Minnesota's State & National Parks
CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?
Believe it or not, Voyageurs — the nearly 50-year-old subject of many otherworldly video shoots and surreal magazine stories — is one of the country's least visited national parks. We're talking 220,825 recreational visits in 2023, a sliver of what was seen in such deeply saturated destinations as Yosemite (3.9 million) and the Great Smoky Mountains (13.3 million).
Never mind the fact that Voyageurs is one of the only Lower 48 locations where you can spot the northern lights and set up camp on your own private island without going full "Cast Away."
Check out our complete guide to Minnesota's spectacular park system here and some of our favorite outdoor spots below. But first, take a look at this National Geographic nod and tell us you don't want to go to there...
A houseboat at Voyageurs National Park / Credit: Mary Mathis
Witnessing the Northern Lights in Rainy Lake / Ben Sunne
Pipestone National Monument / Paul Vincent
Hopping through Gooseberry Falls on foot in Two Harbors / Micah Kvidt
