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Quetico Provincial Park (Ontario, Canada) Information

   About the Quetico Provincial Park       Travel Permits       Reservation and Camping Fees       Entry Points & Ranger Stations       Rules and Regulations       Canadian Customs       Canadian Fishing Licenses   

About the Quetico Provincial Park

Canada's Quetico Provincial Park is located in Ontario, Canada, just north of the international border and Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Superior National Forest. It offers canoeists an additional 292 named lakes and about 250 unnamed lakes to explore, with over 2,100 backcountry campsites on 1.2 million acres of wilderness stretching 40 miles from north to south and 60 miles from east to west.

PictorgraphAccording to an Ojibwa legend, the name "Quetico" originated from a Cree word describing a benevolent spirit believed to inhabit places of great beauty. The park has 28 known native pictographs, most of them painted on flat rock surfaces just above water level, most likely painted there by natives standing in their canoes. A variety of figures including humans, canoes, moose, caribou, bears, turtles, birds, and abstract figures are visible. Though their actual age is uncertain, it is believed that most were done within the last 500 years.

Quetico Provincial Park operates on a similar system of rules and entry requirements as the BWCAW. Since you are actually going into a foreign country, planning a trip in the Quetico requires jumping through a couple more hoops in order to enter, but we can help you with those. We will provide the necessary information you'll need to obtain your travel permit, advance Canadian Customs clearance, and Canadian fishing licenses.

What are the main differences between a canoe trip in the Quetico vs. one in the BWCAW? Well, simply put, the Quetico is quieter, with fewer parties entering daily. The cost is greater to travel in the Quetico Park than in the BWCAW. Unlike the BWCAW, there are no campsite amenities, such as steel fire grates and wilderness box latrines in the Quetico. Portages tend to be less maintained and more rugged. The way we look at it, the BWCAW is the better place to gain experience in wilderness canoe tripping, before 'graduating' to the more challenging routes of the Quetico. Because of the extra paperwork and logistics involved in crossing the international border, we recommend Quetico trips for people who have a minimum of 5 days for their trip—more is even better.

Travel Permits — Quetico Provincial Park

Any group planning an overnight canoe trip into the Quetico Provincial Park must first reserve a travel permit. The quota system regulates how many groups can begin a trip at each Entry Point each day. One permit per traveling group covers up to 9 people and 4 canoes. (Larger groups require multiple permits; however, no more than 9 people can be together at any one place—be it campsite, portage, or on the water—at any one time.) Travel parties may only enter the Quetico on the entry date and through the Entry Point specified on the permit. Since there are a limited number of quota permits available for each entry point each day, Way to Go Canoe Outfitters recommends making your travel permit reservation well in advance of your trip date. But even if you decide to come up last minute, give us a call and we'll see what is available. Permits are issued on a first come, first served basis. You can start booking permits five months prior to your trip dates. For example, if your trip is scheduled for May 26, 2024, you can reserve your permit starting on December 26, 2023. We will gladly assist you in securing the travel permit you need for your wilderness canoe trip. Call us at 218-365-7676 when you know your dates and are ready to make a reservation. You may also make your own reservations online, by calling the park reservations office directly toll-free at 1-888-668-PARK (7275).

Your reservation is not your permit.The actual travel permit must be picked up in person by either the party leader or the alternate party leader, whose names appear on the permit, at the designated Canadian Ranger Station prior to entering the Quetico Park on the starting date of your trip. Additional rules and regulations apply.

Reservations & Camping Fees

A non-refundable Reservation Fee of $11.00 (for up to 9 people) is charged on V/MC at the time of reservation. Reservations cannot be changed or cancelled more than four months in advance of your arrival day.

If you need to change or cancel a reservation:
   • go to OntarioParks.com/reservations and sign-into your account
   • contact a reservations agent at 1-888-ONT-PARK (1-888-668-7275)

If you cancel or shorten a backcountry reservation before the arrival date you will be charged a penalty. The percentage penalty is based on how long your reservation has been held:

Reservation held Penalty fee
1 month or less $9.29 + HST (call centre/in park) or $7.52 + HST (online)
Greater than 1 month up to 2 months $10.00 +HST
Greater than 2 months up to 3 months $$15.00 +HST
Greater than 3 months up to 4 months $20.00 +HST
Greater than 4 months $25.00 +HST

Refund = [fees paid at reservation (excluding reservation fee and HST)] – penalty

For reservations where the total fees paid at reservation (excluding reservation fee and HST) are less than $25, the penalty would be the full value of the reservation – no additional penalty applied.

Nightly Camping Fees
(Required for all non-resident, overnight visitors. In addition to presenting a Passport and Quetico Entry Permit, visitors paddling to Quetico from the United States must stop at the applicable Ranger Station when entering the Park and pay the nightly camping fees by V/MC.)

Ranger Station Adult 18 & up Youth 17 & under
Prairie Portage & Cache Bay $21.47/night $8.48/night
Lac La Croix $$14.97/night $6.50/night

   About the Quetico Provincial Park       Travel Permits       Reservation and Camping Fees       Entry Points & Ranger Stations       Rules and Regulations       Canadian Customs       Canadian Fishing Licenses   

Quetico Provincial Park (Ontario, Canada) Information