Great place to stock up on lures and get a massive amount of ice cream. I got two scoops and I was…read moresitting there as he put like 6 scoops in. I will be coming many more times in the future.

Biggest one scoop of ice cream I have ever had in my life!!! Pretty impressed with the tackle…read moreselection as well.

While the underground tours are not yet open due to refurbishment, don't miss the above ground…read moretour. The tour guides are very knowledgeable about the mines and the people who worked there. The grounds are in amazing condition. The views into the valley are beautiful. We got to see the pulley system working as some inspectors were descending into the mine. We also walked the Hikers Club trail which went about 3 miles around the park. Very woodsy and buggy so make sure you wear some bug repellent.

I understand the mine tours were cancelled in 2024 because of flooding. We did this in 2022 and…read morefound it extremely fun and educational. You take an old style elevator down...down.. down to 2341 feet below the surface 689 below sea level. Then you take a mining train-like with seats. And walk and see and learn what miners dealt with, and you can learn a bit of geology, hydrology, and the thought that went into mining. There is also self guided tour of equipment/buildings, you can see some of the open mine, learn about the safety and community that was unique to this mine.

This is my favorite vacation. For us it is a week of rest and solitude. We sleep, hammock, read,…read morehot tub, explore our campsites, play games, swim, and make ourselves really good food. We've had Kyle be our excellent fishing guide, bringing back and cleaning a Walleye feast. And, we know that there is still more to explore and do. The Soudan mine. The casino. Hiking trails. More. We will be back again and again. The boats: We've experienced 4 different boats. They're all clean and comfortable. Each has its strengths. They are easier to drive and park than you think. Kyle makes navigating the lake a breeze with good maps and easy to use GPS units. The campsites: Vary pretty wildly. Some are groomed. Others are pretty wild. Some remote. Some very near civilization. Some are rocky. Others are beach. Some are shoreline. Others are island(our favorite!). The people and the service: Kyle and Joy are the best. As mentioned above, we've hired Kyle as a fishing guide twice. One time he had to coordinate another guide and he was awesome. Scheduling responses are fantastic. Service to the boat is timely and efficient. And, emergency response is immediate and thorough (a very long story I'll tell you over a beer!).

we rented boat # 20 which was perfect for 4 adults and 5 kids , but when we arived the boat was not…read moreclean . Mouse poop in the cupboards and fridge. the windows were filthy, and the water pump quit half way through our trip. No hot water ! The second we left the dock I texed him the toilet was leaking in the back back bathroom , with no response. the owner tried to make like it was my fault because we didn`t tell him right away at the dock. we asked him for more cleaning products because of the mouse poop and we left the dock and cleaned all the dishes ,cupboards fridge and counter tops. Bottom line he should have inspected the boat before we arived and made sure that it was clean and everything in working order. we did everything he had asked for ,down payment presign the agrement ,credit card on file and arrivel time. My suggestion for you would be to ask for a writen guarantee with 50 % off if it is not sea worthy .

Ely Outfitting Company should be your only choice for any Boundary Waters Canoe Area adventure…read more I recently booked a fully outfitted, professionally guided trip through EOC, and every aspect was exceptional. The gear was top-of-the-line, well-maintained, and spotlessly clean--tents, sleeping bags, pillows, all of it! The food was plentiful, delicious, and offered a surprising variety for a backcountry trip. What truly sets EOC apart, though, is the people. Amy in the office was kind, responsive, and efficient--before, during, and after our trip. The outfitting team that got us set up and checked us in afterward was equally friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. And then there's our guide, Dave Freeman. I expected a skilled and experienced leader when I heard he was a National Geographic Explorer of the Year--but that title alone doesn't capture how perfect he was for our family. This trip was a memorial journey to honor our dad, and we had some very specific hopes for the experience. Dave truly listened and helped us make every part of it meaningful. He kept us safe, made it fun, and became part of our family along the way... even if he does cheat at Uno. Ely Outfitting Company--and especially Dave Freeman--are the absolute best in the BWCA. I wouldn't go with anyone else.

We rented a canoe from here just for a day trip. We had never portaged a canoe before or tied one…read moredown to the car. The staff were so friendly and helpful. They went through every piece of information making sure we knew where we were going to helping us practice portaging. We had a blast out on the water and when we came back we immediately had several friendly staff asking us all about our short trip and helping get all the equipment put away. Would highly recommend!

Somewhat maintained recreational area around a lake; hiking /skiiing trails; fishing from a short…read moredock; no camping; closed at night; swimming

This is a very well kept campground with beautiful views and nice spacious RV sites. Randy was a…read moregreat host and even delivered firewood right to our campsite. Reasonable rates considering the location. There are a very limited number of sites with full hook ups and no WiFi, to my knowledge, but those two very small cons are far outweighed by the pros of such friendly staff and overall beauty of location. We would definitely stay here again!!

Pros: Beautiful campground on Lake Vermilion. Close water access for most sites. Nice beach and…read moreplayground for children. Most sites have eletricity and water hook-ups. A dumpstation is on premisis. Management is friendly and the campground is fun. Cons: You will regret renting any sites from #55 - #70 because they feel like a sardine can. Try for the lakeside sites 17-45 or 1-16. You will have more privacy and a beautiful view.

