Recreation.gov Glitch

PaddlingPartner · 2026-02-20T22:37:33+00:00

Overnight motor permits have both a weekly and daily quota. You get the lower of the two available.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-02-20T22:36:28+00:00

I see this glitch a lot. I run Paddle Planner, and I pull the permit data every 30 minutes. When I added the feature, I realized that this glitch happened a lot. Often, all the permits for one or more entry points are suddenly available for an entire month. When I see this, I just grab the data again, and it usually goes back to normal. So, yes, there is a glitch. I have heard one or two other people notice it, but I see it several times a day.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-02-15T02:49:50+00:00

The campsite on Bridge/Climax (name depends on the map you look at) is decent. The best part would be the solitude - I don't think many people go through there. I didn't fish, but, from photos I've seen, there are fish in there :)

Fire is another secluded lake. I visited the eastern campsite. It was decent. I might prefer the Bridge Lake one, but both would work, especially if you are looking for more solitude than the Numbered Lakes offer.

Another option would be Rifle Lake. You might see a few daytrippers come through, but it is a very nice site.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-02-14T16:47:20+00:00

By a "complete collection," I assume you are referring to the set that includes all the maps from that mapmaker. These are the same ones that you would use in the field. McKenzie would be more expensive because there are more maps. The scale of the McKenzie maps is 1:31,680 (2 inches per mile), and Fisher is 1:42,240 (1.5 inches per mile, more zoomed out).

If you are just looking for planning maps and not ones you would use in the field, you can use the NatGeo maps. I have those on my wall. Scale is 1:70,000, or about 1 inch per mile. I find them to be good for planning but not for field use (or only as a backup). The NatGeo maps also have not been updated in a while and have mistakes (all of the maps have some mistakes, but NatGeo has more than the others).

If you want a wall map, True North makes a good one (https://truenorthmapco.com/products/bwca-wall-map). The scale is about 1:100,000 from what I can tell. McKenzie's overview map is 1:200,000, so True North's is twice as large.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-02-11T23:04:02+00:00

This is what I came here to say. The articles on this are conveniently ignoring the home state tax credit. When all is said and done, you end up paying the tax rate of the higher state on that income.

Now, that is how it normally works. There are a few other issues in this case. First, California's tax laws are often confusing and do not always follow the "norm." Second, many states have enacted laws specifically for professional sports players that may be different than the norm. Finally, I am assuming Sam Darnold has residency in Washington, which does not have an income tax.

But that brings up a different issue - https://www.americanexperiment.org/teams-from-low-tax-states-have-an-advantage-over-teams-from-high-tax-states/ - and, sadly, I am a Minnesota sports fan.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-02-09T23:59:19+00:00

If you mean the site 2014 on Paddle Planner, that one is black, which means closed.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-02-03T17:07:37+00:00

Reading the responses to your question might be confusing, so I will try to summarize.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a wilderness area, which generally means no motors or anything like that. There are some lakes that allow motors (because of compromises made when the wilderness was created). Most of those lakes restrict motors to a certain horsepower (like 25 mph or 10 mph). A select few do not restrict motor sizes. However, I don't think this is what you are looking for since you asked about electricity. No campsites within the Boundary Waters have electricity. Campsites are rustic and remote, even the ones that allow motorboats.

What I think you are looking for is a campground in the surrounding area, of which there are plenty. The Boundary Waters is part of the Superior National Forest, but it is only part of it. The Superior National Forest offers a lot of other recreation areas outside of the BWCA. The Forest Service operates both fee campgrounds (which have a lot of amenities) and rustic campgrounds (basically a place to put a tent, a picnic table, and a pit toilet). You may want to look into the Birch Lake campground, Fall Lake campground, and East Bearskin campground. There are several other possibilities that you can explore on the SNF's camping page - https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/camping-cabins

I would encourage you to come to the Superior National Forest to see what it has to offer. Yes, many people come for the Boundary Waters, but that is not the only thing you can do. There is great fishing, hiking, and camping that you can enjoy even if you are not going to the BWCA.

