Photo By: Jacob Lips
The Voyageurs National Park is named after French-Canadian fur traders, who use boatmen known as voyageurs, in transporting goods and passengers between trading posts. These boatmen were the first to travel near the park, through the Kabetogama Peninsula.
This national park in Minnesota is 218,200 acres in size. It was visited by close to 240,000 people in 2018.
History
The park lies on the Canadian Shield, which is said to have been between one to three billion years old. This means that the plateau was formed during the early stages of the world’s creation. It wasn’t until 10,000 years ago that humans settled in the area. The first settlers were the Paleo-Indians.
Nomadic people moved to and from the area from 8,000 B.C. and 100 B.C. By 100 A.D. the area became a popular place among fishermen because of its rich water resources.
In 1891, the Minnesota Legislature asked to have a national park within the state. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until January 8, 1971, that the area became officially known as Voyageurs National Park.
Photo By: Jacob Lips
Things to do
Forty percent of the park is filled with water bodies. There are four major lakes in the area: Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, Namakan Lake, and Sand Point Lake. These are all perfect for different tours and water activities.
Tour
With the different bodies of water around, boat tours are among the more popular activities in the area, which has a lot of scenic views. Some tours go around Rainy Lake and Kabetogama Lake, as well as Crane Lake. The tours also explore the park’s history as well as its important features.
Kayaking, canoeing, motorboating & paddling
The influx of tourists in the park has enriched the economic activities in the area with various businesses for renting kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and motorboats. Either of these activities is a fun way of enjoying the park’s vistas. There are at least 33 sites where people can stop and have a picnic.
Swimming & fishing
It’s a park with more than a third of it underwater, so swimming should be on the itinerary. As for fishing, the waters at the park are home to lake trout, northern pike, sturgeon and walleye.
Camping
All campsites are accessible by water. Isn’t that exciting? It’s like two adventures in one—boating and camping.
Stargazing
Staying in the park at night is an event in itself. The Minnesotan sky from the park’s view is just magical. The aurora borealis shows of green, yellow and red lights—visitors called it the Voyageurs Dancing Skies.
Hiking
The park may be abundant in water, but it still has over 50 miles of hiking trails that people enjoy. Those who want to stay on the mainland will have easier treks, while there are backcountry trails for the more adventure-seeking people.
Winter activities
The park doesn’t close during winter, it just becomes more creative. Voyageurs tourists enjoy some snowshoeing during winter, through the beautiful winter wonderlands of Oberholtzer Trail and Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail. Snowmobiling is another popular activity during the winter months. Lucky visitors may also have some rare sighting of timberwolves.
Places to see
Every activity at Voyageurs National Park is done at a place that is a tourist site in itself. Still, here are some other places that visitors can purposely tour in the park:
Kettle Falls Hotel – This is a beautiful hotel that is on the Minnesota and Canadian border. Its tagline states: “Tough place to get to… But well worth is the one you get there!” It certainly is not a lie. The hotel has been a haven for travelers since 1913. There are also guided tours to the Kettle Falls Dam.
Ellsworth Rock Gardens – This is known as the Showplace of Lake Kabetogama. Jack Ellsworth, a self-taught artist, who created the garden for 20 years. The Ellsworth Rock Gardens has been a favorite among tourists since the 1940s. It has 62 terraced flower beds filled with over 13,000 lilies. Ellsworth also made some stone garden furniture.
Flora and fauna
Since parks are protected in public areas, a lot of animals are free to consider them home without the fear of being hunted. The North Woods in the park is noted for the presence of black bears, beavers, gray wolves, and moose. Birds in the area are bald eagles, double-crested cormorants, loons, owls and warblers.
Common plants in the park are aspens, fir, paper birches, and spruce. There are also basswood, maples, oaks, and pines. Wildflowers are also abundant so visitors will surely marvel at the dusting of colors in the green landscape. Fruit lovers will also enjoy delicious blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries that grow in the park.
Photo By: Jacob Lips