1. Cans and glass bottles are not allowed. Containers of fuel, insect repellant, medicines, personal toilet articles, and other items that are not foods or beverages are the only cans and bottles you may bring with you. Food may be stored in plastic containers but they must be packed out with you. Minnesota State law prohibits burning of plastic.
2. Group Size: Nine (9) people and four (4) watercraft are the maximum allowed in your party. You may not exceed this limit at any time or anywhere (on water, portages, campsites, etc.) in the wilderness. Smaller groups increase your wilderness experience and decrease impacts to the resource.
3. You must camp at U.S. Forest Service developed campsites that have steel firegrates and wilderness box latrines or within designated Primitive Management Areas and some hiking trails, as specifically approved on your visitor's permit. Make camp early in the day to ensure finding an available campsite. Keep dogs under control.
4. Open campfires are allowed only within the steel firegrates at developed campsites or as specifically approved on your visitor's permit. Bringing a small camp stove may be a better idea as it heats more quickly, has less impact than a fire, and comes in handy during rainy or damp weather. If you build a fire, burn only dead wood found lying on the ground. Collect firewood away from campsites by paddling down shore and walking into the woods where it is more abundant. Leave your axe at home. It is illegal to cut live vegetation for any reason.
5. Drown your fires with water and stir the ashes to be sure they are dead out each time you leave your campsite. Be sure to pick up all debris in the firegrate. Do not burn non-paper trash materials (e.g., aluminum foil, plastics, etc.)--pack everything out.
6. You may camp up to fourteen consecutive days on a specific campsite.
7. You must enter the BWCAW at the entrance point and on the entry date shown on your travel permit.
8. Use only dead and down material obtained away from campsites and lakeshore for fire fuels. It is unlawfil and damaging to cut, peel, or deface live trees, shrubs, or boughs.
9. Use toilet facilities at existing campsites or at least 150 feet or more back from the water's edge. If hiking, dig a pit at least 150 feet or more back from the waters edge. Bathe and wash dishes at least 150 feet from lakes and streams. Soaps pollute! Fish entrails should be buried in the top 6 inches of soil well away from the campsite, or place them on top of rocks at the water's edge at least 200 feet from campsites or portages to allow the birds to eat them. State law prohibits putting fish remains into the water.
10. Only watercraft and equipment used in connection with the current visit may be stored and left unattended. All equiptment and personal property must be carried out with you at the end of each trip.
11. Mechanical portaging (portage wheels) is permitted only over portages along the International Boundary; the Four Mile Portage and the Fall-Newton-Pipestone Bay Portages into Basswood Lake; Prairie Portage; and, the Vermillion-Trout Lake Portage.
12. The use of metal detectors is prohibited. Collection of archeological or historic materials is prohibited.
13. Motor-powered watercraft are permitted only on designated lakes as follows: Lakes with no horsepower limits: Little Vermillion, Loon, Lac LaCroix (but not beyond the south end of Snow Bay in the U.S.A.), and Loon River. Lakes with a 10 horsepower limit: Clearwater, North Fowl, South Fowl, Seagull (no motors generally west of Threemile Island), and those sections of Island River within the BWCAW. On these lakes, the possession of one additional motor no greater than 6 horsepower is permitted, provided that motors in use do not exceed 10 horsepower. Lakes with a 25 horsepower limit: Fall, Newton, Moose, Newfound, Sucker, Snowbank, East Bearskin, South Farm, Trout, Basswood (except that portion north of Jackfish Bay and Washington Island) and Saganaga (except that portion west of American Point). On these lakes or portions of lakes, the possession of one additional motor no greater than 10 horsepower is permitted, provided that motors in use do not exceed 25 horsepower, No other motorized or mechanized equiptment (including pontoon boats, sailboats, sailboards) is allowed. All other lakes or portions of lakes within the BWCAW are paddle only. Motors may not be used or be in possession on any paddle only lake.