Minnesota National Parks and Forests

Visit Minnesota's Chippewa National Forest, Superior National Forest, Voyageurs National Park and Pipestone National Monument

Superior National Forest

The area is part of the greater Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness region along the border of Minnesota and the Canadian province of Ontario. The Superior National Forest includes more than 3,900,000 acres of woods and waters. Most of the forest is multiple-use, and includes both logging and recreational activities such as camping, boating, and fishing.

Slightly over a quarter of the forest however is set aside as a wilderness reserve where canoers can travel along interconnected lakes and rivers and over historic portages once used by Native Americans and European explorers and traders.

The forest contains both true boreal forest (taiga), and a mixed conifer-hardwood forest known as the North Woods, a transition province between the northern boreal forest and deciduous forests to the south. Conifers include several varieties of pine, fir, and spruce trees, principal deciduous species are mountain ash, maple, aspen, oak, and paper birch are also common.

The waters contain fish species such as walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, lake trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout.

Wildlife species include: white-tailed deer, moose, Canadian Lynx, American black bear, and the gray or timber wolf.

The Superior forest includes:163 nesting species of birds, the largest number of any national forest. Species include the Bald Eagle and other raptors, the common loon, and northern waterfowl.

Some of our favorite reading is by Helen Hoover who chronicles her and her husband's sixteen years in a small cabin in the Northern Minnesota wilderness. With fine pen and ink illustrations by Ade Hoover, her books are a modern day "Walden" as Helen and Ade cope with the ways of the wilderness with a life that affords none of the comforts of modern living. Titles include, The Gift of the Deer, A Place in the Woods and The Years of the Forest.

Voyageurs National Park

How to get there:

By car: Voyageurs National Park is approximately 5 hours north of Minneapolis-St. Paul on I-35 and Hwy 53, 3 hours north of Duluth on Hwy 53, and 4 hours south from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

By boat: You may also enter the park by water. There are public launch ramps at the park visitor centers on Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, and at the Ash River Visitor Center. Many resorts also offer boat access into the park.

No bus lines or passenger trains serve the Voyageurs National Park area. Download and overview

map of Voyageurs National Park.

Pipestone National Monument

The site is considered sacred by many tribes of American Indians who continue to quarry pipestone which they carve into sacred pipes.

The Upper Midwest Indian Cultural Center is located inside the visitor center. During the summer months local American Indians demonstrate pipe making using personal experience and sharing traditions that they were taught by their elders.

Download a vistors guide to the Pipestone area.

Minnesota National Parks and Forests Video

What is Your Favorite Minnesota Park?

Have you visited a wonderful Minnesota park? Minnesota has some of the most beautiful state parks and state and national forests. We have lots of county parks as well. And almost every town has a great local park; in some cases many parks.

National Park Lodge Guide.com Take a tour of Americas Historic National Park Lodges. Find information specific to Minnesota national parks and forests. The National Park Lodge Guide is a personal guide to Americas Historic National Park Lodges with information, maps, guides, photos and links to some of this Nations most enduring National Treasures.

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