This post will be little different than the blog post, but I wanted to make sure the information was easily accessible. Voyageurs National Park is on the U.S-Canadian border in Minnesota, and is one of the unique places in this country. The park was established in 1975 and is named for the fur traders who used to traverse the waters.
The park utilizes three different Visitor’s Centers, one at Rainy Lake, one at Lake Kabetogama and one at Ash River. While these are the main waterways of the park, much like the rest of Minnesota, there are small lakes throughout. We visited during the time of COVID, but the rangers had the stamps out at each center, and at one, we even ran into a park ranger who helped my kids get their Junior Ranger badges. During normal times, the rangers lead guided canoe tours from the Visitor’s Centers which apparently, are quite popular.
Voyageurs is definitely a water-themed park. There are plenty of camping sites and hiking trails, but many of them are only reachable by boat. During our trip, we hired a tour guide who took us on a five hour boat, hitting the majority of the park. We stopped at the Ellsworth Rock Garden and Kettle Falls, and explored countless inlets and coves.
The next day we hired fishing guide, who provided everything, including the rods. He took the kids and I out for about three hours in Rainy Lake, where we each caught multiple fish. Since we were not planning to bring the fish home, we threw everything back, and I actually think my son caught the same fish three times.
For the hiking enthusiast, Voyageurs does offer several great trails. We did the Beaver Pond Overlook, the Echo Bay Trail and the Blind Ash Trail. We enjoyed all of them, but I suggest you wear long pants and do not skimp on the bug spray. The trails are rustic, and some portions are only accessible to those with skis in the winter, but they offer really unique views. The only other thing I would point out is that the distances listed do not seem correct. The two loops that we hiked were both marks as about 2.5 miles, but my daughters Fitbit registered them at 3.2 and 4.1.
There are several resorts on the lake just outside of the park, but by the time we booked, they were all full. We stayed at the Cantilever Hotel in Ranier, which is very nice by not particularly kid friendly. There are only a few restaurants around, but those that we found, like the Blind Pig, were all very good.
This was an amazing trip for my family, and the kids really enjoyed it. We spent basically two full days exploring the park, and I think that was enough. If you have any questions or are looking for recommendations, shoot me a message, but for the National Park junkies out there, Voyageurs is a can’t miss.
If you’re interested in more, check out my eight year old’s blog or this Sporcle quiz. Thanks.