Anyone else try to book pma permits today? I was told they won't be available for a few days by one person. Called another number and they had no idea what I was talking about. They pulled my account and it only showed my bwca permit history and no pma history?

I've got a pma permit every year for 5 years as soon as I book my bwca permit at 9 am first day of sale? I book my bwca permit around pmas so I hope it gets straightened out tomorrow. Just wondering if anyone else was able to get a pma reservation today. Thanks

I've been under the impression that you can't actually reserve a PMA permit ahead of time, you have to go to a USFS office to pick it up with your entry point permit before your trip. How have you reserved one in the past?

I've just called and reserved it? You do have to have your bwca permit number and you still have to pick it up at the office. During covid I did it all over the phone. I'm on hold now with the office, so I hope I get it sorted out here shortly.

I go for the pma. Hate to reserve bwca permits, plan and pack, drive up and be told I can't go to my intended pma. Wouldn't be all bad though. Still have a trip in the bwca.

I have reserved PMA permits twice. Both times I phoned the Kawishiwi Ranger District, my entry point reservation pickup location to reserve my PMA permit. I was told that they have a list of PMA permit requests that are shared with the other Ranger Districts within the BWCA. When you arrive to pickup your reserved entry point permit you inform them that you have a reserved PMA permit and they check the list. If you show up without a PMA reservation they check the same list for availability. I was under the impression that the simple list sharing procedure was implemented because very few PMA permits are requested.

For PMA reservations I phoned the Kawishiwi Ranger Distric, 218-365-7600 and was asked to provide my entry point reservation confirmation number, the PMA Zone number and the dates I intended to overnight in the PMA.

It is my understanding that PMA permits are only required if you plan to camp overnight in the PMA. You may enter or pass through PMA's without a permit as long as you do not set camp. PMA Leave-No-Trace rules are different from outside the PMA and a copy of the PMA regulations is included with the PMA permit.

It's all good. I got all my pma reservations and I'm good to go. They didn't reserve pma permits yesterday and just started today. So if anyone needs to reserve pma permits, it's all back to normal.

Interesting, I thought it was FCFS. I might have to plan a PMA trip next year!

Tomcat: "I have reserved PMA permits twice. Both times I phoned the Kawishiwi Ranger District, my entry point reservation pickup location to reserve my PMA permit. I was told that they have a list of PMA permit requests that are shared with the other Ranger Districts within the BWCA. When you arrive to pickup your reserved entry point permit you inform them that you have a reserved PMA permit and they check the list. If you show up without a PMA reservation they check the same list for availability. I was under the impression that the simple list sharing procedure was implemented because very few PMA permits are requested.


For PMA reservations I phoned the Kawishiwi Ranger Distric, 218-365-7600 and was asked to provide my entry point reservation confirmation number, the PMA Zone number and the dates I intended to overnight in the PMA.


It is my understanding that PMA permits are only required if you plan to camp overnight in the PMA. You may enter or pass through PMA's without a permit as long as you do not set camp. PMA Leave-No-Trace rules are different from outside the PMA and a copy of the PMA regulations is included with the PMA permit.


"

+1 This exactly matches my experience in past years including 2021, 22 and 23.

KawnipiKid: "

Tomcat: "I have reserved PMA permits twice. Both times I phoned the Kawishiwi Ranger District, my entry point reservation pickup location to reserve my PMA permit. I was told that they have a list of PMA permit requests that are shared with the other Ranger Districts within the BWCA. When you arrive to pickup your reserved entry point permit you inform them that you have a reserved PMA permit and they check the list. If you show up without a PMA reservation they check the same list for availability. I was under the impression that the simple list sharing procedure was implemented because very few PMA permits are requested.



For PMA reservations I phoned the Kawishiwi Ranger Distric, 218-365-7600 and was asked to provide my entry point reservation confirmation number, the PMA Zone number and the dates I intended to overnight in the PMA.



It is my understanding that PMA permits are only required if you plan to camp overnight in the PMA. You may enter or pass through PMA's without a permit as long as you do not set camp. PMA Leave-No-Trace rules are different from outside the PMA and a copy of the PMA regulations is included with the PMA permit.




"

+1 This exactly matches my experience in past years including 2021, 22 and 23. "

This is correct. The problem was they just didn't reserve pma reservations on opening permit day like the other years. This year, they weren't available till the second day...Thursday.

Thanks, Rockriver. I missed that you got the permit until after I posted. Glad you did! Enjoy.