Exploring the Incredible Voyageurs National Park and Observing the Northern Lights

May 29, 2024

We’re back with another amazing road trip guide and destination for you to add to your bucket list! Today, we’re exploring the incredible Voyageurs National Park where you can experience the life-changing event of observing the Northern Lights and do some incredible stargazing. Whether you’re looking to get down and dirty in the great outdoors by experiencing some wild food foraging, rough-it tent camping, or looking to take a guided ranger-led tour of the area, you’ll find plenty to satisfy your style of adventure all year long!

This beautiful park is located in Northern Minnesota along the Canadian Border, and features an incredible landscape dotted with glacial lakes (Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, Namakan Lake) and impressive boreal forests. It’s a hot spot amongst boaters, anglers, and astronomy enthusiasts due to its pristine waters and sprawling clear skies away from city lights. It’s also a certified International Dark Sky Park, making it one of the most incredible places to watch the twinkling, sparkling Northern Lights in the US (sightings are generally predicted between 25-30 days in advance, with 24-48hrs ahead being most accurate, so bear that in mind when planning). If you’re looking for enthusiastic hiking experiences and pristine trails, the Ash River Visitor Center will provide you with plenty of options by foot or by bike throughout the area. Wildlife photographers will find this prime real estate for the most astounding photography opportunities including the elusive Moose!

If you’re looking for perfect Summer weather that’s not too hot and not too overly humid, this is the place for you. Temps on average generally sit between the mid to high 70s, still, they can occasionally be as high as the 90s depending on weather conditions. With those clear blue skies and glistening lakes, you’ll still want to be extra mindful of the sunblock and staying hydrated, as well as bringing lots of bug spray for those overzealous critters.

Let’s take a look at the best things to do in the area this Summer.

Summer in Voyageurs National Park

Stop By the Visitors Centers

Various visitor’s centers are located throughout the park area, and those are: Rainy Lake Visitor Center, Kabetogama Visitor Center, and Ash River Visitor Center. Each center serves as a gateway to a different area, staffed with local rangers, special exhibits, knowledgeable guides, and presentations to educate you on the best trails, local wildlife, and activities available to you in that region of the park.

Camping

This is a very boat centric location, so it’s perfect for water enthusiasts! No matter where you choose to camp, you’ll want to make sure you know the basics of water travel at the very least.

One of the best things about this area is the campsites may be reserved ahead of time, meaning you don’t have to fight the crowds for first-come/first-serve spots. The campsites are unique in that they’re generally located along the shoreline or on small private island locations, making them very personal, quiet, and secluded compared to other nearby parks and campsites like Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Locals and regulars recommend choosing a visitor’s center location and plotting out campsites around each of those areas to find your best options. Online forums are great places to go to find out which are easiest to reach by kayak, row boats, small fishing motor boat, or canoe and which present more of a challenge in skill level for experienced folks.

Stargazing

Astronomers of all ages and experience levels will rejoice in the absolutely unparalleled stargazing opportunities. To best prepare for stargazing, you’ll want to have the following with you: A star chart, a red lantern/flashlight or headlamp (with extra batteries!), plenty of bug spray, water to stay hydrated, a comfortable folding chair/camp chair and/or blanket. Dress in layers with long pants, a jacket, and a hat – the summer nights up north can get chillier than you’d think. Once darkness falls, it will take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes for you to adjust to the darkness, and be sure to only utilize the red lights if you need to see, as they cause less eye strain, and thus less obstructed vision issues for stargazing.

There’s a high chance of spotting a shooting star (meteor) or two, but if the conditions are just right you may catch a meteor shower for a little extra excitement. You’ll notice grand views of the sparkling, misty colored Milky Way, stunning views of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), clear views of the various stages of the moon, and plenty of constellations, planets, and individual twinkling stars. Depending on its current path, you may spot a lone satellite or even the International Space Station during your visit as it glides through space overhead.

According to advice from the National Parks Service, here are some of the best spots on Voyageurs to view the gorgeous skyline:

The Meadwood Road Day Use Area near Ash River Visitor Center Road
Upper Parking Lot at Rainy Lake Visitor Center
Kettle Falls Dam Overlook
Various campsite docks along the shoreline
Clearings along the hiking trails

The park also offers Ranger-led official boat tours of Voyageurs at the “Stars Over Rainy Lake” Cruise for a stargazing and Northern Lights spotting segment. Tour groups generally run 5 days a week during the Summer season, weather permitting. Bring your camera with you or a night-mode capable smartphone to capture some of the best night sky photos you’ll have the privilege of snapping!

Back to Nature: Foraging and Hiking

The rustic traveler will rejoice to know that the park is also one of the few National Parks that allows visitors to forage up to one gallon of wild rice, blueberries, raspberries and/or chokecherries, and is also a prime spot for hunting wild mushrooms and seasonal fruit. The top areas include Blind Ash Bay, Beaver Pond Overlook, Sullivan Bay, Black Bay Beaver Pond, just to name a few. IF you’d like to learn the historical origins of how the native Ojibwe people foraged medicinal plants and local food sources, stop by the Ethno-Botanical Garden for a lecture and tour at the visitor center.

Rainy Lake Recreation area is a pet-friendly trail with paved walkways that takes about 1 to 2 hours to complete round trip. It’s also great for runners and cyclists thanks to its paved trails that weave through the park both in and out of the woods and around rock outcroppings.

The Kabetogama Lake Overlook Trail is about 1 hours hike round trip, and offers gorgeous scenic views of the lakes, hikes through dense woodland areas, and beautiful opportunities for wildlife spotting. There is an accessible trail here that leads you through the pine forest with a lakeview overlook.

Voyageurs Forest Overlook Trail takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to visit, and is a short trail highlighting the different plant life and tree growth at various elevation points. There’s a wonderful picnic area with grills and tables available by the parking lot.

Echo Bay Trail is a fantastic opportunity to take in the transitional forest between deciduous and boreal forests while you traipse through the lowlands and rock outcroppings. You’ll notice a significant number of bird species as you tread the trails and boards in this area, as well as taking in the views of nearby wetlands.

Kettle Falls can be reached by hiking, boat tours, or rental boat and it is not to be missed. You’ll find a breathtaking waterfall cascading down and along the incredible sparkling granite rocks.

The following trails are only accessible by watercraft:

Anderson Bay Loop, Locator Lake Trail, Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail, Mukooda Trail, and Cruiser Lake Trail.

Have you been to Voyageurs National Park area before? What are some of your favorite things to see in the park? Where would you recommend as the best spot for stargazing? Tell us in the comments on our social media and let us know! Your suggestions and recommendations may even make it into a future blog post.