The Quetico Park is also regulated by a permit system. The permit designates the day and entry point the user must start (see user regulations below). Once a date or entry point has been filled, no additional permits will be issued for that date or point. There are fewer permits available for the Quetico Park, so they do fill-up more quickly.
The Quetico permit office opens the permits up for phone reservation five months in advance. For example, if the user would like to enter the Quetico on May 25, they will need to call for the permit on December 25. Changes in the permit reservation process, Quetico Park updates, and other vital information can be reviewed on the Quetico Park information line at 1-807-597-2735. This is only an information line and the actual permit reservations are made at 888-668-7275.
If the user is entering the Quetico from the US side, each party member, regardless of age, will need to carry a photo copy of a certified birth certificate (or passport) and a second form of identification (can be drivers license, social security card, school ID, state ID, report card).
At some access points, a Canadian Customs officer does not exist, so advanced customs clearance is necessary. A Remote Area Border Crossing Pass (RABC), also known as a CanPass, must be filled out and submitted to the Canadian Customs & Immgration at least six weeks prior to the start of the trip. The turn around time for RABC processing can vary from two to six weeks. The Canadian's charge $30.00 (about $20-$25 in US funds) to process the form. It is necessary for users entering through Prairie Portage, Clay Lake, and Saganaga. Copies of the RABC form can be accessed using the link page located on this web site. An Acrobat Reader is necessary to down load the files.
Each year several lakes are opened up to motor boat and float plane use as part of treaty rights with the Native Americans. These lakes rotate on a yearly basis. Very seldom are these treaty rights used by the Native Americans, so the chances of encountering motor boats and float planes on interior lakes is very slim.
The following are the user regulations that must be followed by all visitors whether day use or overnight. These rules are in place to assure the quality of wilderness is maintaned. Stiff fines are applied when rules are broke. Portage crews and enforcement officers do patrol the wilderness areas and have a right to search packs and write tickets on the spot.
No cans or bottles! Anything that can be consumed must be packaged in foil, paper, or plastic. No exceptions. Transfer spices in metal tins or jars into small plastic containers or plastic bags. Watch bulk beverage and snack containers for metal bottoms -- those are illegal too.
A maximum group size of 9 people are allowed. If the user is bringing up a much larger group, the group MUST split into smaller subgroups. The subgroups can still travel into the same areas during the trip, but they must never canoe, portage, camp or congregate together at any time.
The user may camp anywhere provided no trees are cut down or destroyed to create a camp site. Many previously used sites do exist. Carry a fire grate to use if cooking over a campfire. A latrine shovel is required for digging "cat holes" as toilet facilities.
Fires may only occur within the legal firegrate/fire pit area. In areas where a fire ban has been issued, no open campfires are allowed and all cooking must be done over liquid or gas fired stoves.
Use only dead and downed trees for firewood. Please do not strip loose birch bark or "hack" at live trees with a saw or axe. This weakens the trees and will kill them. Plenty of firewood exists throughout the wilderness. Check down the shoreline, away from the campsite, or across the lake for dead and downed wood.
All canoes or boats must be registered either in the user's home state or in the state of Minnesota.
Life jackets rated for the users size must be worn while out in the wilderness area. It can not be used as a cushion or attached to the seat while the canoe is occupied.
Using soap products in or near the lake is prohibited. Bathing and washing dishes, clothing and gear should occur at least 100 feet from the nearest shoreline.
Plan to treat water by boiling, water tablets, or a purification system. Waterborne illnesses can be picked up in stagnant and shallow shoreline waters.
Avid fisherman: please clean fish well away from the campsite. Either bury the fish remains, or leave the carcass and entrails on an exposed rock a good distance from the site.
Use the portage trails! The portage trails have been designed for user's safety. They exist when water hazards are present or lakes are land-locked. It's a long walk home, so don't risk running a canoe through the rapids.
The wilderness offers a great deal of solitude and serentity. Leave the cell phones, radios and tape players behind. Remember fellow travelers are also looking for solitude too. Keep voices down - yelling carries for miles, spooks potential wildlife, and shows other visitors that a novice canoe camper is near by.