Voyageurs National Park, located on the US-Canada border, covers 218,000 acres and is named after French Canadian travelers who navigated the area’s waterways in the 18th and 19th centuries. The park has over 25 lakes and showcases boreal forests, hills, and Precambrian rocks. Visitors can enjoy recreational activities such as canoeing, fishing, hiking, and snowmobiling. The park is home to over 100 black bears, bald eagles, white-tailed deer, and several wolf packs.
Voyageurs National Park is one of several US national parks that line the border between the United States and Canada. The park covers approximately 218,000 acres (341 square miles) near International Falls, Minnesota in the northern United States. Established in 1975, the park was named to commemorate French Canadian travelers who traveled the area’s network of lakes and rivers during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Traveling the extensive waterways, or “traveller’s highway,” these early frontiersmen navigated the rivers in birchbark canoes. During their journey, travelers hunted and traded for goods such as beaver pelts. They would see the demand for furs and furs decline during the mid-1850s. This, along with gold mining, logging, and commercial fishing, would play a significant role in the future of the area.
The overriding feature of Voyageurs National Park is water which covers approximately 83,800 of the park’s surface area (131 square miles). There are more than 25 lakes within the park; four major lakes include Rainy, Kabetogama, Sand Point, and Namakan. The shoreline along the lakes extends for more than 650 miles (about 1046 kilometers).
Voyageurs National Park includes a portion of the Canadian Shield. Covering approximately 8 million square kilometers (3.1 million square miles), the Canadian Shield extends from Lake Superior in the United States northward to the Arctic islands. The climate of the Canadian Shield varies according to the region. The southern part, where Voyageurs National Park is located, has a seasonal climate with an average summer temperature of 77° Fahrenheit (25° Celsius).
The Voyageurs National Park’s terrain, intertwining with the extensive waterways, showcases boreal forests, rolling hills and more than 400 island formations. Due to its location in the Canadian Shield, the park also has a large presentation of Precambrian rocks, some of which date back to the earliest stages of Earth’s formation, some 3 billion years ago.
The landscape and wide waterways make Voyageurs National Park a popular recreational destination. Canoeing, fishing, and hiking are just a few of the park’s offerings. Boat and canoe tours are available, as well as large charter boats to host special events such as weddings and receptions. During the winter, park visitors experience the snowy terrain on snowmobiles and snowshoes, as well as skis, both downhill and cross-country, on the many trails that wind through the park. Anglers also spend their winter days ice fishing on the lakes, and campers can be found year-round at the more than 200 campsites by water access.
The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is a great destination for visitors. Here they can get trail maps, receive information about trail conditions, and rent equipment, such as snowshoes and skis. The park also has various dangerous areas that are outlined on park trail maps.
Wildlife is abundant in Voyageurs National Park. The park is home to more than 100 black bears, as well as bald eagles, white-tailed deer, and several wolf packs. The diverse animal population includes more than 40 mammal species and over 200 bird species. The numerous waterways provide habitat for around 50 species of fish. The animals seen within the distinct montane and aquatic ecosystems vary according to the season.
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