Voyageurs

Winter Events at Voyageurs

A mother puts her arm around her son's shoulders and both smile while standing at the head of a sunny, snow-packed trail.
Snowshoeing the Oberholtzer Trail near the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.

NPS

Embrace the Cold. Play and Learn. Warm the Heart.

The park is open year-round 24 - hours a day, 7 days a week. However, Park Rangers and specialized staff offer monthly activities at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center January through March.

For more information, please call the Rainy Lake Visitor Center at (218) 286-5258.

 
A child and several adults wear snowshoes and heavy coats prepare to hike down a snowy trail.

NPS/Challeen

Night Light Snowshoe Hike

Friday, January 27, 2023

7 to 8:30 pm. Recommended ages 5 and up. Free.

Discover the wonders of the night! Come to the Rainy Lake Visitor Center between 7 and 8:30 pm for a self-guided evening snowshoe hike, with luminaries to light your way. Bring your own light and a pair of snowshoes, or borrow snowshoes from the visitor center. Contact the Rainy Lake Visitor Center for more information at (218) 286-5258.

Boreal Stargazing Week

VOYAGEURS DARK SKY SNOWSHOE
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2023

6:00 PM
OBERHOLTZER TRAIL, INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN

Join us for an evening snowshoe under the illuminating stars of Voyageurs National Park. Enjoy a tranquil guided hike on the Oberholtzer Trail (1.6 miles roundtrip) and stargaze in Minnesota's International Dark Sky Park! Learn about the history of snowshoes, animal tracks ID, and dark sky preservation - all while enjoying the breathtaking cosmos above us

Voyageurs Conservancy will welcome you with a bonfire at the Oberholtzer Trailhead. Snowshoes will be available to rent (free-of-charge) and no prior snowshoe experience is needed. This event is recommended for all ages and is free to attend!

Space is limited. Please register at Boreal Stargazing Week — Voyageurs Conservancy to reserve snowshoes.

BOUNDARY WATERS DARK SKY SNOWSHOE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023
6:00 AND 6:30 PM START TIMES
HEGMAN LAKE, BWCA ENTRY POINT 77, NORTH OF ELY, MN

Join friends, new and old, on an evening snowshoe into the world’s largest Dark Sky Sanctuary- the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness! Enjoy a roughly 5-mile (round trip) snowshoe to visit the Hegman Lake pictographs while experiencing the grandeur of the universe above you.

The Friends of the Boundary Waters will provide warm drinks in the parking lot as well as snowshoes for a limited number of folks who need to borrow them. Registration is required to reserve snowshoes. Stargazing can be done near the parking lot for people who want to enjoy the night sky but are unable to join the snowshoe. Open to folks of all ages, make sure to dress for the weather!

Registration at Boreal Stargazing Week — Voyageurs Conservancy is required to reserve snowshoes.

SKIING, STARGAZING, AND STORYTELLING IN VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023
5:00 - 8:00 PM
BLACK BAY SKI TRAIL, INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN

Voyageurs National Park has teamed up with the PolarPolars Ski Club, Voyageurs Conservancy, and Astro Bob to bring you the first Annual Winter Stargazing Event on Ice.

From 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm the PolarPolars will offer a ski on the Black Bay Ski Trail on Rainy Lake.

From 7:00 to 8:00 pm Astro Bob King will share stories of the stars and help you in identifying the night sky with the naked eye and via telescopes.

All events start at the Black Bay Ski Trail Parking Area. Hot cocoa and a warm fire will be going throughout the event. Bring your skis or check some out prior to departure (free for the event) from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.

Registration is required to reserve skis.

Film Screening & Social – Twin Cities

NORTHERN NIGHTS, STARRY SKIES
SOCIAL & SCREENING

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2023
7:00 - 9:00 PM
SUNDIN MUSIC HALL, HAMLINE UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL

7:00 - 8:00 PM
Preview the new documentary
Northern Nights, Starry Skies:
Our star-bright northern skies are beckoning. The region has an extraordinary number of places where night skies are dark enough to be experienced in their full splendor. These designated Dark Sky Places, recently sanctioned by the International Dark-Skies Association, are Voyageurs National Park, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park.

Co-produced with Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education, in this documentary, we explore the movement to reduce light pollution and celebrate Dark Sky Places, Indigenous Star Knowledge, and stewardship of the night sky.

Register here Boreal Stargazing Week — Voyageurs Conservancy

8:00 - 9:00 PM
Social Hour

It’s Boreal Stargazing Week! Enjoy a pint, learn how to connect with the stars, and plan your next adventure to the Boundary Waters or Voyageurs.

Full Moon Snowshoe Hike

Friday, March 3, 2023
7 to 8:30 pm. Recommended ages 5 and up. Free.

Take a trip down the Oberholtzer Trail with a park ranger and learn about the night sky. Start in the Rainy Lake Visitor Center for an introduction with a ranger, Bring your own light and a pair of snowshoes, or borrow snowshoes from the visitor center.


 

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Last updated: February 6, 2023

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Voyageurs National Park Headquarters
360 Hwy 11 East

International Falls, MN 56649

Phone:

(218)-283-6600

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