Maplewood Boat-In Site Permit

Maplewood State Park (MN) · Minnesota

One date at a time

A single boat-in site that Minnesota DNR does not describe on any page it publishes. One site means one booking — every taken night is a sold-out night.

70% of the openings our scanner caught on Maplewood Boat-In were gone within 5 minutes.

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Maplewood Boat-In Quick Facts

Permit RequiredYes

Booking MethodReservation

Demand LevelHigh8/10

Maplewood Boat-In Permit Facts

As of September 2026, Maplewood Boat-In in Maplewood State Park (MN), Minnesota requires a permit issued via reservation.
Maplewood Boat-In is a high-demand permit, rating 8/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
Cancelled Maplewood Boat-In permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.

Live availability activity →When Maplewood Boat-In permits open up →

Key Information

Permit Details

TypeOvernight

Booking MethodReservation

Demand Level8/10

LocationOtter Tail Lakes, MN

What to Expect

Highlights

•Minnesota DNR's definition of the category: "Backcountry campsites in Minnesota state parks are not accessible by motor vehicle and are a half mile or more from a parking area. They do not have electricity, and are a popular option for backpackers, paddlers, and bicyclists."
•"Backcountry sites typically have primitive toilet facilities and water, a tent pad, and a fire ring. Some have a picnic table and a grill on the fire ring, and a few have shelters."
•The Minnesota reservation system lists this facility as "Boat-in Sites" and it holds one unit, Boat-in #P1. A single unit means every taken night is a sold-out night.
•Minnesota DNR's published backcountry rate at Maplewood is $22 per site, per night, plus tax.
•"Seasonal availability varies by park." DNR publishes no season for this facility specifically, so the booking calendar is the authority on which nights exist.
•Start here, because it governs the rest of the page: Minnesota DNR does not describe this facility anywhere. Its Maplewood Camping & Lodging page lists Drive-in Sites, Electric Sites, an RV length limit, Backpack Sites (3), a Horse Camp and a Group Camp — and no boat-in category at all. The park map PDF has none either.
•The only record of it is the state reservation system: FacilityId 1100, named "Boat-in Sites", one unit, "Boat-in #P1". Its stored latitude and longitude are 0.0, 0.0 — the booking system does not even place it on the map.
•So the following are NOT PUBLISHED and are not guessed at here: where you put in, how far the crossing is, what season it is open, whether there is water or a toilet at the site, and what it costs. DNR's backcountry fee table lists Maplewood at $22 per night, but that table covers "backpack and watercraft sites over a half mile from parking" and DNR nowhere says this site is over half a mile from parking — so that band is not asserted for it.
•What is published, and is about this facility: DNR's burning restriction names the boat-in category by name. See the campfire rules below.
•What is published about the park generally: "Boat Access | 2 in the park." Nothing on any DNR page ties either access to a campsite.
•If you want this site, ring the park before you book. Everything a normal permit page would tell you, this one honestly cannot.
•Sourcing note: the park-page sentences on this page were read on 2026-08-10 from Minnesota DNR's own live park-content endpoint. maps.dnr.state.mn.us refuses our requests outright, so that fetch went through a Wayback Save-Page-Now capture of the live DNR endpoint, with the Internet Archive acting only as transport. www.dnr.state.mn.us and files.dnr.state.mn.us were read directly.

Best Time to Visit

DNR publishes no season for this site — it publishes nothing about this site. For the park, its own line is that "the park is known for its wonderful fall colors," and water and the shower building run to the third week of October, weather permitting. The booking calendar is the only authority on which nights this single unit exists.

Hazards & Considerations

!The largest hazard on this page is the missing information. DNR publishes no put-in, no crossing distance, no season, no water and no toilet for this site, and the reservation system stores its coordinates as 0.0, 0.0. Ring the park before you commit to a night here.
!DNR's visitor tips for the park: "Hikers, bring a park map and compass when hiking the trails." "In an emergency call 911."
!DNR alert, updated July 7: "Heavy rainfall (2") was received the night of July 6th. Park Drive is closed for repairs... Trails may have downed trees and washouts."
!Open water. DNR prohibits air mattresses, inner tubes and other non-Coast-Guard-approved flotation devices in state park waters outside designated areas.

How to Get This Permit

Create a Minnesota State Parks (ReserveMN) account

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About This Permit

This one comes with a warning that governs the whole page: Minnesota DNR does not describe this facility anywhere. Its Maplewood Camping & Lodging page lists Drive-in Sites, Electric Sites, an RV length limit, Backpack Sites (3), a Horse Camp and a Group Camp, and no boat-in category at all; the park map and guide PDF has none either. The only record of it is the state reservation system, which returns FacilityId 1100 as "Boat-in Sites" with one unit, "Boat-in #P1", and stores its latitude and longitude as 0.0, 0.0 — the booking system does not place it on the map.

So the put-in, the crossing distance, the season, whether there is water or a toilet at the site, and what it costs are all unpublished, and none of them is guessed at here. DNR's backcountry fee table lists Maplewood at $22 a night, but that table covers "backpack and watercraft sites over a half mile from parking" and DNR nowhere says this site is over half a mile from parking, so that band is not claimed for it.

