees collected must be returned to the Superior National Forest and spent in support of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Visitors to the area will see improved public services such as portages, latrines and fire grates, as well as additional wilderness rangers and law enforcement. 87% of recreation fees are retained by the unit (Superior National Forest).
Fees will allow the SNF to hire Wilderness Ranger vacancies to catch up on over $11 million in maintenance backlog. All work performed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is completed using traditional hand tools by Wilderness Rangers such as campsite & portage rehab, hazard trees felling, latrines dug (by hand), fire grates reset or replaced, and trees bucked (cut).
Current revenue from recreation fees is insufficient to support the programmatic needs of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. For example, nearly half of all Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness campsites need varying degrees of rehabilitation.
Recreation fees support:
- Staff to maintain nearly 1,900 campsites; each site has a fire grate, latrine, tent pads, and is managed for hazard trees
- Staff to maintain 200 miles of hiking trails, and nearly 200 miles of portages
- Staff to interact with and educate approximately 154,000 annual visitors
- Materials and supplies, fleet, and other overhead costs associated with management of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
- Education of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness visitors through print materials, online content, a 3-part video series, and partnership with over 40 commercial permit issuing stations
Fees are collected online via Recreation.gov through reservations for Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness quota permits May 1 – September 30.
Visitors pay a reservation fee to make a reservation; this fee is used to fund the Recreation.gov program, and a portion of the fee reimburses a private contractor for their investment in building and managing this complex technical system.
It is anticipated the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness proposed fees, once approved, would take effect January 2027.
Proposed fee prices are based on a market analysis of similar sorts of opportunities within the state of Minnesota. In addition, market comparisons of neighboring Quetico Provincial Park and Voyageurs National Park found that visitors pay two to three times more than those visiting the BWCAW for comparable trips. By law, at least 80% of recreation fees collected must be returned to the Superior National Forest and spent in support of the BWCAW. Visitors to the area will see improved public services such as portages, latrines and fire grates, as well as additional wilderness rangers and law enforcement. All of which will enhance the customer experience.
The Superior National Forest and the BWCAW visitation has increased in recent years. The Superior National Forest has been considering this proposal for several years and started drafting it in January 2024. On average, between 2019 and 2024 annual visitation to the BWCAW averaged approximately 154,000 people. Resource damage is also prevalent in the basecamp sites, closer to the points of entry, where visitors are expanding the campsite areas.
Yes, Superior National Forest staff and leadership looked at a range of potential options, while also considering public impact and the reservation system impact.
Fees will allow the SNF to hire Wilderness Ranger vacancies to catch up on over $11 million in maintenance backlog. All work performed in the BWCAW is completed using traditional hand tools by Wilderness Rangers such as campsite & portage rehab, hazard trees felling, latrines dug (by hand), fire grates reset or replaced, and trees bucked (cut)
For More Information
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
2024 Partner and Project Work Accomplishments
2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act which allows the Forest Service to retain at least 80% of the money collected at recreation sites and use these funds locally to operate, maintain, and improve these sites.