Voyageurs National Park
Voyageurs National Park
Voyageurs is located on the northern edge of Minnesota where the US borders Ontario, Canada, 15 miles east of International Falls, MN
Voyageurs National Park is a water based park where access to the Kabetogama Peninsula, the islands, and nearly all the park’s shoreline is by watercraft. Offering numerous boating and fishing opportunities, this northern park is a great get-away for the outdoorsman. With year-round activities, you can snowmobile, cross country ski, ice fish, get in some spectacular bird watching, and of course, canoeing and kayaking. Continue reading for more great Voyageurs National Park information.
Uniqueness
The oldest exposed rock formations in the world are to be found at Voyageurs, formed after at least four periods of glaciations. Named after the Voyageurs, French-Canadian canoe-men who traveled in birch-bark canoes from the Great Lakes to the interior of the western US and Canada, it offers a myriad of landscapes. Voyageur offers everything from rolling hills, bogs, beaver ponds, swamps, islands, to small lakes and four large lakes. It is a water based park where access to the Kabetogama Peninsula, the islands, and nearly all the park’s shoreline is by watercraft.
There is year-round recreation available: fishing and water exploration in summer, hiking in autumn where nature shows off her beautiful fall colors, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, and ice fishing in winter, and a bird watchers paradise in spring when thousands of migratory birds, such as loons, great blue herons, white pelicans and tiny neotropical warblers, return to breed. There are ranger-guided activities with boat trips into the heart of Voyageur in the summer and a 26-foot north canoe trip where one can learn what it was like to be a Voyageur of old.
Voyageur was authorized in 1971 to preserve the natural beauty and wonders of this historic area. It was formally made a state park in 1975. The park encompasses 218,054 acres; 83,789 acres of water and 134,265 acres of land. Fifty-five miles of the park meanders along the Canadian border with Ontario.
Voyageurs National Park is a mosaic of land and water, a place of interconnected lakes that flow west into the Rainy River, and eventually north as part of the arctic watershed of Hudson Bay. It is a place of transition, between upland and aquatic ecosystems, southern boreal and northern hardwoods forest types, and both wild and developed areas. The foundation of the park’s landscape was sculpted by a series of glaciers that have scoured and carved the area. The forests that now drape the upland portions of the park exist on a thin layer of soil that has formed in the comparatively short period of time since the last glacier receded.
Early Native Americans were the first to make use of the abundant resources the lakes and forests provided, followed by Europeans and other native groups drawn to the area during the fur trade period of the late 1700′s and early 1800′s. Mining, commercial fishing, logging and recreational use brought more people to the region in the years that followed, evidence of which may be found in the park today.
Winter is a time of ice and snow at Voyageurs, when the surface of even the largest lakes in the park freezes to depths of over two feet and the park’s wildlife are challenged by long periods of extreme cold. Some hibernate, but others are left to forage for food as best they can.
A good set of navigational maps available from the visitor’s centers and the know-how to use them are mandatory to run on the waterways. It is suggested to use a professional guide when traveling on the waterways as there are submerged rocks that can severely damage boats.
Be aware of the water levels before diving or jumping into the water. Check with local areas regarding water safety.
When backpacking, wear layers as the weather changes quickly in all seasons. Have good hiking boots, a compass, map, and watch for poison ivy and ticks.
Treat all water before drinking or using it to cook with. Use bear-resistant food lockers or hang food in a tree at least 10 feet from the ground and 10 feet from the main trunk.
The park has two distinct but overlapping habitat types–the terrestrial, upland ecosystem and the aquatic ecosystem. Each has its own set of herbivores, insectivores, omnivores and carnivores, although some species cross the boundary to inhabit or get food from both. There are 240 species of birds, 10 species of reptiles and amphibians, 53 species of fish, 42 species of mammals, including white-tailed deer, bears and wolves, and countless invertebrates to see in the park. The wildlife you will see will vary with the seasons.
There is no entrance fee. Free boat ramps and parking can be found at the visitor centers and the Kabetogama state campgrounds.
200 designated campsites offer free overnight stay permits, limited to 14 days at a specific site and a maximum of 30 days in a calendar year. The season runs May 15 to September 15. The “boat-in” campsites are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis, but there are drive-up campsites outside of the park at Woodenfrog State Forest Campground on Kabetogama Lake.
It is 300 miles north of Minneapolis-St. Paul and can be accessed by car on Highway 53 from the south and Highway 11 from the west.
Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to Voyageurs National Park:
By Car:
Duluth, MN – 172.99 miles
St. Paul, MN – 301.21 miles
Charlesville, MN – 292.73 miles
St. Cloud, MN – 294.83 miles
Kenora ON, CA – 148.67 miles
Dryden ON, CA – 128.71 miles
By Plane
Falls International Airport – 13.32 miles
Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport St, Edina, MN – 316.57 miles
Minneapolis St. Paul Airport St Paul, MN – 309.61 miles
There is no public transportation to Voyageurs National Park.
Voyageurs National Park, 3131 Highway 53, International Falls, MN 56649
(218) 283-9821
