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Enjoy Water-Based Fun While Northern Minnesota Camping in Voyageurs National Park
Voyageurs National Park is a terrific water based park located in northern Minnesota. This is a park that makes you leave your car and take to the water in order to fully enjoy all it has to offer, from lakes and islands to beautiful shore lines, excellent fishing, many hiking trails, winter skiing, and more. Established in 1975, the park was named for the voyageurs, French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequent the area. Located along the Canadian Shield, the park encompasses or is bordered by four major lakes, and is a big Minnesota camping destination especially for those that enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, and winter activities ranging from snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross country skiing and more.
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Voyageurs National Park has short warm summers and long cold winters. Summers tend to average between 60 and 80 degrees making it a great time for water activities, such as boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and more. Winters can get below zero with highs in the low 20’s. Winter is great for skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and more. There is no entrance fee for Voyageurs National Park, although permits and fees are required for some activities, such as boating. There is a $10 per day per boat fee if you plan on boating on the interior lakes. Since the park consists of mostly water and water related activities, it is important to be safety conscious.
One excellent way to see the park in on one of the guided tours offered during the summer. There are tours by boat or canoe, and they offer a chance to see the beauty of Voyageurs National Park. Some of the tours even allow you to see the park the way the voyageurs did back in the day, paddling through the water in big canoes and allowing you to learn about the natural and human history of the area. Private boating is also very popular, and allows you to move about the park freely. There are many docks throughout the park. You can also rent a canoe or row boat. The late summer months of August and September are terrific times for hiking with warm weather and few bugs. There are nine main trails within the park, ranging from easy hikes to more strenuous ones. Most of the hikes are accessible by water or land. The winter months bring lots of snow, changing the park into a glittering land of snow and ice. Snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross country skiing and snowshoeing are popular activities in the winter. The park is also home to many wolf packs, bears, moose, red-tailed deer, and many birds and fish. Summer is an excellent time for bird watching as many migratory birds call the park home for the warm summer days. Winter drives many of the animals into hibernation or migration, but wolves, hares, and aquatic life remain active. With so many different activities and sights to offer, Voyageurs National Park is a wonderful Minnesota camping destination.
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