winter activities

crosscountry skiing is a popular winter sport at Voyageurs, photo NPS

Winter Activities ...

Don't let the cold weather keep you inside! With the right clothing and a little planning the park is a winter wonderland just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed, whether you travel on skis, by snowshoe, by car or on snowmobile. Stop by the Rainy Lake Visitor Center for the most current information and enjoy winter exhibits, special weekend programs and complimentary hot cocoa. On Sundays from mid-January through the end of March, Voyageurs offers winter programs at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. Click here for more information.

Outdoor Activities

Rainy Lake Ice Road :
The seven-mile Rainy Lake Ice Road extends from the boat launch ramp at Rainy Lake Visitor Center to the mouth of Cranberry Bay. The ice road is open to cars and trucks of less than 7,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. Snowmobiles are NOT permitted on the ice road. The speed limit is 30 miles per hour. When heavy snow, slush, or thin ice exists the ice road may be closed or shortened for safety. Travel beyond the plowed section is unsafe. Don't go through the ice!

Ice Fishing :
Serene winter quiet, rugged forested shorelines, and outstanding angling make Voyageurs National Park an ice angler's dream. Place ice houses at least 50 feet from the center of snowmobile trails. Check ice conditions before going out.

Cross Country Skiing:
Enjoy the tranquility of cross-country skiing at Voyageurs National Park. Ski rentals are available at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center (Adults - $5 per person/day, Children -FREE). Area ski trails (groomed and tracked unless noted) include:

The Black Bay Ski Trail located one mile north of the Rainy Lake Visitor Center on the ice road offers six miles of trail including a novice loop and an intermediate loop.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources challenging 10.2 mile Tilson Creek Trail System is accessible from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center upper parking lot (groomed & ungroomed sections.)
Approximately 3.5 miles of forested trail (ungroomed) await the skier at the Echo Bay Trail, located 3.5 miles from the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center. Follow County Road 122 north toward Woodenfrog Campground. Turn right at the Northern Lights Road. Parking area is on the left.
The Kab-Ash Trail offers 22 miles of ungroomed ski trails.

Snowshoeing:
Journey into the past! For hundreds of years people have traveled on snowshoes. Explore the winter landscape on one of the park's three tracked snowshoe trails. Bring your own or borrow a pair at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center during normal business hours. Snowshoe trails include:

Blind Ash Bay Trail (2.5 miles round trip). The trailhead is at the Kabetogama Lake overlook parking lot along the road to the Ash River Visitor Center, and also at the Ash River Visitor Center upper parking lot.
Sullivan Bay Trail (1.5 miles round trip). Follow signs to the Ash River Visitor Center. Trailhead is just past the Beaver Pond Overlook on the north side of Sullivan Bay.
Oberholtzer Trail (2 miles round trip). Trailhead is located just outside the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.

Snowmobile:
All land areas in the park are closed to snowmobiles except designated safety portages. Enjoy 110 miles of staked and groomed trails in the park. The Chain of Lakes Trail (11 miles) is not groomed. Be safe, carry a trail map, keep to the right, leave a route plan with someone. Watch for pressure ridges, slush and open water. Speed limit is 45 mph on trails and 25 mph on safety portages. Don't drink and drive.