Voyageurs National Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Voyageurs National Park | |
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| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Location | St. Louis County & Koochiching County, Minnesota, USA |
| Nearest city | International Falls |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 218,054 acres (882 km²) |
| Established | April 8, 1975 |
| Visitors | 220,650 (in 2007) |
| 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 voyageurs, French-Canadian 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, other boaters and fishermen. 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 (460 km²) 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.
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[edit] Park Waters
Four major lakes are contained in or border the park. Lake Kabetogama, Lake Namakan, Rainy Lake, Sand Point Lake, and Crane Lake. Of these, Namakan, Rainy and Sand Point lakes straddle the United States-Canada border. Lake Namakan and Sand Point Lake are accessible only by boat except in the winter. Lots of minor lakes dot the park, especially on the Kabetogama peninsula. Most popular of these are on the Locator Lakes trail.
[edit] Sport Fish
The major lakes in the park are home to Walleye, Northern pike, Smallmouth bass and Crappie. In the minor lakes that dot the park, Largemouth bass, Lake trout, Bluegill and other small sunfish and Yellow Perch are also found, although not every lake has every species. For example, Lake Trout are found primarily in Cruiser Lake north of Kettle Falls. Shoepack and Root (Little Shoepack) lakes in the center of the park's peninsula are home to the Shoepack strain of Muskellunge, distinctly different from the Mississippi strain (or Leech Lake strain) found throughout southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Lake Whitefish are also a popular quarry via sport netting in the fall when they move into shallow water to spawn.[3]
[edit] Kettle Falls
Kettle Falls is located between Lake Namakan and Rainy Lake, and is the location of the Kettle Falls Hotel. The hotel was constructed in 1910 by timber baron Ed Rose and operated as a hotel and resort to this day. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Kettle Falls can only be reached by boat in the summer months and is one of the few places in the lower forty-eight states where you look South into Canada.[4]
[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] Notes
- ^ Voyageurs In Depth Accessed Aug 5th, 2006
- ^ National Park Service News Accessed Aug 5th, 2006
- ^ [1] |Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lake Information Reports
- ^ Kettle Falls Hotel Website
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