ELY — The Boundary Waters Canoe Area begins accepting online reservations for the summer season Wednesday,

The 1.1 million acre Boundary Waters is America’s most visited wilderness area, attracting 250,000 visitors annually.

The Recreation.gov website begins accepting BWCA reservations on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Ely-based outfitter Steve Piragis says the day will be particularly important for groups that want specific entry points or entry days. But he says people who don’t want to plan so far ahead will still have access to hundreds of permits throughout the season, via the website and from outfitters.

Some permits for certain popular entry points were awarded by lottery last week.