plander wrote on Feb 28^th, 2010 at 9:05pm:

I made a reservation in Jan for May 17 entry on the west side-Lac LaCroix ranger station entries, or at least I thought.  I even received a reference #.  I got a call last week and was told that the park doesn't open until May 21.  Is this correct?  I checked online (   (You need to Login or Register) and the interior has camping dates April 1, 2010-March 31, 2011.  Dawson Trail has a May 21-Oct 21 opening but I would have guessed that if you can get yourself to the ranger station you could get your permit.  How does one go about getting a permit for entry prior to May 21?  Would a RABC permit work? I know they have switched over to a new system.  Any help or advice would be appreciated.   Thanks in advance.

For Quetico, there is a brief period between ice-out and when reservations are required later in May.  I haven't check when that date is for the upcoming season, but I've been in mid-May a couple of times BEFORE the reservation period began.  If that is the case for you (which I wouldn't be surprised about with a May 17th entry), you do not need a permit.  And YES, you will need an RABC unless you plan to cross the border at an established border crossing (e.g., International Falls).  

The rub may be paying for your camping fees.  I've entered (pre-season) at Nym and Prairie Portage.  Both those locations provide for "self-service" payment of camping fees and a drop box.  Rather than use cash, I've written my credit card information on the form and they have used that to bill me.  I just can't answer the question as to whether or not there is a self-service setup at LLC.  You should be able to call the park headquarters (or your outfitter) to get that answer.

dd