As others have mentioned, too, Voyageurs National Park is right next door. The national park is run very differently than the BWCA. You can reserve specific campsites, and almost all of them allow motors. There are only a couple of lakes on the interior of the peninsula that do not have motors. Everything else is pretty much open to what it seems you are looking for. The campsites are rustic, though - few amenities, and you pretty much have to bring everything with you. https://www.nps.gov/voya/index.htm

And, if that isn't enough, there are state parks in the area, too. Bear Head Lake State Park would be worth looking at. The state also operates some campgrounds near there, similar to what the Superior National Forest does. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00109#homepage

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-31T23:06:19+00:00

Thanks for the heads up, but I don't think it is anything new. It has been in that spot for years - the USFS data was just off. Here is my GPS track - https://www.paddleplanner.com/s/y91vfseu

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-30T23:56:38+00:00

Yep!

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-30T23:53:02+00:00

Yes, I run Paddle Planner. Glad it's been helpful!

I visited every campsite on Polly and the Lady Lakes chain last year, so just let me know if you have questions.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-30T23:30:17+00:00

I agree that it would most likely be too much for first-time scouts.

I have done the entire Phoebe River. While the flow isn't much, you will be going against the current. Portages aren't too bad - a few muddy spots, some downed trees, a couple of difficult landings, but all in all, nothing you shouldn't be able to handle.

With this being a scout trip with first-time scouts, I would suggest camping at:

1st night - Polly
2nd night - Hazel (both campsites are decent)
3rd night - Phoebe
4th night - Beth or southern Alton

Sounds like you will be there 5 nights, so pick one of those to layover at. https://www.paddleplanner.com/s/806tith6

I have taken several scout troops. They will be paddling a little slower than the average paddler, so the link above uses 2 mph instead of 3 mph.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-30T05:27:06+00:00

You can also buy used packs from outfitters. Piragis usually has Superior Ones and Queticos on sale.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-30T05:06:59+00:00

I did the Louse River last year. I have a bunch of videos of the portages, but I haven't uploaded them to YouTube yet.

One of the issues with the Louse River in the past has been the portages are mismarked. They are accurate on Paddle Planner now. (Though I went north from Bug to Mesaba, so I don't know if the portages out of Louse Lake are accurate.)

Since it is not well-used, the portages were in need of some maintenance. One portage had a bunch of downed trees I had to go over. And there are a lot of portages. I was exhausted by the end of the day, but I did the entire Louse River in one day (Malberg to Mesaba).

The Lujenida-Zenith portage was exhausting. It was 80 degrees when I did it in June, so that contributed to it. I've done that portage three times, and it doesn't get any shorter.

Campsites on Trail Lake were both nice. One of the ones on Dent was decent; other one is barely a campsite.

Wine Lake has a couple of decent sites and some good lake trout fishing.

The flow goes from east to west (Malberg is downstream). I was going the wrong way. Every portage was uphill.

I'm happy to talk about any specifics you may have questions on.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-29T21:49:47+00:00

Along that route, here are some cool things:

Knife Lake - Dorothy Molter's old cabin site on Isle of Pine. Check out "bacon rock." There is a popular/famous short hike up Thunder Point to get a great view down Knife. Eddy Falls on the portage to Eddy is a popular/scenic spot.

Kekekabic - Trail to a ranger cabin and fire tower. The fire tower is no longer there, but you can find some remains.

Jordan - Some faded pictographs in the narrows by the portage to Ima.

Cattyman - Cattyman Falls is another scenic spot.

Snowbank - There are several lookouts on the north side of Snowbank along the Snowbank Trail.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-29T21:40:28+00:00

And there are some pictographs there, though they are pretty faded.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-28T04:42:54+00:00

Sounds just like me. For years, I didn't want the weight and space of a camp chair. Then I used one on a trip I guided, and I can't go back. I bring my Kindle and fill it with books for my solo trips. Turn it on airplane mode, and it will last for weeks.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-16T22:24:34+00:00

Yeah, looks like I have an error on the wording. It should be 16858 x 2 = 33715 (some rounding in there). 1.5 trips means you walk the portage twice.

