[International Falls, MN, Aug 29, 2026]
I wasn’t overly excited about Voyageurs National Park. For a hiker like me, Voyageurs does not have much to offer because it’s a water-based park. Interconnected lakes, wetlands and waterways make up close to 50% of its area. It’s also fairly remote, tucked away against the Canadian border on the north side of Minnesota. Voyageurs was established in 1975. Its name commemorates the voyageurs – French-Canadian fur traders who used the waterways to transport tones of fur on their canoes.
Originally, I had a much bigger trip planned that included Mackinac Island, Isle Royale and Voyageurs. I had to scrap it for various reasons but I wondered if I could squeeze in Voyageurs as a quick weekend trip from Portland. Thanks to a flight schedule that worked well, I managed just that!
My 36-hour journey began with a very late Friday night flight out of Portland. The flight to Minneapolis is only 3.5 hours long and I was supposed to drive for close to 5 hours once I landed, so I wanted to make sure I could sleep as much as I could. I booked myself a first class seat, which thankfully came with a pillow and a blanket because I forgot my neck pillow at home! I was also excited to discover a couple of beds at the Escape lounge at the airport. It was too bright and loud in the lounge so I couldn’t get any sleep while there but at least I got to lay down.
I arrived just after 6 am, picked up my rental car and started driving after a stop at Starbucks. As I got closer to the park, I started seeing signs for its visitor centers. There are 4 total – Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, Ash River and Crane Lake. Rainy Lake is the most comprehensive one, so I centered my trip around it.
I was excited to see the park sign and take a selfie there! It’s number 55!
Rainy Lake Visitor Center
At the visitor center, I stamped my passport and confirmed the details of my boat tour later. I watched the park movie, where I learned that the voyageurs made canoes out of birch bark!
I then wandered out to the dock and spotted a canoe in the marsh nearby. It looked just like the ones in the movie! It was clearly a replica, but it was good to see it in real life.
Oberholtzer Trail and Rainy Lake Recreation Trail Loop
I then took a short walk on a trail that starts just outside the visitor center. The Oberholtzer Trail wanders through conifer and deciduous forest as it skirts the edge of a wetland. I spotted a deer, which I could barely see – if it weren’t for its tail wagging, I would have missed it! The trail as listed on Alltrails is an out-and-back, but I noticed I could connect it with the Rainy Lake Recreation trail and return on that. Rainy Lake Recreation trail is paved and it would have been perfect for a bike ride!
The Oberholtzer trail is named after prominent conservationist and wilderness advocate Ernest Oberholtzer (often called “Ober”). He was a writer, explorer, and key figure in protecting the international border lakes region between Minnesota and Ontario. He helped lead the fight to pass the Shipstead-Newton-Nolan Act of 1930—the first U.S. congressional legislation to mandate wilderness values on federal lands—which helped lay the groundwork for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park He lived for over 50 years on Mallard Island on Rainy Lake, located near where the trail and the park’s visitor center now sit.
Lunch at Thunderbird Lodge & Ranier
I worked up an appetite on my walk, so I headed to the Thunderbird Lodge for some nourishment. It sits right on Rainy Lake and its restaurant has a wonderful patio overlooking the water.
I could see some houseboats for rent across the way. Houseboats are one of the best ways to see Voyageurs, but that seemed like too big of an undertaking for me!
I feasted on some fried walleye, the fish to get in the area. It was delicious!
Afterwards, I stopped by for some ice cream in the town of Ranier. Only 500 or so people call this town home!
The Cantilever Distillery was right around the corner. This is another good place to grab some food and it is a great choice for a more formal meal.
I also stumbled upon some pickleball courts on my way to the hotel! I was a little surprised given that International Falls, where I was staying, is home to only 5,000 people.
It was finally time to check in to my hotel. I wished I had time for a longer nap but I could only squeeze in about 30 minutes or so. After this much-needed shut-eye, I headed back to the visitor center for my boat tour.
Voyageurs Grand Tour
I had booked the 4:30 pm Grand Tour because I wanted to give myself ample time to get here in case of travel delays. But the late start turned out to be great because the 2.5-hour boat tour ended right at sunset. I took the seat at the very front. Even though I could barely hear the ranger this way – there were no speakers nearby – I much preferred to just immerse myself in the views around me.
Rainy Lake was gorgeous. It was dotted with small islands everywhere.
Despite the national park designation, we saw several structures on various islands on the lake. There were a lot of houseboats docked in coves, too.
This geodesic glamping dome was especially fascinating.
Another structure was Harry Overson’s fish camp. He was one of the last commercial fishermen to make his living on Rainy Lake.
Towards our turn-around point we got to a place where orange and green buoys mark the US/Canada border.
As the evening progressed, the water started to sparkle and the clouds started to show some orange. It was a really beautiful evening out there. Even though I wasn’t excited about Voyageurs, the beauty of that boat ride will stay with me for a long time.
Fort Frances, Ontario
Even though I brought my passport with me, I didn’t have the energy to cross the border into Canada after my boat tour. There is a $9 toll to cross the bridge. The most popular attractions in Fort Frances, Ontario, are the lookout tower, which you can climb, and the historic, massive logging tugboat, the Hallett, permanently docked next to the tower at Sorting Gap Marina. There is also a walk you can do from the marina to check out the waterfront.
Even though it’s not a hiker’s park, Voyageurs was still wonderful. Only 8 more national parks to go!