Auto Touring

Voyageurs National Park is roughly 38 percent water, which means that travel here is almost entirely water-based. However there are a few places you can access with your car. There is year-round, drive-up access to the park's three visitor centers and boat launches. You'll also find several scenic overlooks that you can drive to: the Kabetogama Lake Overlook, the Voyageurs Forest Overlook and the Beaver Pond Overlook. Each of these scenic viewpoints is located in the southern end of the park off of County Road 129, also called "The Ash River Trail," along the Ash River Visitor Center access road. In the winter, new "roads" appear - ice roads, that is. The park's big lakes freeze so thoroughly that the park service establishes two roadways over the ice, open to vehicles that weigh less than 7,000 pounds. The Kabetogama Lake Ice Road starts from the boat launch at the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center and travels to the boat launch at Ash River Visitor Center. The Rainy Lake Ice Road starts from the boat launch at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center and accesses the shore of Rainy Lake proper along Black Bay. These roads may change in route or length depending on conditions. Some days they may be closed. There are free parking lots at all three visitor centers