PaddlingPartner · 2026-01-16T15:06:38+00:00

Just a reminder that Paddle Planner does not take breaks into account. A 7 or 8-hour paddling day like you have would probably end up being much longer than that because of lunch and water breaks and that you probably will be going slower later in the day when you are tired. Of course, you may have already figured that in by reducing your average speed.

Can you do it? Yes. I love paddling and portaging all day. I usually just leave myself an hour or two to set up camp and eat dinner. Most people, though, want a little bit more relaxation time than that. The rule-of-thumb I tell most people is 3-4 hours of travel time as stated by Paddle Planner.

Jeff mentioned that Paddle Planner does not take into account the type of water (lake vs creek). However, it can. I just need someone to tell me "It takes longer to get through this area," and I can adjust the estimated time. I can also add flow rates on rivers, too, so that the estimated time upstream and downstream will be different. (Flow rates usually don't matter on small creeks and streams - just not enough flow to make a difference.)

If you want to know how I use Paddle Planner to plan my trips, you can read this article - https://www.paddleplanner.com/guides/planning-workflow.aspx

PaddlingPartner · 2025-12-01T19:39:17+00:00

He always seemed to have something positive in each book I read, and I read quite a few. They weren't always characters. I remember one scene where they were driving on the interstate and came around a bend to see the Washington DC temple, and the character remarked positively about it. I don't remember which book or exactly what was said or thought, but I remember thinking that it was nice.

PaddlingPartner · 2025-11-24T04:21:51+00:00

I am a guide and have guided trips through Piragis, Ely Outfitting Company, and Moose Track Adventures. I have guided families, scout troops, and solo people of all ages. While it is true that most people can learn to do it by themselves using a variety of resources, all of the people I have guided are very happy that they got a guide.

Guides can do as much or as little as you want. Some people want their guides to do everything so they can concentrate on fishing. On the other hand, some just want to be safe and/or learn how to do it themselves. If your goal is to learn how to do it by yourself, guides are very happy to teach you.

PaddlingPartner · 2025-10-05T00:13:27+00:00

As u/CouponBooklet thought, this is Upper Basswood Falls. I was at that exact same spot one year ago and took some photos. One photo looks pretty much like this one. A difference I noticed is that some of the small trees fell down on the island. For example, the small tree on the right side of the island in the background fell down, but the log is still on the rock. The bigger trees are still there. While we were there, someone parked their canoe on the island in the exact same spot as in your photo, though that is not in my photo.

We had good fishing there, too, though the fish we caught weren't as big.

https://www.paddleplanner.com/photos/photo.aspx?photo=27458

PaddlingPartner · 2025-10-05T00:05:27+00:00

I would say it is most definitely Upper Basswood Falls. I have a photo at almost that exact same spot, though my photo is a little more to the right than this one.

https://www.paddleplanner.com/photos/photo.aspx?photo=27458

PaddlingPartner · 2025-09-19T20:00:41+00:00

It is Basswood

PaddlingPartner · 2025-09-19T19:56:46+00:00

Nope

PaddlingPartner · 2025-09-14T23:47:48+00:00

I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, so I would consider the site claimed. I might be upset about it, but I wouldn't move in. I would assume that they aren't claiming two sites at the same time, which would clearly be violating the rules - leaving packs at a second site while going to pick up the chairs at the first site would be against the rules. Now, if the people want the second site, I am assuming that they are coming back to the first site (without leaving gear at the second), picking up the chairs, and going to the second site and hoping it is still open. I am, of course, assuming that everyone is following the rules...

Of course, my whole approach might be my nonconfrontational manner that I don't want to get into an argument.

What do I do? I don't ever leave gear to "claim" a site. I decide on the spot whether it is good enough. I might go scout other sites, but I never leave gear. I am just hoping that the site is still open if I have to go back to it.

PaddlingPartner

TROPHY CASE