Voyageurs National Park
Minnesota Est. 1975

Voyageurs National Park

Lake Forest Island
Plan a visit Check conditions
Established
1975
Size
218,200 acres
Visitors / yr
199K
Entrance
Free
Best season
June through September (ice fishing December through March)
Nearest airport
INL Falls International
Park Closure: Increased Bear Activity and Dryweed Island Area Closures Details Wildfire Tracker
01

Why Voyageurs is worth the trip

Minnesota · Established 1975

Voyageurs is a park you float through. Roughly 40 percent of it is water, four big lakes chained along the Minnesota-Canada border, and the campsites, beaches, and views are reachable only by boat. It is named for the French-Canadian canoe men who paddled these routes during the fur trade, and their highway is still the park map.

The signature move is renting a houseboat and disappearing for a few days, mooring at island sites with loons for neighbors. Cast for walleye, paddle between rock islands, and stay up late. This is a certified dark sky park at aurora latitude, and on the right night the northern lights double themselves in the lake. Winter flips the map to ice roads and snowmobile trails. Either way, the water is in charge here. Plan around it.

Start with our full Voyageurs guide, then use the planning below.

02

Top things to do in Voyageurs

Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.

Voyageurs National Park
Start here

10 Things to Do in Voyageurs National Park (2026 Guide)

Read the guide
01 Hike the Locator Lake Trail Backcountry Hiking · nps.gov Hike the Locator Lake Trail Please note: The Cranberry Creek Portage Trail into Locator Lake from Rainy Lake has been permanently closed. Explore this two-mile, one-way hike as an afternoon... 02 Hike Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail Backcountry Hiking · nps.gov Hike Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail Take a boat one mile from the visitor center and hike this trail through northern pine country to a scenic, active beaver pond. 03 Hike Kab-Ash Trail Backcountry Hiking · nps.gov Hike Kab-Ash Trail Please note: The Salmi Road entrance to the Kab-Ash Trail in the Kabetogama community is closed (click to see map). This multi-day trail connects... 04 Hike the Oberholtzer Trail Hiking · nps.gov Hike the Oberholtzer Trail Wander through deciduous and conifer forest as the trail twists around the edge of a cattail filled wetland and past rocks deposited by ancient...
Before you go

Get the Voyageurs heads-up

Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best Voyageurs guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.

03

Plan your trip

Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Voyageurs.

Things to Do When to Visit Fun Facts

Where to stay

Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.

  • International Falls, MNGateway town
  • Kabetogama, MNGateway town
  • Crane Lake, MNGateway town
Compare stays near Voyageurs

Maps & guides

Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.

Voyageurs Trails Illustrated map
Waterproof National Geographic topo of the park.
View on Amazon
Voyageurs field guide
Trail-by-trail detail and planning help in print.
View on Amazon
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass

What to bring

Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.

  • Trail Shoes
    Lightweight with good traction for maintained trails. View on REI
  • Rain Jacket
    Mountain weather turns fast. Pack a shell even on clear mornings. View on REI
  • Merino Hiking Socks
    Prevent blisters and keep your feet comfortable for miles. View on REI
  • Day Hiking Pack
    A 22-30L pack fits water, layers, snacks, and a first aid kit. View on REI

Getting there

  • INL Falls International 15 mi
  • DLH Duluth International 200 mi
  • MSP Minneapolis-St. Paul International 300 mi
NPS Official Page Reservations Google Maps

Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.

Voyageurs map

VC Visitor Center CG Campground Nearby Park
04

When to go

Read our seasonal guide
Loading weather...

Month-by-Month Conditions

Tap any month for details

Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
16°
-8°
Low
Open
Feb
21°
-5°
Low
Open
Mar
35°
10°
Low
Open
Apr
49°
23°
Low
Open
May
64°
37°
Peak
Open
Jun Best
73°
48°
Peak
Open
Jul Best
78°
52°
Peak
Open
Aug Best
76°
49°
Peak
Open
Sep Best
66°
42°
Heavy
Open
Oct
51°
31°
Light
Open
Nov
34°
17°
Low
Open
Dec
21°
2°
Low
Open
Best months to visit Crowd level (low to peak)
A still from our Voyageurs film
Watch our film

Voyageurs National Park 8K

A park you reach almost entirely by boat, up on the Canadian border. We went in fall for the color, but the real prize is after dark. Voyageurs is one of the best places on the planet to catch the northern lights, and we got them.

2 min 58 sec Filmed in 8K
Watch on YouTube
Browse all our national park films
05

More Voyageurs guides

06

Parks near Voyageurs

Within reach if you are building a longer trip.

Isle Royale National Park
Michigan

Isle Royale

200 miles away
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt

503 miles away
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana

Indiana Dunes

550 miles away
Badlands National Park
South Dakota

Badlands

555 miles away

Worth protecting

Voyageurs belongs to all of us

Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.

See what's at stake Join the fight for Minnesota

Threatened Lands Map

Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.

View the Tracker
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