New BWCAW permits and entry points added for thru-hikers

Kalli Hawkins | January 22, 2025

Thru-hikers looking to tackle the 65-mile Border Route Trail and the 39-mile Kekekabic Trail in northeastern Minnesota will now have the ability to obtain overnight hiking permits and access two new entry points in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The U.S. Forest Service announced on Jan. 22 the addition of two new entry points and an updated permit process for thru-hikers during the quota season of May 1 to Sept. 30.

The update and addition to the new entry points take effect on the Jan. 29. “Go Live” day for BWCAW permits. Based on current BWCAW data, a quota of 1 permit/day for both of the new entry points will be added to the existing trail quotas.

The updated permit process and creation of the new entry points are a result of a partnership with the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST), a 4800-mile trail stretching from North Dakota to Vermont. The North Country National Scenic Trail was established by Congress in 1980 and is administered by the National Park Service in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and various organizations. The BRT and the Kekekabic Trail were recently designated as part of the NCNST.

The Forest Service said in a Jan. 22 press release that the addition of the entry points will allow a thru-hiker to now legally exit and reenter the BWCAW and help eliminate the need for overlapping permits.

Previously, it was illegal to exit and reenter the BWCAW on a single permit. To circumvent the issue, thru-hikers reserved and paid for multiple permits to complete a trip and, additionally, book permits with overlapping trip dates.

Derrick Passe, a BWCAW collaborative member said there is an 18-mile gap between the BRT and Kekekabic Trail where thru-hikers are not in the BWCAW. “So you’ve always needed to get two permits or just be illegal and hike right through.”

With the recent change to the permit structure for thru-hikers, Passe said thru-hikers will no longer need to stop to get a new permit or book multiple permits as one permit will now suffice. “Which is kind of exciting.”

“The North Country Trail Association greatly appreciates the Superior National Forest going the extra mile and making this permitting change happen,” said Matthew Davis, ND-MN-WI Regional Trail Coordinator for the North Country Trail Association (NCTA). “The parts within the BWCAW represent the largest Wilderness section of the entire 4,800-mile NCNST, and this change makes it much easier for NCNST thru-hikers and section hikers to follow the permitting rules.”

While the volume of thru-hikers using the BWCAW is relatively low, Joy Vandrie, the public affairs staff officer with the Forest Service, told WTIP, “It is definitely something that is increasing in popularity.”

The two new entry points are located on the eastern and western edges of the BWCAW.