This area is a fantastic area to visit. The lake is beautiful and the fishing is outstanding…read more Said to be the Walleye Capital of the world.

From the owner: Lake of the Woods Tourism Bureau provides knowledge and guidance to area visitors on a number of…read moretopics such as fishing our massive multi-species and year round fishery Lake of the Woods, lodging in one of our 50+ facilities, outdoor adventures such as cross country skiing, atving, or visiting a sandy beach, local amenities such as bait shops and shopping sites, and much more! Representing over 50 unique lodging facilities, we are sure to find the right fit for you and your specific needs! Whether you are planning a fishing trip with some of your buddies, a family vacation while the kids are on break from school, or a bonus for your valued employees, Lake of the Woods has just what you are looking for, no matter the season. Call anytime of the day to hear the local fishing report or during our business hours to speak to a representative who can help you plan the vacation of a lifetime.

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.

Bruce is the best. We didn't know what to do at voyageurs national park so we went to the visitor…read morecenter to ask them. We saw Bruce's name in the visitor center paper so we knew he was a credible person. Bruce took me and my girlfriend out on his brand new boat (he gets a new boat every year) and could not have been nicer. Bruce showed us a number of islands that contained old gold mines and cabins. We saw bald eagles and deer as well. Bruce knows voyageurs national park remarkably well. His grandfather owned a house on the park before it became a national park, so he showed/told us his family history. Bruce gave me his cell phone number and I plan on coming back to see him again.

My husband and I did a tour with Captain Tim yesterday on the six hour Kettle Falls tour. Tim was…read morevery knowledgeable about the park and the area. He had a wonderful personality and as other people have said became our friend right away. I loved his sense of humor. It was a very nice boat and a top-notch operation. We would highly recommend this.

This was my first visit to International Falls, and I knew I had to get on the water to really see…read moreVoyageurs National Park. I was leery of paying $120 for a 2 hr boat tour, but it turned out to be well worth it. First week of October is already past the busy season and there wasn't much in the way of fall colors on the lake yet, but it was a truly beautiful ride nonetheless. Our guide Tim grew up on the lake and was not only full of information about the incredible history (and prehistory) of the region, but had his own stories to share that added such a depth and personal touch to the experience. I could have happily listened to him all day. If I can make it back someday for the 6 hour, I hope Tim is my guide once again.

Doesn't get any better then, local and family owned…read more My cousin from Ely had previously bought a outfit for her grand baby and realized it was too small. We went in to exchange it and they could have not been more accommodating. She did not have the receipt and had removed the tags. They knew it was their product and were happy to make the swap for a larger size. As she made the swap, I browsed through the store with my other cousin. Oh my, the variety of merchandise was mind blowing. They had everything you'd need for a camping trip. They even sell camping packages for the boundary waters and when you check-in on Yelp they offer a 15% off coupon. If you're a fisher, they also offer live bait to help you catch that big fish. That way your "big fish" story will be truth instead of a made up one. My other cousin who was traveling with us, caught so much fish during our trip, that when we left Ely, we had to stop at Spirit to buy dry ice. When in Ely, I highly recommend that you shop, Spirit.

Best outfitter in Ely. Knowledgeable friendly staff. Would recommend them especially for people…read morenew to the BWCA.

Voyageurs Adventures has been my "go to" place for questions about fishing, the services near the…read morePark and about the Park itself. Wade has been helpful with ideas and information. He's been a guide for a long time and knows in-depth information and is very easy to talk to with questions and for information.

From the owner: We are your guide to fishing, kayaking, camping, or boat tours on Lake Kabetogama or Voyageurs…read moreNational Park. Northern Minnesota's water-based National Park we can help you explore this beautiful area with over 400 islands and 100,000 acres of water!

Unfortunately, due to the government shut down, everything was closed and locked up. It was…read moreinconvenient to not have drinking water or restrooms available. The park itself is very beautiful. Also we had a canoe rented for the day and were excited to see the park that way, but it was cancelled due to wind. The day felt like a big let down so we hiked a bit on the Blind Ash Bay trail. Overall, it felt meh due to so many things not lining up.

What a beautiful Visitor Center with some amazing opportunities and staffed by some awesome Rangers…read more& Volunteers. Plenty of parking and set in a nice location with access to some trails around the center(got some birding in). This is also the spot for launching off for water tours of Voyageurs National Park. Informative Visitor Center with nice educational displays & a giant moose for photo-ops. Voyageurs NP is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and we asked at all the Visitor Centers (3 out 4) and to our dismay they did not do a special cancelation stamp to celebrate. I was so disappointed Ranger Jackie volunteered to do one for me. She made our visit memorable and one of the best visits yet to our National Parks. We were lucky enough to book a Boat Tour a few weeks in advance (BOOK IN ADVANCE) as they sell out and like the Movie Jaws " you going to need a bigger boat", but they don't have one-LOL - Definitely plan ahead. The Boat Tour was awesome, and to see, and experience the Park a must unless you have your own boat. But, then you would miss out on all the information that the Rangers provided on the history of the Park. We stopped at a fishing camp & an old mine. Captain Rico & First Mate Matt were exceptional. The Boat is big enough to move around & has an inside area if needed. We did see Loons & Peligans along with Seagulls. The Loons were a Lifer for me (Bird Talk). Don't miss out on this wonderful park or tour (book in advance).