Entry Points & Permit Quotas
63overnight-paddle entry points
Every overnight paddle trip into the Boundary Waters starts at a numbered entry point, and each one has a daily quota — a fixed number of permits released per day from May 1 to September 30. This is the only place that pairs each entry point's quota with the water-quality grade of the lake it puts you on. 20 of the 63 entry points map to a lake we grade; the rest put in on rivers or lakes we don't yet grade, shown honestly as "grade unavailable."
Entry-point map
Each marker is an entry point, colored by the water-quality grade of the lake it accesses (gray = grade unavailable). Tap for the quota and to open its page.
All 63 overnight-paddle entry points
Recreation.gov has no per-entry-point link — the availability grid lists every entry point; select the one you want plus your start date. Data Source: Recreation.gov. Quota set by USFS Superior National Forest.
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Frequently Asked Questions
There are about 63 overnight-paddle entry points, each with its own daily quota of permits during the May 1–September 30 quota season. Motor and day-use entries exist separately. This directory covers the overnight-paddle points.
Each entry point releases a fixed number of overnight permits per day. Once a day is booked out at an entry point, no more overnight groups can start there that day — which is why popular points like Moose Lake and Lake One book months ahead.
All overnight-paddle permits are reserved through Recreation.gov under a single Boundary Waters permit. Pick your entry point and start date in the availability grid, pay the reservation fee, and pick up the physical permit from a nearby ranger station or cooperator before your trip.
Many entry points put in on a river, creek, or small lake we don't yet grade, or on a lake whose identity we couldn't confirm with confidence. Rather than guess, we show "grade unavailable" — we only attach a water grade when the entry point's name and location clearly match a graded lake.
Entry points, coordinates, and quotas: Recreation.gov permit 233396 / USDA Forest Service, Superior National Forest. Quotas can change annually; verify on Recreation.gov before booking.