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travel<br />
Exploring Our<br />
Great National Parks<br />
BY Lisa Marie<br />
With over 420 National Park Sites in USA, across more than 84<br />
million acres there are 63 that have been selected by Congress<br />
as especially important. This month we explore six of the<br />
lesser-known National Parks and indulge in their sheer beauty<br />
and diversity. These are among our nation’s true treasures!<br />
COPYRIGHTED<br />
Voyageurs national park<br />
Voyageurs<br />
Straddling the Minnesota-Canadian border, this relatively quiet<br />
park has no entrance fees and no roads! With 218,000 acres, water<br />
makes up one-third of this natural wonder. You’ll leave your car<br />
at one of the three visitor centers but No car = No problem! You can<br />
navigate the 4 main lakes (Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand<br />
Point) plus the 26 smaller interior lakes by renting a houseboat,<br />
take a guided boat or canoe tour, a ranger led paddle, water taxi or<br />
bring your own boat. If land is more your thing, then relish in an array<br />
of wonderful hiking trails on offer. A taster of the hikes available;<br />
Cruiser Lake Trail is a tough 9.5 miles, but there is a chance of spotting<br />
a moose or hearing the howl of a wolf. Blind Ash Trail Park, an<br />
easy 2.5-mile loop takes you through the boreal forest, with exceptional<br />
scenery. The 2.5-mile Echo Bay trail is great for bird watchers.<br />
Binoculars are a must! Accommodation within the park is only<br />
available by water. Kettle Falls Hotel is the only non-camping option<br />
with camping (tents only) or houseboats as the alternative. One extra<br />
special sight that you might capture is The Aurora Borealis (Northern<br />
Lights), intermittent but a possibility. Visit www.nps.gov/voya.<br />
66 | may <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | www.<strong>Atlantic</strong><strong>Ave</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>.com