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Explore the Lakes of the North Woods

Nearly 200 years ago voyageurs paddled birch bark canoes full of animal pelts and trade goods through this area on their way to Lake Athabasca, Canada.

Today, people explore the park by houseboat, motorboat, canoe, and kayak.

Voyageurs is a water-based park where you must leave your car and take to the water to fully experience the lakes, islands, and shorelines of the park.

 
Kayak on the lake

WATERS

Water is the defining feature of Voyageurs National Park. The interconnected waterways provide recreational boaters with an unparalleled opportunity to explore the forested lake country.

Voyageurs National Park adopted new boating and fishing restrictions and best management practices in 2007 to protect the park's interior lakes from aquatic exotics such as spiny waterfleas. Check out the Management or Nonnative Species pages for more information.

 
Beaver pond

SCENERY

Forests cover the land, thriving on a thin layer of soil that has formed since the last glaciers melted around 10,000 years ago. Rocks that formed when the earth was young are exposed here. In Voyageurs National Park, you can touch some of the most ancient rock on earth and watch light reflect on the lake. The waters are blue during the long summer days and bright white when frozen beneath a blanket of snow in the winter.
 
Bald Eagle

WILDLIFE

The distant howl of a wolf, the snap of branches as a white-tailed deer or black bear moves through the forest—sounds that remind us that although we are visitors here, Voyageurs is home to a rich variety of wildlife.

more...
 
Hiking on the Locator Lake trail

VISIT

Whether you are here for a day, a week or longer, the lakes and land of Voyageurs National Park offers plenty of opportunities for exploration, fun, relaxation, and learning. 

 

Write to

Voyageurs National Park
3131 Highway 53
International Falls, Minnesota 56649

Phone

Park Headquarters
(218) 283-6600

Rainy Lake Visitor Center
(218) 286-5258

Fax

(218) 285-7407

Climate

Voyageurs has a cool, continental climate with short, warm summers followed by long, cold winters.

Average summer temperatures are 60 degrees F to 80 + degrees F; winter temperatures range from below 0 degrees F to 20 degrees F.
Communities Surrounding Voyageurs National Park
Note: The times listed below are approximate driving times to the park.
Ranier, MN (18 min. ) Pop. 188
International Falls, MN (21 min. ) Pop. 6,703
Littlefork, MN (41 min. ) Pop. 680
Orr, MN (43 min. ) Pop. 249
Loman, MN (49 min. )
Nett Lake, MN (1 hr.  8 min. )
Crane Lake, MN (1 hr.  31 min. )