Voyageurs National Park

Greetings!

We so enjoyed our visit to Voyageurs National Park - located in the very northern part of Minnesota next to the Canadian Border.  It is the 10th least visited National Park in the country, mostly because it is in a very remote location.  Given this, we were so grateful to spend time there - a truly special place.  Established as a National Park in 1975, the park's name commemorates the voyageurs - French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequently travel through the area.  38% of the park is water and therefore, much of the points of interest and the heart of its recreation is on the water.

We stayed at a beautiful campground called The Pines of Kabetogama (CAB UH TOE GUH MA) located in the park and it was a peaceful and serene location.  Our campsite was atop a Cliff overlooking Lake Kabetogama and the facilities were rustic, yet beautifully maintained - such a unique and wonderful place.

In addition to campsites, the resort also had 4 cabins.

Nestled right on the lake, it sort of reminded you of a really upscale summer camp!

There she is - up on a cliff, where most of the campsites were located.

The sunsets were so pretty in our "back yard."

Another huge plus about this campground is a series of boat tours they offered to their guests.  We enjoyed their Signature Tour on our first full day there and it was a great way to see the national park from the water - we made 6 stops (detailed below), 4 of which could only be visited from the water.  The owner of the resort - Jason - conducted the tour on a luxurious pontoon boat and there were 12 of us total on board.  It was fun, informative, and a perfect way to spend our first day in this beautiful area.  We visited two of the park's visitor centers as the book ends of our tour.  First stop was the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center and last stop was the Ash River Visitor Center.  Both of these are also accessible by vehicle, but it worked well with the tour so you could get some good background about the park at the beginning and end of the tour, which complemented Jason's great commentary throughout. When we visit National Parks, we always stop at a visitor center first - the rangers are so helpful and informative.  

Our first "water access only" stop was Ellsworth Rock Gardens known as the "Showplace of Lake Kabetogama."  Starting in the 1940's, Jack Ellsworth, a carpenter from Chicago, used natural elements in this native northern Minnesota landscape as his artistic media, creating an original and distinctive art environment.  Over a period of roughly 20 years, he created a complex, terraced garden on a prominent rock outcrop, which he filled with more than 13,000 lilies and accented it with over 200 abstract rock sculptures.  Many visitors saw the gardens in the 60's and then due to his health, Jack left in 1965 and passed away in 1974.  The National Park service acquired the property in 1978 and were planning on selling the property, but it did not sell and sat dormant for almost 20 years.  The local community worked with the park service to clean up the garden and make it the beautiful place it is to visit today.  I am not doing the detailed history justice, so if you want to learn more, click here. 

All of the sculptures were very unique

There was even a large Teepee

Our next stop was the historic Kettle Falls Hotel and Dam, where we also had lunch.  The hotel has a very interesting history (you can learn more here).  The National Park purchased it in 1976 and the hotel was extensively renovated in 1986-87, to include fixing its foundation.  When it was built, they built it right on the ground, instead of using footings.  Over the decades, the weight of the building caused the underlying earth and support posts to sink and shift at different rates and it earned its famous nickname - the "Tiltin' Hilton."  When the park service renovated it in the mid 80's, they decided to keep the quirky sloped saloon floors as a historic feature, so the bar floors are at a slant.  It continues to operate as a hotel and restaurant today - here is their website.

 

Here is the bar - it's hard to show the major tilt in the floor, but check out the base of the pool table.

The hotel's "gift shop" - lots of bug spray and sun screen!

The hotel is right next to the Kettle Falls Dam which connects two lakes and this was an important location for all of the lumber and furs traded in this area in the early 1900's.  The dam was built in 1914 and then rebuilt with concrete pillars in 1965.  Another fun fact about this location - it is one of only 3 locations in the United States where you look south in to Canada!

Our next stop was the I.W. Stevens Island Resort.  This is another great spot with a fascinating history which is detailed here.  Buying this 400-acre remote island to help his health and stress levels, he opened it as Pine Cove Resort in 1937.  He closed the resort in 1959 and then lived there on his own for another 20 years.  When he turned 94, he ended up moving off this desolate island and he passed at 104 years old.  There are still many buildings on the island, yet the only thing remaining from the main house is the fireplace.

One of the resort's buildings - still quite intact.

Beautiful views at every turn.

The original fireplace

Our boat at the dock waiting for us to finish walking around - then off to the next stop.

Our final "water only" stop was Hoist Bay (detailed info can be found here).  This historic site showcases both the logging industry, as well as the resort/recreation era.  From 1913-1929, it served as the site where all of the logs / timber were hoisted onto the railroad cars, then sent south for processing.  After sitting empty for a decade, the Monsons purchased it in 1939 and turned it into a resort area and operated it until 1973.  The park purchased it in 1978 and it serves as a historic museum now and no longer houses guests.

A beautiful setting - our boat at the dock with the ice house behind us.

The ice house is behind us.

We also had 3 Eagle sightings as well as a family of ducks at the dock at Ellsworth Gardens.  It was an enjoyable and informative day!

As mentioned above, our last stop was at the Ash River Visitor Center and we were able to see a replica of one of the original Voyageurs' canoe, as well as get some good shots of the National Park sign on the water.

The next day, we decided to take a hike - which is what we usually do in national parks - and it was a beautiful trek through the woods with great overlooks of the lake.

That evening, we took another boat cruise with Jason - this time it was the Twilight boat tour and the weather could not have been more perfect.  It was so calm and we enjoyed the time with 2 other couples who were also on the Signature Tour.  We saw a mama loon feeding her baby and not only did we catch a stunning sunset, but also a magical moon rise.  It was a special evening.

Captain / Host Jason - he was outstanding!

A mama loon feeding a fish she caught to her baby

A white pelican!

Just when we thought it couldn't get prettier, we caught the moon rise.

Heading back to the dock - such a perfect evening on the water.

The next day we decided to ride bikes in another area of the park - Rainy Lake.  You might not recognize Rainy Lake but it is located in International Falls MN.  The temperature in International Falls is often referred to in national weather forecasts as it is often the coldest place in the the USA.   We then had lunch at Thunderbird Lodge, which was a great old-school spot with a wonderful restaurant.  

We passed a HUGE pile of lumber on the way to Rainy lake.

At Thunderbird Lodge, they rent houseboats to people who wish to camp a few days on the water. 

Thanks for making it this far!  I'll end it with a few fun photos on the Walleye!  I couldn't talk Paul into getting on the saddle, but I willingly did of course.  This was near our campground and it was a "must do" photo opp!

We loved this special and pristine area.  We are now at an all-Airstream RV park in Clear Lake, Minnesota - about an hour northwest from the Twin Cities.  It's a beautiful campground and we are looking forward to a relaxing and productive week as we prepare for the second half of our journey, starting with the Dakotas.  More on that in the next post.

Thanks so much for your love and support - XXOO, Jen & Paul