Several of our partner parks are planning events to honor Juneteenth, one of the oldest known commemorations related to the abolition of slavery in the United States. The holiday marks the day that enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed. News of the Emancipation Proclamation had taken two-and-a-half years to reach Texas, arriving June 19, 1865.
Staff at Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park have found a unique way to honor the enslaved residents of the park’s historic houses during the annual Juneteenth commemoration. They place flowers on the porches of the Jean Baptiste Vallé House, Bauvais-Amoureux House, and Green Tree Tavern. Each flower memorializes an individual who was enslaved at that home.
Credit: NPS
This project is an outgrowth of the park’s ongoing effort to learn more about the early Black residents of Ste. Genevieve. So far, staff and volunteers have confirmed the names of 46 individuals who were enslaved at the three NPS-managed houses. They hope to uncover the larger narratives of these residents and learn about their connections among the free and enslaved people of color in the historic community. The park plans to share the details of these findings through public events like Juneteenth.
Lynne Jackson
Another Juneteenth-related program will take place at the park on Saturday June 22. Lynne Jackson, a descendant of Dred and Harriet Scott, will share the story of her famous ancestors’ long-awaited emancipation in 1857. She will also discuss the Freedom Suit Memorial in St. Louis, a bronze sculpture erected in 2022 commemorating the many lawsuits that enslaved people filed against slaveholders in an effort to gain their freedom.
The lecture begins at 1:30 at the park’s Welcome Center. The event is free, but reservations are recommended; reserve your spot by calling 573-880-7189.
Peggy Harris
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site will celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday June 15 with a unique program– Rhythms, Rhymes and Cultural Times. This one-woman show by performer Peggy Harris is a collection of narratives depicting the lives of various strong Black women, including an African Royal’s recounting of the slave trade, Harriett Tubman’s journey to freedom, Harriet Scott’s support of her husband Dred, and Luisah Teish’s call to join women of color together to embrace their culture and spirituality.
The free program takes place at the park at 1:00 p.m. For reservations call 314-842-1867 ext. 230.
Visitors to the White Haven estate at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site sometimes happen upon a curious stone building behind the historic house. This humble little structure looks a bit out of place amid the other wooden buildings on the site, and it has undergone several transformations since it was built. What was it used for?
White Haven, circa 1850. Stone building is visible to the immediate left of the main house. Photo credit: NPS
National Park Service archeologists believe the stone building was probably built well before the Civil War – perhaps as early as 1840 – when Grant’s in-laws, Frederick and Ellen Dent, owned and farmed the 850-acre slave plantation. Enslaved laborers are thought to have worked there, cooking food, sewing clothing, and cleaning laundry; and some enslaved cooks may even have lived in the attic.
Although the main house on the estate featured a basement kitchen, its wood construction would have been prone to catching fire during the cold winter months, so cooking duties would probably have shifted to the cooler stone kitchen during the summer.
Photo credit: NPS
Yet a workplace for enslaved people wasn’t the end of the little building’s story. Sometime after slavery was abolished, a permanent kitchen was established on the first floor of the main residence and the stone building ceased to function as a summer kitchen. The roof and walls of the neglected building collapsed.
Photo credit: NPS
Then in the 1940s or 1950s, the private owners of White Haven expanded the west wall of the stone building, rebuilt and re-roofed it, and used it as a three-car garage. Changes to the structure included rebuilding exterior walls, removal of the wall dividing the two rooms, replacement of the gabled roof with a shed roof, and a concrete floor.
Photo credit: NPS
After the National Park Service acquired ownership of White Haven in 1990 (a purchase facilitated by JNPA), workers restored the stone building to its original appearance. Archaeological digs yielded numerous broken dishes, crockery, silverware, as well as sewing equipment from the nineteenth century – further evidence of the domestic tasks enslaved laborers were performing at this site.
On your next visit to the park, be sure to pay a visit to the summer kitchen building, where you’ll find additional information about its many uses.
Resilience, optimism, and unconditional love. These are traits that are shared by three mothers who played an important role in our country’s history and who helped shape America’s future through their love for their families.
Julia Dent Grant may be best known as the wife of President Ulysses S. Grant, but she held another equally important title: mother. Julia met Ulysses in 1844, and they were married four years later. Their first child, Frederick Dent Grant, was born in 1850, followed by Ulysses S. “Buck” Grant Jr. in 1852, Ellen Wrenshall “Nellie” Grant in 1855, and Jesse Root Grant in 1858.
