REGIONS: NORTHEAST VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK BY HOUSEBOAT By Jenny Anderson, Girl of 10,000 Lakes My husband and I often talk about the “top three trips” we’ve taken. The list evolves as we travel to new places, but Voyageurs National Park always makes the cut, mainly because of the unique mode of exploration we chose: a houseboat. I think Voyageurs National Park is one of Minnesota’s best-kept secrets. It’s a secluded waterway wonderland near International Falls and the one true national park in Minnesota. One-third of the park is water. Most of that includes the fi ve largest lakes–Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, Sand Point and Crane. We invited eight of our close friends and booked a large houseboat through Rainy Lake Houseboats . Other houseboat outfi tters in the area include Northernaire Houseboats , Ebel’s Voyageur Houseboats and Voyagaire Lodge & Houseboats . You’ll fi nd houseboats perfect for a romantic getaway for two as well as big get-togethers for families and friends. Houseboating at Voyageurs is like staying in a fl oating vacation home with amenities such as private bedrooms, running water, a shower, toilet, kitchen, air conditioning, a swim slide and even a hot tub. The best part? The scenery changes every day as you boat past di erent glacial landforms, magnifi cent pine trees and historic sites. During the day, we enjoyed sightseeing, checking out di erent islands, hiking, walleye fi shing, swimming, hot tubbing and visiting Kettle Falls Hotel . By late afternoon, we moored at one of the park’s designated houseboat campsites, which are fi rst-come, fi rst-served. Houseboats are required to be moored to shore from sundown to sunrise. We picked campsites with a northern exposure just in case the northern lights decided to come out. If you haven’t driven a houseboat before, don’t worry. Most people are in the same boat, so to speak. Before embarking on our trip, an instructor gave us a tutorial on how to operate the boat, navigate the waterways, read the maps and download a boating navigation app. I did fi nd it helpful to have someone on board who was comfortable driving a pontoon boat, but it isn’t crucial. There are other ways to explore Voyageurs National Park, including by kayak, canoe or motorboat. The park also operates a ferry ride. When the lakes freeze in the winter, you can venture through the park by snowmobile, cross-country skis and snowshoes, or even drive on the ice road. Rainy Lake EXPLORING Houseboats on Rainy Lake 100 | EXPLORE MINNESOTA .COM All photos courtesy of Jenny Anderson
Explore Minnesota Travel Guide 2022 Explore Minnesota Travel Guide: Page 100
