A Weekend in Stillwater, Minnesota

I had never heard of Stillwater, Minnesota before this year, but we were invited to attend a friend's wedding there in early August. Stillwater is only 30 minutes east of the Twin Cities, but it's far from being just a suburb. I learned was that Stillwater is the birthplace of Minnesota, a historic town located near the National Scenic St. Croix Riverway (a unit of the National Park System) - and that it had a charming personality of its own.

Historic Stillwater Lift Bridge

The heart of Stillwater is Historic Main Street, which consists of three or four blocks of shops, pubs, and eateries, ranging from kitschy to ritzy. Many of the restaurants offer outdoor seating with views of the scenic riverfront. The focal point of downtown is the historic Stillwater Lift Bridge, which connects Stillwater to Houlton, Wisconsin. For someone who had never seen a lift bridge before (me), watching the bridge lift vertically and come back down was a site to see.

We walked the St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail, a 4.7-mile walking and biking trail that circles two bridges between Stillwater and Wisconsin's St. Croix County. We went counter-clockwise on the loop to avoid a steep uphill climb east of the lift bridge.

West end of St. Croix Crossing

South of downtown Stillwater, we crossed over the St. Croix Crossing, a new suspension bridge that opened in 2017. This new bridge was built to divert vehicle traffic from the aging lift bridge, and it has a few informative signs about its construction along the way. The loop trail was completed in 2020.

Looking north on the St. Croix River from the Crossing

The crossing bridge took us into Wisconsin, where we passed two trailheads (with bathrooms and water fill-up stations).

Wisconsin welcome sign is east of the lift bridge

Next, we turned north and returned to Stillwater via the lift bridge. The lift bridge is now only used by pedestrians and cyclists.

East end of the historic Stillwater Lift Bridge

The only spot in Stillwater that we didn't have enough time to check out was Lift Bridge Brewery, a local brewery that made a name for itself across Minnesota and the Midwest. We stopped by to pick up some cans to go (I also got some of their non-alcoholic sodas).

In short, Stillwater is a charming Midwest town for a weekend getaway. There are plenty of places to eat/drink and lots of shopping (and antiques) if that's your thing. The St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail is a great active way to see the city, and there are also sightseeing tours (trolley rides and boat rides) if you want something less-active. Unfortunately, Stillwater is a six-hour drive from Chicago, and I probably won't be going back any time soon. But I'm glad I got to visit!

Voyageurs National Park: Rainy Lake

Our trip to Voyageurs National Park was bookended by visits to the Rainy Lake area of the park, which is helmed by the Rainy Lake Visitor Center ("RLVC"). The RLVC is the closest visitor center to International Falls, and I think it is the most-frequently visited - I saw license plates from 14 different states in the parking lot. For the 2021 season, RLVC was the only visitor center that was open seven days a week.

We arrived to International Falls on August 1, and we had just enough time to go to the RLVC before it closed at 5p. We spoke with the park ranger, grabbed some souvenirs from the gift shop, and started walking the nearby trail. The Oberholtzer Trail is a short out-and-back trail, and if you do both of the small loops, it comes out to about 1.7 miles of walking total. The first quarter-mile of the trail is accessible, and the rest of the trail is easy. It takes you through the diversity of the area, including wetland and forest. Nothing too exciting to report, but a fine walk for a glimpse into the park's eco-diversity.

View from the Oberholtzer Trail

A couple of days later, after kayaking in Kabetogama Lake and hiking in Ash River, we returned to the RLVC on the last day of our trip, when we had tickets to a NPS boat tour to Little American Island. I booked these tickets about two weeks in advance, and by that time, their other tour, Discover Rainy Lake, had sold out. The Little American Island tour took us to an island that experience a gold rush in the late 1800s. We disembarked from the boat and got some time to walk around the island after a short talk by one of the park rangers.

Voyageur, the NPS-operated tour boat

After the boat tour, we rented kayaks again, this time through Rainy Lake Aquatics, and we paddled around Black Bay for a few hours. Our first stop was the Black Bay trailhead just across the bay from the RLVC. We pulled our kayaks onto the beach next to the dock, and started our hike from there. 

We hiked the Beaver Pond Trail (1-mile round-trip), and while we didn't see any beavers, we saw our first trumpeter swan in the pond. This trail was short and sweet, and there was something fun about knowing you are the only ones on the island. Bring bug spray (and mosquito nets) on this trail.

Beaver Pond

After the hike, we continued kayaking around Black Bay. We saw some turtles, loons, and a cute little mink swimming in the water. We took it easy on our way back to our starting point, and we enjoyed our last moments in the park on the water.

Rainy Lake seems to the be the jumping off point for many of the visitors at Voyageurs National Park. Its proximity to International Falls makes it a convenient place to visit. It is also the only access point that makes sense for exploring the north section of the park, nearest to Canada. But if you are planning to see VNP by car, Rainy Lake shouldn't be your only experience. Go to Kabetogama Lake for boating and fishing, and go to Ash River for hiking. And be sure to make any NPS program reservations in advance.

Voyageurs National Park: Ash River

Our second day at Voyageurs National Park was dedicated to hiking (and giving our arms a break after kayaking at Kabetogoma Lake the day before). We went to the Ash River area, where we were told we would find more diverse hiking trails. The Ash River Visitor Center ("ARVC") is 45 minutes southeast of International Falls. Note that the ARVC was only open from Wednesday through Saturday during the 2021 season. It was closed on the day that we went to that area, but the flush bathrooms next to the visitor center were still open.