In the 1800’s, nearly half of the babies born in the United States did not live to see their fifth birthday. However, all four of the Grants’ children lived into adulthood. Julia and Ulysses were incredibly devoted to their children and were known to be “permissive” parents. They taught their offspring to ride horses from the time they were small, and they allowed them to be noisy, playful, happy children.
Harriet Robinson Scott was an enslaved woman whose determination to free herself, her husband, and her daughters changed the course of African American history.
Harriet was born into slavery sometime around 1815. Her enslaver brought her to Fort Snelling (in present-day Minnesota) in the 1830’s, where she met and married the enslaved Dred Scott. Their enslaver subsequently moved them between free and slave-holding territories frequently while leasing them out as hired hands. Their residence in free areas would become the centerpiece of the couple’s claim to freedom.
Harriet and Dred eventually wound up in St. Louis with their two daughters, Eliza and Lizzie. It was here that the couple began to explore their chances of gaining their freedom. Harriet in particular was highly motivated to see her daughters become free. After a failed attempt to purchase their way out of slavery, she encouraged Dred to sue for their freedom in the courts.
She and Dred endured five trials over the course of 11 years to fight for their family’s freedom, and it was her love for her children that kept her going through those hard times. Though the infamous Supreme Court decision in the Dred Scott Case denied them their freedom, the son of Dred’s original enslaver finally freed the family a few months after the verdict.
Former President Bill Clinton’s mother, Virginia Clinton Kelley, was known for her optimism and enthusiasm for life. Bill Clinton was quoted as saying that, to his mother, “every day was a good day.”
Clinton’s father, William Jefferson Blythe II, died in a car accident when his wife Virginia was pregnant. Suddenly alone, she had to figure out a way to support herself and her newborn son in little Hope, Arkansas. With the support of her parents, Virginia was able to attend nursing school. She later married Roger Clinton Sr., who turned out to be an abusive alcoholic. Despite the many hardships she faced over the course of her life, Virginia was wholeheartedly devoted to Bill and later to his little brother, Roger Jr. She believed that it was her responsibility to support herself and create a good life for her children, regardless of their circumstances. Although she died in 1994, she luckily lived long enough to see Bill become the 42nd president of the United States the previous year.
French soldiers, explorers, and fur traders established settlements in North America as early as the 1500s. The vast territories of “New France” spanned a large portion of eastern North America, from what is now Canada south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Map of New France circa 1750
Among the earliest French settlements in the so-called Illinois Country was the village of Ste. Geneviève, founded by French Canadians in 1750. These hardy immigrants were drawn by the rich soils deposited by the nearby Mississippi River and by minerals and other natural resources the region offered. Naturally they brought their Old World culture, religion, laws, architecture, and language with them. But it wasn’t long before they adopted new habits, customs, and even words that fit their new lives in the New World.
In fact, the residents of Ste. Geneviève created what historians call a French Creole cultural zone in the middle Mississippi Valley. The influences of European immigrants, Native Americans, and free and enslaved Blacks combined to create customs that were unique in terms of law, religion, clothing, use of the land, architecture, personal philosophy, and slave law. This regional culture was unlike anything else in what is now the United States, and substantially different from its parent cultures in Canada and France.
Credit: NPS
The Creoles of Ste. Geneviève (a term used to describe a French, Spanish or African person born in America) lived in tight-knit communities along the river rather than on isolated farmsteads as most Anglos did. Their agricultural system evoked that of northern France, in which the residents grazed and farmed on common lands just outside the village.
Creoles also dressed differently than Anglos and seem to have been influenced by the local indigenous people. An 1811 traveler recalled that “Men wore a blanket coat of coarse cloth or coating, with a cape behind, which could be drawn over the head…They wore a blue handkerchief on their heads; but no hats, or shoes, or stockings; moccasins, or the Indian sandals, were used by both sexes.” And despite their shared Christian religion, Creoles apparently scandalized their Anglo neighbors on Sundays. After church they held auctions, conducted business, danced, and bet on cards and horse racing.
