And the Lottery Winners are…

     Anyone who is lucky enough to get a permit to go paddle and camp in the Boundary Waters is a winner in my book.  The lottery date to start reserving BWCA permits has changed from November to December 1st; interested parties will have a little longer to plan their vacation dates for 2008 before submitting their reservation requests.  The USFS announced this change along with an increase in BWCA user fees at a meeting in Grand Marais yesterday.

     The investment for a Boundary Waters vacation of peace and quiet has always been minimal when compared to any other type of recreation.  At just $10.00 per adult per trip into the BWCA there aren’t too many places a person could go at the same bargain.  The BWCA user fees have not changed in the 10 years since they were implemented.  User fees help pay for management of  the wilderness and provide user educational materials, maintenance of trails and campsites and fund wilderness rangers. 

     I don’t buy lottery tickets as a general rule but if I did want to win a lottery then I would submit a reservation for a BWCA permit.  I would rest assured knowing my money would be well spent and that I would be a big winner when I had a permit to go on a wilderness vacation no matter what the price of the user fees involved.  

  • BWCA Reservattion Fee $12.00
  • User fee for adults $16.00
  • User fee for youth $8.00
  • A Boundary Waters trip with family or friends…

PRICELESS