Did you know??
On January 8, 1971 President Richard M. Nixon
created Voyageurs, the 36th National Park, with
these words. “The uniquely scenic and historic
Voyageurs National Park, stands as a monument
forever to the dedicated citizens and conservation
organizations whose vision, ingenuity and courage
match the splendor of this superlative wilderness
area. Rich in the history of the early, exciting
exploration of our great country, Voyageurs will
serve as a living legacy linking generation to
generation and century to century.” On April 8,
1975, Voyageurs National Park was established “to
preserve for the inspiration and enjoyment of
future generations, the outstanding scenery,
geological conditions, and waterway system
which constituted part of the historic route of
the Voyageurs who contributed significantly to
the opening of the Northwestern United
States.”
Outstanding scenery, unique geological
conditions, and an historic waterway system,
all good reasons for creating a National Park in
Minnesota.
Established
Land of Lakes Located on Minnesota’s border with Canada,
Voyageurs’ 218,000 acres include four major lakes
– Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point –
and thirty smaller inland lakes that together make
up more than a third of the total park area. The
smaller inland lakes are scattered throughout the
park, but primarily on the Kabetogama Peninsula.
The peninsula is Voyageurs’ largest landmass and
can be reached by water in summer or over the ice
in winter.
Rainy Lake is 60 miles long and 227,604 acres in
size; it has 929 miles of shoreline. The park
includes 36,418 acres of Rainy Lake. Within the
park Rainy Lake has a maximum width of 12 miles,
maximum depth of 161 feet, an average depth of 35
feet, and 200 islands.
Kabetogama Lake is 15 miles long and 25,760 acres
in size. It has 78 miles of shoreline, a maximum
width of 4 miles.
