The 60 paddlers, who will rotate placement in the nine-person canoe, began their journey in Atikokan, Ontario and will wind through several parks and protected areas that make up the Heart of the Continent. The group of explorers will arrive at Voyageurs National Park on July 4 for the International Falls Independence Day Parade, and then depart to Crane Lake on July 5.

During the journey, the crew will make stops at public events to stress the importance of Leave No Trace camping ethics, and educate people about non-native invasive species.

The expedition is sponsored by the Heart of the Continent Partnership, a group of nearly 30 agencies and organizations dedicated to preserving the 5.5 million acre landscape that encompasses northeastern Minnesota and southwestern Ontario. These acres comprise Quetico Provincial Park, the Superior Hiking Trail, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Voyageurs National Park, and multiple forests and parks along the Minnesota-Ontario border.

For more information, visit www.heartofthecontinent.org.

The study is a collaborative effort from Voyageurs National Park, The Ministry of Natural Resources and North Dakota State University. Researchers are seeking knowledge into the cormorant’s diet, population size, foraging behaviors, common diseases and migration patterns. Researchers outfit cormorants with radio transmitters that relay their location, and monitor their food intake to record their role in the park’s ecosystem.

The cormorant has been living in Voyageurs National Park since at least 1500 A.D. and is a protected species under National Park Policies. When the study began in 2008, National Park staff told Voyageurs National Park that they believe the park’s cormorant population is healthy.

For more information, click here.

The tour will be lead by Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Mike Ward, Forrest Flint, Voyageurs National Park Association Board Chair, and other National Park Service staff. Senator Klobuchar will learn about Voyageurs National Park, the pressing needs for preserving its resources, and opportunities for economic growth in the area. The park tour will mark the end of Senator Klobuchar’s four day trip around Northern Minnesota to discuss economic development and rural healthcare issues.

Voyageurs National Park Presents “Balloon Animals of the Fur Trade” – Friday, July 3

Come along on a journey with our resident voyageur- Brandon. He will talk about life as a voyageur and the animals of the northwoods that helped him and his fellow voyageurs survive in the great outdoors. Singing, prizes, and balloon animals will thrill participants. Fun for kids ages 1 to 101!

Evening programs are offered every Friday night during the summer at the historic Woodenfrog State Forest Campground Refectory near Kabetogama Lake from 7:00 – 8:00 pm.  Programs are sponsored by the Friends of Voyageurs National Park. No fee or registration is required to attend.  Visit www.nps.gov/voya for more information, or contact Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center at 218-875-2111 for more information.

Voyageurs National Park offers New Campfire Program at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center

Voyageurs National Park is now offering a naturalist campfire program every Thursday, July 2nd – August 13th from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. The campfire program is open to the public, free of charge and family-friendly.

Come and join a naturalist around a campfire and enjoy roasting marshmallows while learning about the park. Led by Teacher-Ranger-Teacher, Mike Barnes of Bloomington Kennedy High School, the program focuses on the tradition of campfires and past cultures that have lived and worked in the area that is now Voyageurs National Park.

In case of inclement weather, the program will be held inside the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.

For additional information please call the Rainy Lake Visitor Center at 218-286-5258 or for more information on Voyageurs National Park, please visit: http://www.nps.gov/voya.

Voyageurs National Park Presents “Is There a Doctor in the Park? Monitoring Vital Signs at Voyageurs National Park” — Friday, June 26

Just as a doctor monitors a patient’s vital signs to make sure the patient is healthy, biologists with the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program are monitoring natural processes, plants, and animals in national parks to determine their health.

Come hear what Ted Gostomski, Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Program has to say about the “vital signs” of Voyageurs National Park and find out just how healthy this “patient” is.

Evening programs are offered every Friday night during the summer at the historic Woodenfrog State Forest Campground Refectory near Kabetogama Lake from 7:00 – 8:00 pm.  Programs are sponsored by the Friends of Voyageurs National Park. No fee or registration is required to attend.  Visit www.nps.gov/voya for more information, or contact Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center at 218-875-2111 for more information.

Learn more about visiting Voyageurs National Park here. Recreation opportunities are abundant: hiking, boating, kayaking, and camping are just a few of the activities that visitors love to do in the Park. Check out a boat tour (registration fees apply), or participate in a naturalist program with your kids. Voyageurs National Park also offers free Discovery Packs for you to explore special topics while you hike the trails—just ask for one at any of the Park’s three visitor centers.

The money will be used to rehabilitate campsites in Voyageurs—38 in total are targeted for creation and rehabilitation, mostly on Namakan Lake, with some on Rainy Lake. Restoration includes installing new fire rings, tent pads, and larger bear lockers, Mike Ward, Superintendent of Voyageurs told Beager.

“At some places we may be able to put in docks and day-use areas, places like Oveson’s fishing camp on Rainy and Kabetogama’s Hoist Bay,” Ward said. “And we’re looking at installing interpretive media, where people can hear the story of what actually happened there.”

These projects will help create many seasonal jobs in Voyageurs National Park (nearly 20 more than normal), as well as support the local economy with the purchase of project materials.

For your visit to the Park this summer, be prepared for sites under rehab to be closed. Lists of closures will be made public, with each expected to be closed for less than five working days and hopefully avoiding weekends.

Voyageurs National Park’s Visitor Destinations Brochure Released

In 2002, Voyageurs National Park completed a General Management Plan which included the development of 15 – 20 visitor destinations. These boat-accessible only destinations provide visitors with another opportunity to learn about the park and its significance.

So far, the park has identified 15 locations that will eventually have picnic facilities and interpretive exhibits. Many of these destinations are historic structures that are being preserved by the National Park Service.

The following is a list of Visitor Destinations that are in various stages of development:

Rainy Lake
Anderson Bay
Surveyor’s Island
Camp Marston
Rainy Lake City
Harry Oveson Fish Camp
Little American Island

Sand Point Lake
Grassy Bay
Ingersoll Estate

Park-Wide
Kettle Falls

Kabetogama Lake
Ellsworth Rock Gardens
Hacksaw Pass

Namakan Lake
Casareto Summer Cabin
Hoist Bay
I.W. Stevens Pine Cove resort
Moose River Indian Village

Visitors may learn more about these destinations by stopping by and picking up a new Visitor Destination Brochure at any of the park’s three visitor centers. Or view it online (PDF).

Boat tours are scheduled all summer until August 15, and select options are available departing from all three visitor centers at Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, and Ash River. All tours are subject to change, and require a four-passenger minimum. The exception is the Kettle Falls Tour, which requires 6 passengers; this tour is also offered for an extended period from August 19-September 19. Costs vary for each tour; some events are free, and others range from $4 to $41 for adults, and $2 to $23 for children. Check the full schedule here, and call ahead to reserve your space: (888) 381-2873.

For guided naturalist programs that aren’t on a tour boat, try exploring the park on a North Canoe Voyage, or learn how the Ojibway played the game of lacrosse. An evening campfire will also burn every Thursday at both the Rainy Lake Visitor Center and the Ash River Visitor Center. Or check out a special speaker at the historic Woodenfrog Refectory for free on Friday evenings. If you want to explore the wild Kabetogama Peninsula, you can take the shuttle on Mondays to the Locator Lake trailhead and hike the peninsula or reserve a canoe to paddle the inland lakes.

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.