Forest Service report shows changes in how people visit the BWCAW

The National Forest Service releases an annual report on visitor use for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Each report includes the past 5 years worth of data, and measures things like the number of visitors during different seasons, and how those visitors used the BWCAW. The current report includes data from 2019-2023.

In a press release from Nov. 22, the Forest Service shared a link to the report, as well as a few items they identified as highlights.

First, there was a slight decrease overall in visitors between 2022 and 2023, dropping from 150,842 down to 146,238.  Total visiter numbers exceeded 165,000 in both 2020 and 2021, but the 2023 data falls largely in line with numbers from before the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, one significant change was when people were visiting. The new report shows that there was a 19% decrease in use during the quota permit season (May-September), and a 13% increase in visitors during the self-issue permit period (October-April).

The purpose of the quota permit system is to control the volume of visitors who may be in the BWCAW at any given time. The system aims to minimize the impact of visitors in popular areas, while also helping ensure that there are campsites available for parties who reserved a permit. The shift in use between seasons was welcomed by the Forest Service. The press release read, “Shifting visitor use to the off-season is beneficial for wilderness restoration efforts; following the surge in visitors that escalated resource damage inflicted during the pandemic.”

While overall visitor numbers saw a slight dip, cancellations are at an all-time high. The exact cause of the change is not explicitly identified in the report, but in the press release, a potential reason was presented. It read, “Cancellations have more than doubled in the past five years suggesting visitors continue to reserve more permits than they can use.”

Those looking to visit the BWCAW during the off-season can self-issue a permit now through the end of April. For those already planning their 2025 trip during the quota-permit season, registrations for those permits opens Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

Kirsten Wisniewski November 26, 2024