February 2026 – JNPA Blog

We all heard about the Lewis and Clark expedition in school, right? We learned that President Thomas Jefferson dispatched the Corps of Discovery in 1804 on a journey through the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. They were ordered to map the terrain, to befriend the Native peoples they encountered, to document and collect new animals and plants, and to search for an all-water Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean.

But we unearthed some little-known facts about the expedition that we bet you didn’t learn in school. Take our little quiz to test your knowledge and wow your friends at the next Trivia Night.

While serving as a young army officer in 1795, a drunk Meriwether Lewis was court-martialed for allegedly challenging a fellow officer to a duel. Though he was found not guilty, he was transferred to a different rifle company to avoid future disputes. His new commander turned out to be – you guessed it – William Clark.

Scroll down and click page 2 for the next question.

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During harsh winter conditions, most of us do our utmost to avoid driving on icy roads. But not so at Voyageurs National Park, where visitors intentionally drive on ice!

Every winter, park staff members clear snow from parts of Rainy Lake and Kabetogama Lake, creating ice roads that visitors can use. The roads are open to cars and trucks weighing less than 7,000 lbs. (Snowmobiles are not permitted). The speed limit is 30 mph. The roads are typically very wide – up to 60 feet or more – giving vehicles plenty of room to park and spread out.

Voyageurs’ two main ice roads begin at the park’s visitor centers, though the routes vary from year to year. Depending on weather conditions, they are open from early January to mid-March.

The park takes visitors’ safety very seriously. When heavy snow, slush, or thin ice exists, an ice road may be closed or shortened for safety. Specially trained staff test the ice thickness frequently and they post warning signs when the roads are unsafe for travel.

Northern Minnesota ice roads have a long history. Starting in the late 19^th century, lumberjacks created ice roads to transport logs efficiently. And truckers carrying other loads commonly took advantage of the frozen lakes.

Why do park visitors use the ice roads today, you ask? Some use them to access cross country ski trails. Others take their kids to a popular sledding hill. Still other visitors drive to their favorite ice fishing spots, where they spend the day waiting at a fishing hole for a bite from below.