Voyageurs National Park
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| Voyageurs National Park | |
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| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Location: | Minnesota, USA |
| Nearest city: | International Falls, MN |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 218,054 acres (882 km²) |
| Established: | April 8, 1975 |
| Visitation: | 235,000 (in 2003) |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. It was established in 1975. The park's name commemorates the colorful French Canadian Voyageurs, fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequently travel through the area. [1] The park is notable for its outstanding water resources and is popular with canoeists, kayakers, and other boaters. The Kabetogama Peninsula, which lies entirely within the park and makes up most of its land area, is accessible only by boat. To the east of the National Park lies the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The park has several boat ramps and visitor centers around its periphery, though the main body of the park is only accessible by boat or, in the winter, by snowmobile, ski, or snowshoe. The park hosts about 235,000 visitors per year. 114,000 acres of the park are intended to be wilderness by Sept. 30, 2006.[2]
The park was first proposed in April 1891 by the Minnesota Legislature in a resolution requesting that the president create a national park in Minnesota. It wasn't until nearly eighty years later that federal legislation authorizing the creation of the park was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on January 8, 1971.
The use of snowmobiles in Voyageurs National Park, like in Yellowstone, is controversial, with opponents claiming they damage the natural beauty of the park and adversely affect wildlife.
The largest city near Voyageurs National Park is International Falls, Minnesota.
[edit] External links
- National Park Service: Voyageurs National Park
- Voyageurs National Park Association
- Photos of Voyageurs National Park - Terra Galleria
- Voyageurs National Park at NASA Earth Observatory
[edit] References
- ^ Voyageurs In Depth Accessed Aug 5th, 2006
- ^ National Park Service News Accessed Aug 5th, 2006
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