One thing DNR does publish that is definitely about this site: its 2026 burning restriction names the boat-in category by name. Call the park before you commit to a night here.

The Experience

Why It Matters

It is the one facility in this catalogue the agency does not describe. Minnesota DNR lists six kinds of camping at Maplewood and this is not one of them; the site exists only as FacilityId 1100 in the state reservation system, one unit, coordinates 0.0/0.0. We have kept the page because you can genuinely book it and a single unit is the tightest inventory shape there is — but the useful thing this page can tell you is exactly which questions have no published answer.

The Feeling

Honestly: we do not know, and neither does any page Minnesota DNR publishes. One unit, a boat, a park of hardwood hills and lakes, and a booking system that stores the site's position as zero degrees north, zero degrees east.

Rules & Regulations

•All campsites require a reservation. Minnesota DNR: "All campsites require a reservation. Please make a reservation online or call 866-857-2757."
•Reservations open 120 days before arrival, and same-day bookings are allowed. On the day a date first becomes available, online reservations cannot be made before 8 a.m.
•The reservation fee is $8.00 online and $10.00 by phone, non-refundable. There is no fee for a same-day booking.
•Camping check-in is after 4 p.m. and checkout is by 4 p.m. If you have not checked in by 11 a.m. on the second day of the reservation, DNR may cancel it.
•"A campsite's occupancy is limited to one camping group of six people or less, one camping shelter, and one vehicle." More than that needs the park manager's prior approval.
•Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., and generators may not run in those hours.
•Park hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 365 days a year, and "only campers with a reserved campsite are allowed in the park after 10 p.m."
•Every vehicle entering a Minnesota state park must display a valid year-round or one-day state park vehicle permit.
•Firewood transport is regulated. DNR allows wood bought at this park for use in this park, Minnesota Department of Agriculture certified firewood anywhere on DNR land, and an uncertified bundle only if it is not ash and was harvested in the county where you will burn it — "be sure to keep your receipt and the bundle label to show proof of purchase."
•Firewood from home, pallet wood, and painted, stained or metal-bearing lumber are all prohibited, and "collection of firewood in state parks is not allowed."
•Pets are welcome on a leash six feet or shorter, or in a portable enclosure, and must be personally attended at all times.
•It is illegal to consume or display intoxicating liquors in Minnesota state parks.
•Fireworks and metal detectors are not permitted.
•Hammocks need trees at least 12 inches in diameter and straps at least an inch wide, one hammock per tree, hung over mowed and cleared ground.
•You may pick edible fruits and mushrooms for personal consumption; picking wildflowers or other plants is not allowed.
•Campfires here run on a live burning restriction that moves with fire danger, so a fire ring at the site is not permission to use it. The authority is this park's own Camping & Lodging page, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/maplewood/camping.html — read it in the week you travel, not the week you book.
•Read 2026-08-10, that page carried: "Attention visitors - fire danger is very high!" and "Campfires are not allowed in backcountry (hike-in/backpack and boat-in) campsites, even if there is a fire ring." DNR sells this facility as a boat-in site, which is the half of that sentence the ban names. A later reader should treat that date as the last thing we know, not as today's status.

Gear Checklist

Required

A boat, and life vests for everyone aboard
Dry bags
A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car you leave at the trailhead
Water, or a way to treat it — DNR says these sites "typically" have water, which is not the same as always
A camp stove, and a meal plan that works on it — Minnesota DNR closes fire rings at short notice, and its Tettegouche notice of 2026-08-10 read "Camp stoves are permitted for cooking."

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Gear Checklist

Required and recommended gear for Maplewood Boat-In

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Shuttle Services

Trailhead transportation options

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Guide Services

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Key Landmarks

Maplewood lakes
The chain of lakes in the park's hardwood hills. DNR publishes two boat accesses in the park and connects neither of them to a campsite.
Hallaway Hill Trail
DNR: "0.6 miles, one way — Hike up to a lovely overlook on South Lida Lake and the Maple-Leaf Hills."
North Country National Scenic Trail
DNR: a "five and one-half mile segment" runs through the park.

Safety & Planning

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Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Maplewood Boat-In. Sign up to track this permit.

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Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit. Sign up to track this permit.

Maplewood Boat-In FAQ

How do I get a Maplewood Boat-In permit?

Maplewood Boat-In permits use a reservation system. PermitSnag sends lottery open, deadline, and results reminders; you can also enable cancellation alerts if spots open later.

When is the best time to visit Maplewood Boat-In?

Check with the managing agency for current season dates. Weekdays generally have better availability than weekends.

How competitive is the Maplewood Boat-In permit?

This permit has a demand score of 8/10, making it highly competitive. We recommend having backup dates and using PermitSnag's cancellation alerts.

What if I can't get a Maplewood Boat-In permit?

Cancellations happen daily. Set up alerts with PermitSnag to get notified the moment a spot opens up. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.