Voyageurs National Park

We have arrived in Minnesota, home to Voyageurs National Park! And home to International Falls, where it is very difficult to find an overnight parking spot. However, we prevailed, and even had time to have our first movie night on the trip!

We arrived at Voyageurs NP early the next morning, before the park even opened, and had breakfast in the parking lot! Mmmmmm, oatmeal! After finishing breakfast we headed to the Visitor's Center to get some info from the rangers. We knew we wanted to take a kayak trip into the park, but we didn't know exactly where yet. The rangers were extremely helpful (if a little bit quirky) and provided us with information, maps, guides, and hiking routes that had been tested out and prepared by the local NP staff. We also had a few questions about permits, which the rangers were able to clarify for us with ease.

We decided to head across Rainy Lake to Black Bay, and take the Beaver Pond Hiking Trail. It was about 1/4 or 1/2 mile of kayaking across the lake to the dock at Black Bay. From there you can take several different trails through the forest. The beaver pond is about 1/2 mile inland from the dock which is reached by a delightfully undeveloped trail. Where the trail goes across rocky areas there are rock cairns to guide you along the path.

The beaver pond itself was so pretty! It was sunny, the water was calm and full of lily pads with trails through them where the beavers presumably swam. There were a couple turtles sunning themselves on a log as we arrived that made a hasty retreat into the water, only to return later once we became besties. We could see the beaver's lodge in the middle of the lake, and could just make out the dam, but were unable to reach it through the thick trees and swamp around the lake. We had lunch while enjoying the peaceful view. Truly a place of tranquility.

When we finally were able to tear ourselves away we made our way back through the forest to the kayak. On the way back we met some very enthusiastic birds who seemed to be somewhat unsettled at our presence. I think we may have gotten between a mama and some young ones. We moved on quickly so that the mama wouldn't have to worry for long. When we got back to the kayak we discovered that there was actually a restroom at the dock location (which we did not test out)! And our kayak was still there! Both good things!

After paddling back across the water, we pulled our boat out, went through the clean/drain/dry process to help stop the spread of invasive species, packed up, and headed south.

Personnel:
As mentioned above the staff were very helpful and informative, and definitely worth stopping to talk to if you have any questions about the park and how to see it.

Climate/weather:
It was a perfect day for a kayak/hiking trip! The sky was clear and sunny the whole day, and the temperature was such that you could move into the sun to warm up, or into the shade to cool off as needed.

Facilities/signage:
The bathrooms in the VC were quite nice, and even had a nice waterbottle drinking fountain. The whole area around the VC was actually quite nice and felt like a place that would be great for a picnic or water excursion. The trail signs out to the beaver pond were well placed, and it looked like there were winter cross country ski trails as well that appeared to be quite well marked and maintained!

Hiking/kayaking experience:
Loved it! If you go to voyageurs and don't plan on taking a tour boat, it is pretty much essential that you have a watercraft. Almost all of the park is accessed by water. The kayaking itself was fine, but not amazing/incredible, it just got us where we needed to go. The hiking trail was magical. It was mostly undeveloped through the heart of a forest with a beaver pond at the end. And the best part was, as far as we could tell, we were the only people on the island. We didn't see another soul after getting out of the kayak. Amazing! (Also, on a side note, the water wasn't pristine, it was pretty brown, so our plans for swimming took a nose dive and we opted out.)

Driving experience:
There really wasn't a driving experience. The boat launch was very close and accessible from the VC, and the road into the park is quite short.

Camping options:
There are lots of campsites that are available around the park (water accessible only as far as we could tell) that require you to reserve in advance. There wasn't a campground at the VC where we stopped, so if you want to stay multiple days finding a campsite is the way to do it.

Hammockability:
This park seems like it was made for hammocks. There are trees everywhere and people... nowhere. Perfect. The only caution is that this is still bear country. But really, hammocks belong in Voyageurs. We didn't even notice any mosquitos this time of year.

Scenery:
This National Park is all about water and trees. There are forests inside of lakes, and lakes inside of forests, and beavers inside of lakes inside of forests, and if it involves water, trees, and beauty, it is here.

Nearby food:
If you are planning more than an afternoon trip to Voyageurs you need to bring your own food since you will have to take a boat to across the water to reach your destination. If you are just here for a few hours, you can get food in International Falls which is about 15 minutes away.


You should go here. It is so beautiful and peaceful. And it feels like exploring this park is really exploring uncharted territory! It is definitely a place we will return to (hopefully on a multi-day canoe trip!).

Next stop, Doug and Tanya Hardt's house in Grand Rapids, MN. Then on to Sam Campbell's island!