The surge to book a Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) permit was intense again this year, even briefly bogging down the government’s reservation system after bookings went live Jan. 29.

We are nearly a month in since permits were made available for camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Although what’s the outlook this spring for people wanting to explore the BWCA?

Minnesota's million-acre (400,000-hectare) Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is ... from a We-no-nah Kevlar Canoe to a Crazy Creek camping chair. Guided options offer an extra layer of comfort ...

A group from the Wilderness Inquiry canoes in Kabetogama Lake at Voyageurs National Park. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune) ...