Then there was the Creoles’ language. Though most settlers in Ste. Geneviève were of French ancestry, it didn’t take long for them to adopt new words, phrases, and pronunciations. Naturally, the New World presented new influences on the immigrants. Unfamiliar animals and plants needed names, tools and objects long used by Indigenous peoples needed descriptions, as did new patterns of commerce and trade. In many cases they adopted or adapted words from African or Native American languages to fill these descriptive gaps.
Some of these terms seem quaint to modern ears: bete puante (literally, stinking beast, i.e. skunk; bete rouge (red beast, i.e. chigger); and chat sauvage (wildcat, i.e. raccoon). Other Creole words have been absorbed into the modern English language: bayou (from an Indian word for a body of water cut off from a river); butte (for a hill); and cache (for a place to store or hide goods).
Photo Credit: Robert Mueller, Ste. Genevieve Tourism
For an in-depth immersion in early French colonial life, a trip to Ste. Geneviève, Missouri, is a must. As one of America’s oldest permanent European settlements, the proud little community offers a mixture of fascinating history and modern charm. And don’t miss the guided tours of its unique historic buildings offered by the rangers at Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park.
ça vaut le détour!
*Featured Image Credit: capitol mural of early Ste. Genevieve by Oscar Berninghaus- State Historical Society of Missouri
Frederick Dent Grant had big shoes to fill. As the oldest son of Ulysses S. Grant, Fred was treated “always as if I were already a man.” He helped with chores around his childhood home at White Haven and was taught to ride and swim at an early age. “I can see myself now, a chubby little chap, sitting on the back of one of the farm horses and holding on for dear life, my father urging me to be brave,” Grant later recalled.
Young Fred was also exposed early on to the stark realities of warfare. Not long after his father was promoted to the rank of colonel in the 21st Illinois Infantry in 1861, Fred accompanied him through the Illinois countryside. Colonel Grant believed his 11-year-old son was relishing his time as an unofficial member of the 21st. He wrote to his wife Julia: “Fred enjoys it hugely…The Soldiers and officers call him Colonel and he seems to be quite a favorite.”
Ulysses also bragged about his son’s bravery a few years later when he brought him along during the Vicksburg Campaign of 1863. “Fred is very well enjoying himself hugely. He has heard balls whistle and is not moved in the slightest by it. He was very anxious to run the blockade of Grand Gulf.” But decades later, Fred painted a different picture, having been horrified by what he saw from a Union gunboat at Grand Gulf: “I was sickened by the scenes of carnage.”
At one point, the boy was shot in the leg by a Confederate soldier, but soon made a complete recovery and was able to stay with his father until the 45-day siege of Vicksburg ended. Fred returned to Ulysses’ side again during further battles. And he accompanied him to Washington, DC, when President Lincoln promoted Grant as Commanding General of all Union armies.
Credit: NPS
Despite his early distaste for the horrors of combat, Frederick Grant pursued a military career. Like his father, he attended West Point six years after the end of the Civil War. He was eventually promoted to the rank of Major General during the Spanish-American War. Also like his father, he was a heavy smoker and died of cancer in 1885 at age 62.
There are many secrets and hidden stories within the forests and waters of Voyageurs National Park. But perhaps one of the strangest is that of a mysterious recluse who made his home in the rugged back woods near Namakan Lake.
Credit: NPS
Sometime in the 1930s, locals spotted a small old man paddling a crude log raft on the park’s waters, earning him the nickname “Catamaran.” No one knew where he came from or why he shunned civilization. He seemed to be educated and reportedly spoke with a British accent. He said his name was Bert Upton but refused to reveal more about himself.
Upton lived in a crude hut built over a dug-out hole in the ground, furnished with a homemade hammock but few other possessions. He occasionally scavenged materials from logging camps but rejected offers of food and clothing from neighbors in the area. He snared rabbits and other wildlife, and he also fished the local waters. He seemed to enjoy his surroundings, forging paths in the woods and even planting attractive gardens around his hut.
Just five feet tall and wildly unkempt, Upton wore hacked-off pants and walked with a large walking stick. He was usually clothed in a cast-off wool jacket and a long cap made from the legs of long underwear. He walked about in bare feet most of the year, but he was seen wearing shoes during the harsh Minnesota winters. It’s hard to believe he could survive the severe cold, though he reportedly followed the old-world custom of conserving body heat by spending most of the winter in bed.