State park with the best beach in the Midwest! Sand and pines, family and pet friendly!read more

We have been going here for at least 20 plus years. Best place to camp. Just bring your bug spray!read more

Voyageurs is an under visited park with lots to offer. It excels at paddle packing. You must have a…read moreboat to really explore the park because no camping is available except on islands in the park's lakes. The park doesn't rent boats so plan to bring your own or rent from a local outfitter. If you do need somewhere cheap or free to sleep nearby, check the overnight parking area at Wooden Frog which also comes with water and vault toilet facilities. There are three different visitors centers each offering something different.

After coming here to Voyageurs National Park in Northern Minnesota I have officially been to every…read moreNP in the continental United States! I am proud...took many years to accomplish. Let me explain why this very remote and secluded park mostly based out on the waters was just okay, and not really memorable in terms of sights and surroundings. There are 3 sections to Voyageurs that I explored. - The Kabetogama Lake area. - The Rainy Lake section. - The Ash River part. In total...I used 2 full days hanging out and getting to know what Voyageurs is all about. I dedicated 1 entire day to a boat tour around Voyageurs. And btw...if you are new to Voyageurs for the first time...it is best explored by boat tour. If you don't take a boat...then you're wasting your time. The hikes/trails and or scenic views are extremely minimal here. Just a heads up to be prepared...I would have my expectations tempered for coming here. I advise to simply enjoy the forest setting along Kabetogama and Rainy Lakes like I did and appreciate being out in nature. I booked my day Grand Voyageur day excursion boat tour with a former employee of Voyageurs NP named Bill. He has his own website called Border Guide Service for navigating the waters with roughly 10 people in your group. It's a 6-hour tour costing $160. He can be found online at the website voyageursnationalparktours.com. We departed on our boat tour from the Kabetogama Lake section of Voyageurs. Bill was insightful and knew all the history and popular sights and landmarks to visit. Here's a sample of what I got to check out while on his tour... Kettle Falls and Hotel, Hoist Bay, Ellsworth Rock Gardens, Junction Bay and Daily Brook. Bill is friendly and I'd recommend his tour. I appreciated my time getting to know more about what makes Voyageurs unique. You can book a Voyageurs Park tour with recreation.gov...the national park service website. I never reserved with this website because this past summer for the middle of June and because of the pandemic...recreation.gov didn't offer many available times and options for tours. We have been just sort of exiting the pandemic and maybe they gave tours twice a week, which wasn't good enough in my book because of how I scheduled my journey here. I needed more accessible options other than recreation.gov. Bill at voyageursnationalparktours.com offered tours every day, much more accommodative for me. I know I only have so much room to write so I'll try and be concise about what I saw at all 3 sections when not traveling by boat. I spent 1 full day out of Kabetogama Lake with my tour. Otherwise, other than a small Visitors Center here, there's not much offered, not even a worthwhile hiking trail. I spent my 2nd full day half the time at the Rainy Lake section and the afternoon time at the Ash River area. Btw, all 3 sections are within 20 - 40 miles driving distance from each other. Rainy Lake is the primary part to Voyageurs. A lot of private boats depart onto the waters from here including the recreation.gov boat tour. The Visitor Center here was great, offering good souvenirs, getting your Parks Pass stamped and even a park film. I did 2 hikes here - the Rainy Lake Recreation Trail and the Oberholtzer Trail. Both are simple along flat ground and give you an introduction into the surroundings of Rainy Lake. The Ash River I believe was the smallest of all 3 sections and the least visited. Although Voyageurs wasn't meant to be hiked...yet here at Ash River were the most decent trails. And again, there's a small VC here. The hikes I did were Kabetogama Lake Overlook, Blind Ash Bay, Sullivan Bay and Beaver Pond Overlook. These hikes offered some pleasant sights. Ultimately, I only hiked and walked around at Rainy Lake and Ash River, and I used Kabetogama Lake as my boat destination for departing onto the waters to the famous sights of Kettle Falls, Hoist Bay and Ellsworth Rock Gardens. Extra notes... In the Kabetogama section...there's the Gateway General Store and Gas Station where you can pick up all your supplies and any extras you may need. I stopped here every morning and grabbed breakfast with an egg sandwich and coffee. I really recommend this place. For accommodations I stayed in the Kabetogama Lake area and camped out at WoodenFrog State Forest Campground. For those tourists who appreciate sleeping outdoors...I definitely suggest WoodenFrog Campground for $17 a night, pitching your tent among spacious surroundings. When hanging out in Rainy Lake...the town of International Falls is situated just 10 miles away. Int'l Falls is the biggest town near Voyageurs. It has everything including fast food restaurants like McDonald's and Dairy Queen, supermarkets including hotels and motels. Voyageurs NP is fine for a couple days visit getting a chance to check it off your NP To-Do List. I paired it with Isle Royale NP a few days prior, another primitive park set in the UP of Michigan. Alright, this is Voyageurs NP.

Highly recommend! Camp host, Craig was very knowledgeable and helpful with getting us out on the…read morewater and exploring the sites. We accidentally crashed the boat after accidentally boating to the one place Craig told us to avoid. He and owner were great to deal with repair and had boat back in water next day. Great experience but check conditions carefully before going out on water. RV park perfect location. Fantastic stay!

Craig, Steve, and Jeannie are some of the nicest people I have ever met. My family had the chance…read moreto visit Sunrise Resort last week, and we were treated so well by all of them. Even the guests who stay there are kind. I will always recommend people stay at the Sunrise Resort.