National Parks:
Voyageurs National Park

International Falls, Minnesota -- The song of the voyageurs has long since left this area, but visitors can still experience the waterway system of the fur trade. The park's namesake, the Voyageurs, were French-Canadian canoe-men who paddled these waters in birch-bark canoes from the Great Lakes to the interior of northwestern North America. The waterway system, accompanying scenery, geology, and rich cultural and natural resources give Voyageurs its national significance.

The park lies in the southern part of the Canadian Shield, representing some of the oldest exposed rock formations in the world. This bedrock has been shaped and carved by glaciers at least four times. The topography of the park is rugged and varied; rolling hills are interspersed between bogs, beaver ponds, swamps, islands, small lakes and four large lakes. In the years since the last glaciers, a thin layer of soil has formed, which supports the park's boreal forest ecosystem and accompanying wildlife and vegetation.

DID YOU KNOW

• Voyageurs National Park is a water-based park composed of four large interconnected lakes with over 500 islands and many small glacier-formed lakes. All campsites and many trails are accessible only by boat.
• Voyageurs National Park became the Nation's 36th National Park on January 8,1971.
• The park's boundary is part of the international border between the United States and Canada and follows portions of the voyageurs' route.
• Voyageurs is located near the headwaters of the Arctic Watershed.
• The park's exposed rocks represent some of the most complete and extensive Precambrian geologic features in the United States.
• Voyageurs is a year-round park with boating and fishing in the summer and snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and ice fishing in the winter.

DON'T MISS ATTRACTIONS

In the winter, enjoy cross-country skiing on the Rainy Lake Ice Road, Chain of Lakes Snowmobile trail, and the Black Bay Beaver Pond cross-country ski trails

In the summer, any number of activities await the park visitor, including:

• A voyage in a replica north canoe used by the voyageurs during the fur trade - offered at each visitor center.
• Rainy Lake or Kabetogama Lake tour boat programs - these trips travel through the interconnected waterway that was part of the route of the voyageurs.
• Kettle Falls Hotel and Dam - Built around 1910, this area has long been a crossroads for people from American Indians, to voyageurs, to loggers, and finally tourists traveling from one lake to another. The hotel and dam overlook offer visitors scenic views.
• Ellsworth Rock Gardens - constructed between 1944 and 1965 by Chicago contractor Mr. Jack Ellsworth. The Gardens consist of 62 terraced flower beds, which he accented with 150 sculptures made out of native stone and concrete.
• Little American Island - Visitors can view old mine shafts and artifacts of the Rainy Lake Gold Rush that began in 1893; a trail and interpretive signs guide visitors.
• One of the park's three visitor centers, each with scenic views, exhibits, and children's activity areas.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PRIORITIES

Like many national parks, Voyageurs National Park has benefited from the support of friends groups, partnerships, and other park supporters. One such examples of what partnerships can accomplish is the Ford Transportation Interpreter Program. For two years Voyageurs National Park has benefited from the Ford Transportation Interpreter Program. This partnership program places interpreters aboard one of the park's tour boats, which represents an alternative mode of transportation in the park.

Another example of the power of partnerships occurred in 2002. In partnership with the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources, Kabetogama Lake Association, Ash River Commercial Club, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Conservation Corps, and the Student Conservation Association, Voyageurs National Park dedicated a new 24-mile hiking and skiing trail. This trail connects two of the park's gateway communities and travels through State and Federal lands. Half of the funding came from a Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources' (LCMR) grant. The Kab-Ash trail is the first LCMR grant used for a project that included Federal land.

To experience Voyageurs National Park, visitors travel by boat to use day and overnight sites scattered among the islands and along the 655 miles of shoreline. In 2006, the park will receive funding to complete the construction of 100 new sites, including tent, houseboat, day use, and visitor destinations. After the completion of this project, Voyageurs will have destinations for visitors traveling by boat to explore and learn about the park's natural and cultural history.

Source: National Park Service