Some suspected Catamaran was fleeing the law; others just considered him a bizarre outcast. Everyone agreed he was peculiar since he often suspected any donations of food were poisoned.
Credit: NPS
Whatever his past, the end of his life was no mystery. He was found frozen to death in the snow by a local explorer, just a half-mile from his home.
If you’re lucky enough to camp out in the magnificent forests of Voyageurs National Park, perhaps you’ll begin to appreciate what brought this mysterious recluse to the North Woods and why he stayed.
Do you know a child who can spend hours looking at every plant, insect, and set of tracks they come across outside? What about a budding history buff who wants to know every detail of historical events? Are you a grown-up whose inner child never quite let go of your dream of being a paleontologist or train engineer or marine biologist? Whatever your child’s (or your inner child’s) interest, there is a National Park Service Junior Ranger program for you!
Credit: NPS
The NPS Junior Ranger program is an activity-based program aimed at 5- to 13-year olds that takes place in almost all national parks. Children typically complete a series of activities during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, then receive an offical Junior Ranger patch and certificate.
This very popular program got its start more than 90 years ago, beginning as the “Yosemite Junior Nature School” in 1930. The school was held for six weeks every summer from 1930-1954 (with the exception of the years during WWII). Back then, earning an award (the equivalent of becoming a Junior Ranger today), was quite difficult! A child had to attend at least five meetings of the Junior Nature School as well as complete 25 out of the following 26 tests:
Point out and give characteristics of ten trees.
Point out and give characteristics of five shrubs.
Demonstrate the ability to read tree history by means of tree rings.
Tell the principal values of forests.
Identify five birds by means of songs alone.
Point out fifteen different kinds of birds.
Name ten resident birds of Yosemite Valley, five predators, two waders, three wood borers, and fifteen perchers.
Identify the nests of five birds.
Point out the four principal minerals found in granite.
Tell briefly the story of the origin of the Yosemite Valley.
Illustrate the difference between stream-worn and glacial-worn boulders.
Name and identify twenty-five different flowers.
Know the principal parts of the flower.
Explain the function of flowers in plant reproduction.
Name and identify ten Yosemite mammals.
Name and identify five Yosemite reptiles.
Outline the life history of the bear.
Tell four ways of identifying old Indian village sites.
Tell how obsidian arrow points are made.
Tell how the Yosemite [Native Americans] made acorn bread.
Point out fifteen vegetable, ten animal, and three insect sources of food used by the Indians.
Point out forty points of interest around Yosemite Valley.
Identify four kinds of trout.
Tell the methods of fish culture used in the hatchery.
Demonstrate the ability to ‘read the trail-side like a book.’
Identify the following: ant lion, termite, swallow-tail butterfly, grasshopper, wasp, dragon-fly, moth, and ladybird beetle.
Yosemite Junior Nature School, ca. 1935. Credit: NPS
In 1955, the Junior Nature School officially transitioned to the Junior Ranger program, which was much closer to how the program runs today. Now, children (and adults!) can earn a Junior Ranger badge and certificate at over 400 National Park sites across the country by completing activities from that park’s official Junior Ranger booklet. Additionally, there are many national themed booklets available which can be completed at home or at a nearby national park. Some of these themed Junior Ranger programs include Wildland Firefighter, Archeologist, and Underground Railroad Explorer.
An excerpt from the “Junior Ranger- Let’s Go Fishing!” booklet
Each of JNPA’s partner parks participate in the Junior Ranger program, including:
Also, for a limited time, visitors to Gateway Arch National Park will have the opportunity to earn the “Riverboat Explorer” Junior Ranger badge. This program will be offered daily on riverboat cruises at 1:30pm and 3:00pm now through Labor Day.
Credit: NPS
The next time you visit a national park, make sure to check out their Junior Ranger Program. It is completely free, and you never know what new things you may learn! If you want to add to the experience, you can also purchase this Junior Ranger Hat and Junior Ranger Vest to proudly display all of your badges!
Gateway Arch National Park has added a new attraction to its already-full list of activities…and it just might blow your mind. It’s a virtual reality (VR) experience that transports visitors to a 360⁰ depiction of the 1850s St. Louis riverfront. And it all takes place in a newly designed area on the lower level of the Arch visitor center.
