Does anyone have the latest information on whether or not a passport is needed to drive into and out of Canada? I know flying in you need one, but what about driving?

You will need one to return to US.

Right. Not needed to leave the U.S., but needed to return. If crossing by land (car), you can also use the new Passport Card. It's a little cheaper.

Then again, you might want to stay in Canada. It's better canoe country in every way.

Yes you will need one to pass back into the US.

We enter Cache Bay via the water and use the passport card to check back into the U.S.A.

Last year entering back into the U.S. the border patrol officer took our cards went into his office and was back in less then 2 minutes with only one question..."did you purchase anything in Canada"?

This year we arrived at the Grand Marais Coast Guard station about 410pm. It closes at 5pm but no one was there. A sign on the door said to call a phone number during regular business hours which I did. The polite officer informed me he was just finishing up at the airport and would be back in 10 minutes. Yep, he was there in 10 minutes...this year though it took about 15 minutes while he entered quite a bit of information from our passport cards into a computer. Still not inconvenient but if we couldn't make it down to the station by 5pm we would have had to wait until 9a.m. the next a.m. or drive to Grand Portage to the 24 hour station to check in. I asked the officer if there were any plans for Grand Marais to go 24 hour operation with the new check in and he said "no"....not enough traffic there.

Dave

quote arctic: "Then again, you might want to stay in Canada. It's better canoe country in every way."

Woops sorry misread your post--I agree. I do like canoeing there better.

Yes you need a passport or if you don't travel anywhere besides Canada. Mexico, carribean you can get the passport card. Cheaper--looks liek a drivers license. I have both just for convenience. DOn't want to cary my whole passport with me on a canoe trip.

T

quote Wallidave: " I asked the officer if there were any plans for Grand Marais to go 24 hour operation with the new check in and he said "no"....not enough traffic there.


Dave"

nice info, it reminds me of a watching the news with someone saying... "if a terrorist was to enter this exact spot at at this exact time and do such and such it would devastate our whole community". Great!

I wonder how many folks returning from Quetico don't even bother to check in with US customs. I never did back in the day, but with today's Big Brother Drones, and the like, I would definately check in. I don't want that after-midnight, knock at the door...

quote arctic: "I wonder how many folks returning from Quetico don't even bother to check in with US customs. I never did back in the day, but with today's Big Brother Drones, and the like, I would definately check in. I don't want that after-midnight, knock at the door..."

Well, the thought was certainly running through my head if we didn't reach them in time. Last year we didn't and wound up spending about $150 to sleep at Best Western for 12 hours until they opened the next morning. I was seriously thinking of sleeping in the car but it was only 8pm, they didn't open until 9a.m. and we had a little compact car stuffed with gear. I don't mind doing that at the start of the trip waiting for the tow the next a.m. but not after at the end.

Where are they getting the info who left the country ??

Dave

They are always watching!!!With computers I wouldn't be surprised if the Canadians did exchange that information....The Canadians get DUI information from us.