One of the Least Visited National Parks
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| Photo from The Voyageurs Conservancy - official nonprofit partner of Voyageurs National Park |
Planning
A lot of our travel involves seeing National Parks when we can. I had just finished making reservations for our September 2021 trip to Glacier NP, when I realized it was a whole three months away. Where could we go in the meantime? That's when it hit me that we have TWO National Parks within a days' drive: Voyageurs National Park and Isle Royale National Park. They are among the least visited of the National Parks - in fact Isle Royale is the least visited park in the lower 48, however it has the highest revisit rate.
We had a brief discussion on whether or not this would be an RV trip - yes, great to have your own stuff in your own space and the ability to make your meals every day. However, the already 5-hour drive between destinations would become at least 6+ hours, and our fuel costs would easily triple. When I first started looking at RV sites in Voyageurs and then Grand Portage, the answer came quite quickly - NO sites available, so this became a road trip. And - most resorts book out well in advance, so even finding any place to stay was a challenge.
In addition, both Voyageurs and Isle Royale visiting the park basically require some time of water excursion. For Voyageurs, it's really to be able to take in the size and beauty of the park especially with our short stay. I found great options from Border Guide Service, opting for the Sunset Cruise. The cost is $80 per person as of July 2021. For Isle Royale - it's a 90 minute ferry from Grand Portage, (you can also take a sea plane from Grand Marias, MN, or there are options from Michigan however these are 4.5 and over 5 hour one-way rides). I found the ferry more restrictive - harder to book - so I booked our ferry ride first, then worked backwards for the rest of the trip. I opted for old school motels vs the chain hotels, and for our stay in Grand Portage - the only accommodation within 30 miles was the casino.
Driving to International Falls
For the most part, our drive from central Minnesota to International Falls was uneventful. I had a bit of a panic when I realized we were not anywhere near a gas station - that's probably leftover anxiety from traveling while pulling a trailer. We had almost 2/3 of a tank even after 4 hours of driving. We stopped in Big Falls at a city campground for lunch. The drought of 2021 has certainly taken it's toll in that area of the state. The Big Fork River was looking very dry.
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| Big Fork River, near Big Falls |
Pulling into International Falls, we went to check in at the Hilltop Motel. What I didn't realize is that many of these smaller motels have part time staff, so check in is a specified window. W were early so continued a few miles east to Rainier to grab a brew at Loony’s Brew - see our review here. We then headed back to the motel. I wanted to try more 'old school' northern motels on this trip, looking for the classic northern Minnesota lodge, and the Hilltop did not disappoint. The check-in was smooth, with very friendly, very young owners - according to their website they took over in 2019. I liked that they had a display from one of the original postcards, a book of matches and a photo of what I would assume was the original owners.
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| The Hilltop Motel - classic 'up north' vibes |
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| Honoring the original owners |
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| Cute little cabins |
Our Day in Voyageurs
There are several visitor centers in Voyageurs, and no entry fee - there is really no official entry. Our first stop was the Blind Ash Bay Hiking Trail, about 45 minutes from our motel. After our obligatory National Park selfie, we checked out the Ash River Visitor's Center and gift shop, located in the historic Meadwood Lodge.
There are several visitor centers in Voyageurs, and no entry fee - there is really no official entry. Our first stop was the Blind Ash Bay Hiking Trail, about 45 minutes from our motel. After our obligatory National Park selfie, we checked out the Ash River Visitor's Center and gift shop, located in the historic Meadwood Lodge.
We then set out for the 2.5 hour, 3.0 mile out & back trail, with 308 feet of elevation, rated as Moderate by Alltrails. It certainly had a few challenging spots, but the most challenging was dealing with the deer flies. Yes, deer flies. Like a horsefly and a mosquito had a baby. Lots of them. But the scenery and overlook once reaching the loop was definitely worth the hike. Mostly. See our hike here.
After stopping for a snack and a few beers at The Rocky Ledge , one of only a few bars left in Voyageurs, we made our way to the Kabetogama Visitor's Center. This was the meeting spot for the four-hours Kettle Falls Sunset Tour boat ride. After introducing himself, Captain Bill Roden (who is also a National Park Ranger) told us a little about the namesake of Voyageurs National Park (voyageur is a French word meaning traveler), named after the traders that began journeying through these interconnected waterways over 250 years ago; waterways that are one of the most important segments of the fur trade route used to open the "Great Northwest". He described the challenges faced in Voyageurs becoming a national park, primarily due to the fact that most of the park was privately owned. After a safety briefing and introduction to Irish, his furry companion, we then set out for Kettle Falls.
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| Route of the Kettle Falls Sunset Cruise |
As you can see by the route, you really do need to know your way around the area to navigate safely. Captain Bill mentioned that during the summer they have to rescue about a boat a day due to hitting rocks. We saw eagles both eastbound and westbound, including a nest with two juveniles. Riding in a boat is a great way to escape deer flies.
Interesting fact - during the last section to Kettle Falls, traveling east, Canada was actually south of us, with the US to the north. We were able to bring not only our own dinner but also a small box of wine. Only the best baby. Luckily there was a netted tent on the lawn of the famous Kettle Falls Hotel, where we enjoyed our dinner. If you ever get a chance, check out the bar and the sloped floor.
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| Famous Kettle Falls Hotel - accessible only by boat in the summer |
Bar with extreme sloped floor
After a quick stop at Steven's Resort (read more about I.W. Stevens here), we headed back just as the sun was setting. Due to Canadian forest fires, the sunset was quite unusual - and really the images look a lot more hazier than it was. A beautiful ending to a busy day.Next up, driving to Grand Portage and our day on Isle Royale.
Have you been to Voyageurs National Park? How long did you stay? What did you do? Leave your comments below! Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
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