When you put on a special 3D headset, you’ll be immersed in the sights and sounds of the St. Louis levee in the 1850s, an era when the city was an important crossroads for America’s westward migration. Watch as steamboats deliver travelers and goods from around the world. And hear the stories of courage, struggle, and hopes of some of the real people who crossed paths there. The VR program aligns with one of the historic eras that visitors can also learn about in the Arch museum, though it brings it to life in a very unique way.
Jefferson National Parks Association and park staff have teamed up to bring this production – titled Cobblestones & Courage – to park visitors. JNPA funded the work and selected TimeLooper – a pioneering interpretive design firm – to develop the programming.
“Gateway Arch National Park is constantly seeking new and engaging ways to share the story of America’s westward expansion with visitors,” says David Grove, President and CEO of JNPA. “As a park partner, we’re thrilled to bring this unique experience to visitors. Cobblestones & Courage brings history to life in a tangible way using 3D technology to diversify the park’s storytelling methods.”
The new Virtual Reality Theater is located in the lower Gateway Arch lobby, right outside The Arch Store, which JNPA also operates. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 children (ages 5-15). Reservations are encouraged and tickets can be pre-purchased here.
If you’ve ever wanted to travel back in time, this is the way to do it. Check it out! And also take a look at a preview video of the production.
When you visit Gateway Arch National Park, you may not expect to see a Catholic Church perched on the edge of the Arch grounds. Nor is just any church – it’s the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River.
Depiction of the original log church c. 1770
This handsome stone building is formally known as the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, but St. Louisans refer to it as simply the Old Cathedral. In 1764, St. Louis was established as a French fur trading post. Since then, the city has fallen under the control of three different countries (France, Spain, and the United States) and the church served a wide variety of purposes. One thing, however, has remained the same since 1770: the ownership of the land where the Old Cathedral sits. Although the building has been changed several times, for the last 253 years the property has been home to a Catholic church.
Old Cathedral c. 1834. Credit: Missouri Historical Society
Beginning as a simple log building, the Catholic church was the only house of worship in the area of any denomination until the early 1800s. Over the years, it was renovated and expanded, until construction of the “new” cathedral began in 1831. As the social hub of the region, the church played host to many significant people and stood witness to a number of historic events. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the son of Sacagawea, was baptized at the church, as were explorer William Clark’s children. The church survived war, cholera, fire, influenza, tornados, and many other tragedies that befell the St. Louis region.
Old Cathedral c. 1965. Credit: Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France
Because of its historical significance, Pope John XXIII designated the Old Cathedral as “The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France” in 1961. However, at that time, the building was in disrepair, and much of the riverfront had been cleared to make room for the future Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (now Gateway Arch National Park). The cathedral was one of only two buildings on the future park grounds that was spared from demolition (the other being the Old Courthouse). The archbishop of St. Louis, Cardinal Joseph Ritter, decided to keep the designation a secret when he launched a restoration project of the Old Cathedral. The news of its elevated title was not announced until the project was completed in 1963, right before the St. Louis Bicentennial in 1964 and the completion of the Arch in 1965.
Credit: Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France
Now, the Old Cathedral stands next to the Gateway Arch as a testament to the beginnings of the Village of St. Louis and how far our city has come. It invites visitors to attend Mass and offers free tours on the first Sunday of each month following the noon Mass.
Feel like hitting the road? Check out our suggestions for a few fun weekend adventures.
Trip 1- St. Louis
Day 1– Let’s start this trip with St. Louis’ own iconic Gateway Arch! Your first stop will be the museum at Gateway Arch National Park, where you will learn all about the history of St. Louis, westward expansion, and the unique architecture contest which resulted in the construction of the Arch. Next, catch a showing of the documentary film Monument to the Dream followed by a tram ride to the top of the Arch. At 630 feet high, you can’t beat those views! For lunch, you can grab a bite at the Arch Café, have a picnic on the beautiful park grounds, or go check out the restaurants downtown. (St. Louis is known for its diverse food offerings.) In the afternoon, take a riverboat tour of the Mighty Mississippi before you do some exploring of Downtown St. Louis. Catch a Cardinals baseball game, go for a stroll through Citygarden Sculpture Park, or take a tour of the National Blues Museum. For dinner, check out the restaurants and nightlife at Ballpark Village.
