SnapshotPlanning Your VisitWhen we visited the park We have done a houseboat trip in Voyageurs a couple of times now. We usually like to go late August because the water has warmed up a bit for swimming. It is impossible to keep our kids out of the water when they see it. We have had great weather, with only a half day of showers at the most. The mornings can be cool, so bring layers. However by lunch time it is usually warm enough for swimming in shallow areas of the lake. Things to Consider 1. The first thing to know is, this park is mostly water. If you really want to get the Voyageurs experience, you need to rent a boat. We highly recommend looking into a houseboat rental and staying that way. 2. If you decide to rent a houseboat, you will want to have your own motor powered boat. The lakes are huge! If you want to see any parts that are more spread out, you need a different boat than the houseboat to get you there in a timely manner. 3. We have also seen many people who kayak and camp throughout the park, if you are feeling more adventurous. 4. There is almost no cell service, so this is a great way to unplug and just enjoy the nature around you. 5. Bring binoculars!!! This is for seeing channel markers as well as watching wildlife. How to Get There Kabetogama Visitor Center - This visitor center is located 25 miles south of International Falls, MN and just off of Hwy 53. It is open May through September. It is a place to get information about the park and also get a boat on the water. Ash River Visitor Center - This visitor center is located 28 miles south of International Falls, MN and 11 miles off Hwy 53. It is open May through September. It is a place to get information about the park and also get a boat on the water. Rainy Lake Visitor Center - This visitor center is on the shore of Black Bay. It is open year-round with varying hours. It is located 11 miles east of Highway 11 from International Falls, MN. The visitor center provides information about the lakes for each season and allows you to get on the water as well. Additional Maps offered by the park Where to Stay Kettle Falls Hotel The only lodging in the park is Kettle Falls Hotel. This hotel is only open from May until September. The prices range from $90-$390 a night to stay there. You need to be able to access this by boat. If you do not have a boat, you can arrange to use their shuttle service for $45 round trip, per person. They also have other watercraft options available for rent during your stay if you are wanting to get out and explore the park by water. Houseboat We loved renting a houseboat for this vacation, and the best company we worked with was Ebel's Houseboats. This family has decades of experience in houseboating and they are efficient, knowledgeable, and helpful for beginners. Their rates range from $400-$1400 a day depending on the vessel you choose, the amenities on board, and the number of people with you. It is just such a unique experience for families. You do need a houseboat permit in addition to the rental, through the National Parks. You can get that by going to recreation.gov and searching for Voyageurs. It is $15 a night. Camping There are 163 sites available inside the park. All sites require getting there by water. Some site rentals do include a canoe to help you access them. More details can be found at recreation.gov about specific sites, locations, and amenities. Prices range from $10-$32 a night depending on size, location, and time of year of rental. What We Did Our first houseboat trip came with a lot of emotions! There was a huge learning curve that went with navigating such a large boat on huge bodies of water. As the first night was coming to a close and we were unable to find a place to moor, we started panicking. We had two little kids with us and we were tied up to a huge cliff, hoping that we would make it through the night. My husband and I looked at each other and thought, there was no way we were going to make it a whole week out here! We went to bed and tried to sleep the best we could, but really found little sleep that night. The next morning, we got up with the sun, and decided to move immediately. We wanted to find a sandy bottom mooring location tucked into a bay to try to avoid some of the larger waves of passing boats. We headed for Kabetogama Lake. We found a small bay area, and lucked out when we realized it was a sandy, shallow bottom perfect for our kids. Since houseboat sites are first-come, first served, we jumped at the opportunity to stay here the next couple of nights. It was perfect! And it was facing west, for some beautiful sunsets in the evening. We stayed at site K28 - Round Bear Island, and I would recommend it! We ended up staying there the rest of the trip. We fished around the bay, went end explored Ellsworth Rock Garden, and swam when the water warmed up. The kids found wildlife in the lake, and we camped. There is almost no service in the area, so we enjoyed unplugging and just be present with one another. There is a radio that connects to other boats and the main headquarters at Ebel's. They make runs to boats if they needs supplies or garbage picked up. They also help answer questions about the boat, or locations to go. So, if there is an emergency, you are not stranded. We decided to return for another houseboat vacation the summer of 2020, and we brought along my parents. We felt like this was something we could safely do because you are so isolated. We decided to head towards Namakan Lake this time in search of another bay and sandy beach area for the kids. We lucked out and found another west facing spot for beautiful sunsets, playing in the sand, swimming, and fishing. We also brought our dogs along with us this time. For an additional fee, dogs are allowed on the houseboats, and we felt like this would be a great trip to include them in. The site we stayed at was N50 - Junction Bay North. There was another site on the other side of the peninsula, but we wanted to be able to watch the amazing sunsets that this place offers. We did a lot of the same relaxing as we did on our first trip. We swam, fished, had campfires, and relaxed. Our kids came home, playing "houseboat" after this trip. They would lay out blankets for different sections of the houseboat and explain what activities can be done in each area. I hope it is a core memory they will hold on to. The second time around, we learned somethings about renting a houseboat. The first thing is that we should bring our own fishing boat to be able to cover more acreage across the lakes and see more things. This allowed us some flexibility in our daytime activities. We also learned to bring binoculars (we did not do this the first time) to help navigate the channels and houseboat sites. We learned that the maps provided tell you the type of bottom at each site, which was very helpful in planning a stop with kids. Finally, we learned that we like those west-facing sites to enjoy the magical sunsets this place has to offer. NPS App and All Trails Maps I highly recommend using the National Park Service (NPS) App, as well as the All Trails App for hiking. There is limited service in the park, so planning ahead is helpful. These two apps allow you to download sights, maps, and trails so that you can access information anywhere. The NPS app also links to the full National Parks Website, with a plethora of information. Don't forget to follow along on Instagram @wanderlust_with_three
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