of islands and numerous bays. More than two dozen
resorts are nestled along forested shoreline, and there are
houseboat rentals as well. Vermilion is a favorite with
anglers trying for walleye, bass, northern pike and panfish.
Lake Vermilion is also a great area to watch for birds and
other wildlife. The vast woods and shoreline provide
habitat for a large number of species, including bald
eagles, osprey, and white pelicans.
On the southeast shore of the lake is the village of
Tower. Lake Vermilion State Park is being developed
along the shoreline here. This new park is adjacent to
Soudan Underground State Park, which offers fascinating
tours of the deep, dark caverns where miners worked to
extract the world’s richest iron ore. Visitors don hard hats,
descend a half-mile underground, and travel through the
mine by train.
Bois Forte Heritage Center, near Tower
Along the shore of
Lake Vermilion is
Fortune Bay, a destination
developed by the Bois
Forte Band of Chippewa,
with a casino, marina
and the Bois Forte
Heritage Center, an
excellent museum about
the history and culture
of this Indian
community. The Wilderness at Fortune Bay is a beautiful
course acclaimed by golf media.
Voyageurs National Park is named for the
French-Canadian traders who paddled Minnesota’s
northern waterways over 200 years ago carrying loads of
Lake Vermilion
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beaver and other fur pelts.
Voyageurs is dominated
by its 30 lakes; the largest
are Rainy, Kabetogama
and Namakan. The park is
best explored by boat:
runabouts, fishing boats,
canoe, kayak, or
houseboat. All of these
can be rented from
businesses at the edge of
the park.
Guided boat trips
leave from the park’s three
visitor centers. There are
cruises to the historic
There’s great fishing in Voyageurs and the chance to
see a variety of wildlife--eagles, beaver, otters, moose,
and bear. For overnight adventures, boaters can sleep on
their craft or camp at secluded, individual boat-in
campsites. There are numerous resorts and campgrounds
you can drive to at the edge of the park at Rainy Lake,
Lake Kabetogama, Ash River and Crane Lake.
Voyageurs is just 11 miles east of International
Falls, an entry point from Canada. Points of interest in
town are the museum dedicated to football legend
Bronko Nagurski, who played for the Chicago Bears in
the 1930s, and tours of the Boise Paper Solutions mill. A
26-foot tall statue of Smokey the Bear stands in a city
park. There are antique and specialty shops in
International Falls and the nearby resort village of
Ranier. Golfers enjoy the play and the views at the
riverside Falls Country Club. The Voyageurs area is at
the eastern end of the 217-mile Waters of the Dancing
Sky Scenic Byway.