Day 2– Your main attraction for today will be Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in south St. Louis County. Check out the orientation film and take a self-guided tour of the park’s museum, housed in the historic 1872 horse stable that Grant himself designed. Then embark on a guided tour of White Haven, the home where Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, fell in love and made their life together. Next, head to brunch or lunch at The Barn restaurant before taking a tour of the Thomas Sappington House Museum next door. When you’re done, make sure to take a stroll through Father Dickson Cemetery, one of the first public cemeteries for African Americans in St. Louis. For dinner, take your pick from the many wonderful restaurants in nearby Crestwood, Kirkwood, or Webster Groves.
Green Tree TavernJean Baptiste Valle House
Day 3– On the final day of your weekend trip, you are going to head an hour south along the Mississippi to the beautiful Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park. This unique park is spread out across multiple buildings in the 18th century town of Ste. Genevieve. You can take ranger-led tours of the historic Green Tree Tavern and the Jean Baptiste Valle House. Next, you can wander through this picturesque small town and visit the multitude of shops, museums, and restaurants. For dinner, visit one of the six wineries on the Route du Vin Wine Trail.
Trip 2- Arkansas
Day 1– Every good trip begins with a little hope, and for this trip, we are taking that literally! Your first stop is the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in the quaint town of Hope, Arkansas. Stop by the park’s visitor center before taking a ranger-led tour of the home where our 42nd President was born. Next, head down the road for lunch at Tailgaters Burger Co. or one of the other local restaurants. In the afternoon, you can check out the Hope Visitor Center and Museum or the quirky Klipsch Museum of Audio History.
Credit: NPS/Calvin Smith
Day 2– About a 90-minute drive from Hope is the unique town of Hot Springs. One of the first “spa towns,” Hot Springs has a mix of historic architecture and natural beauty. Though Hot Springs National Park is not one of JNPA’s partner parks, we still don’t want you to miss this gem! Your first stop is the Fordyce Bathhouse Museum and Visitor Center to talk to a ranger and learn more about the history of the area. Next, you can check out historic Bathhouse Row or go for a hike on one of the park’s many miles of trails. For lunch, stop by the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, the only brewery located in a national park! In the afternoon and evening, go for a soak at one of the bathhouses, take another hike, or check out Downtown Hot Springs.
Day 3– Continuing northeast for an hour, this trip ends at the capital of Arkansas, the bustling city of Little Rock. At Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, you will learn about the bravery of the Little Rock Nine and the rocky beginnings of the desegregation of America’s schools. Stop by the park’s visitor center first to view the exhibits and watch the interpretive film. Then, take a ranger-led tour of the school, which is still in use today. Ask the park rangers for a lunch recommendation before heading into the city to check out one of the many other cultural institutions. Don’t forget to visit the State Capitol Building, which offers free guided tours. Animal enthusiasts may want to see the Little Rock Zoo, or art aficionados may enjoy the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. For an outstanding ending to your Arkansas vacation, check out one of the many local restaurants for dinner.
Trip 3- Northern Minnesota
Day 1– At over 200,000 acres, Voyageurs National Park will take up all three days of this getaway. Your first stop will be one of the three visitor centers. The largest, Rainy Lake Visitor Center, offers exhibits, an orientation film about the park, and a bookstore (operated by you-know-who). Next, head out on one of the park’s many hiking trails to take in the scenery. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy along the trail, but make sure to pack out what you pack in. End your day by getting settled into your lodgings. You could opt for the Kettle Falls Hotel or get a bit more adventurous: there are a variety of camping options at Voyageurs or you could even rent a houseboat!
Credit: NPS
Day 2– For your only full day at the park, take the opportunity to participate in a guided tour or two. In the Rainy Lake district, you can take a boat tour aboard the Voyageur, or in the Namakan district, you can voyage on the park’s newest tour boat, the Ne-zho-dain. If you are feeling extra adventurous, sign up for one of the park’s North Canoe Voyages, where you can paddle a replica of a north canoe while being immersed in an on-the-water living history lesson!
Day 3– For your final day at Voyageurs, take time to check out the Ellsworth Rock Gardens and the Harry Oveson Fish Camp, or do a bit of birdwatching. Then on your way out of the park, stop by one of the gateway communities, such as International Falls, to see the sights and restaurants they have to offer.
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