On our way to the ARVC, we stopped at the Voyageur Forest Overlook, which is a short a 0.3-mile loop trail (not accessible). I think you could skip this overlook, as it was mostly blocked by trees. Then, we stopped at the Beaver Pond Overlook, which I definitely recommend for the nice view. The first part of this short trail is accessible.

Beaver Pond Overlook

The parking lot for the Beaver Pond Overlook is also an access point for the Kab-Ash Trail, a 25-mile trail that connects the Kabetogama Lake and Ash River areas of the park. After some research about the long trail, we decided to hike a 4-mile lollipop segment starting from the Beaver Pond Overlook parking lot. 

We seemed to be the first ones on the trail that day, as we ran into a few spiderwebs. Definitely bring bug spray on this trail. We even put on our mosquito head nets, and it was worth it. Parts of the this trail are overgrown, and our legs were brushing up against the growth. We also saw several garter snakes along this trail.

Cairn on Kab-Ash Trail

The coolest part of the hike was Blueberry Ridge (marked on the trail map as being the .08-mile section of the lollipop), where the forest trail transitioned to a unique ridge-top trail with cairns marking the way. Soon, we completed the loop part of the lollipop, and we returned to the trailhead the way we came.

After our first hike, we had a picnic lunch at the ARVC (there are a few picnic tables and a water fountain there) and then we hiked the Blind Ash Bay Trail, one of the most popular trails in the park. There are two possible starting points for this trail: the visitor center parking lot or the scenic overlook parking lot, which is a bit south of the ARVC. We started from the visitor center, and the 0.1-mile segment up to the scenic overlook was very steep (straight up, basically). From the overlook, the trail is a 2.7-mile lollipop, and it is a scenic hike.

Glimpses of Blind Ash Bay

There is some elevation change on this hike, as you start at an overlook and work your way down to the Blind Ash Bay (no access to the water). In the loop part of the trail, you find yourself among thick tall woods with views of the water peeking through. There is a nice overlook on the north side of the loop. If you only hike one trail in Voyageurs National Park, it should be the Blind Ash Bay Trail.

Overlooking Lake Kabetogama from the East

Like I mentioned, the ARVC was closed the day we went there, but a ranger at the Lake Kabetogama Visitor Center told us that Ash River was where to go if we wanted to hike. Boating is also an option at Ash River, but it seemed like fewer commercial services operated here, and most people had their own boats. The Ash River area was also without the handful of private resorts that neighbored the other visitors centers, so it felt more remote and lacking in food options. If you are planning to spend the whole day there, bring a picnic lunch!

Must haves for hiking in Ash River:

• Bug spray
• Lunch or enough food for the day (you can refill water bottles at the ARVC)
• Optional: mosquito nets

Voyageurs National Park: Kabetogama Lake

We spent our first full day in Voyageurs National Park at Kabetogama Lake (pronounce cab-eh-TOE-ga-mah). The Lake Kabetogama Visitor Center ("LKVC") is 30 minutes southeast of International Falls. Note that the LKVC was only opened from Sunday through Tuesday during the 2021 season.

Our plan was to rent kayaks for the day and spend as much time exploring the lake as our arms would allow. I thought there might be an outfitter renting kayaks onsite, but this wasn't the case. Instead, the LKVC had a list of commercial outfitters (and phone numbers) that rent kayaks in the area, but the two outfitters on the list didn't work out that day (Voyageurs Outfitters wasn't servicing LKVC, and The Pines only rented kayaks to people staying at the resort). However, we got a tip from Voyageurs Outfitters to try calling nearby Arrowhead Lodge, and they were able to rent us kayaks that day.

It turned out that the new owners of Arrowhead Lodge (as of 2019) were from Chicago, and the kayaks and equipment we rented were from the REI outdoor school near our home. It was like running into an old friend in a strange place. Mike helped us plan our route on the water and recommended the Navionics app for navigation.

Conditions were great for kayaking, but we didn't see many other kayaks on the water (mostly fishing boats). We tried to kayak in the direction where the wind was coming from so the wind would be at our backs for our return.

Voyageurs National park includes over 500 islands, and a lot of these are in Kabetogama Lake. We weaved through the Grassy Island Group and made our way over to Cutover Island.

The map below shows the rough path of our paddle, which began at Arrowhead Lodge (bottom left). We kayaked somewhere between 7 and 8 miles, and my arms were aching by dinner time (my husband's arms were fine). Neither of us had kayaked that much before.

After we finished our kayaking adventure, we decided to stretch our legs on the Echo Bay Trail, which is the only hiking trail accessible by car near the LKVC. We did the longer 2.2-mile loop (there is a smaller 1.5-mile loop available), but I would say that this trail would be ok to skip. The trail wasn't well-maintained, and there were several downed trees obstructing the path. If you do decide to check it out, definitely bring bug spray. Note: when a map says that certain trails are for skiing only, they mean it! The skiing only trails looked unmaintained and too overgrown for hiking safely in the summer.

In short, the best way to visit Kabetogama Lake is to get on the water. There are many commercial outfitters that offer boat tours, fishing guides, and gear rentals (make reservations!). If I had known how far we would have been able to paddle from our starting point, I would have tried to paddle to the Ellsworth Gardens or to the Locator Lake Trailhead. Maybe next time!

Must-haves for kayaking on Kabetogama Lake:

• Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
• Water and snacks
• Drybags for valuables
• Navigation method (map or app)
• Optional: boaters gloves (to prevent rubbing and blisters on the paddle)

Voyageurs National Park: Introduction

My first big trip in nearly a year was to Voyageurs National Park ("VNP") in Minnesota. If you've never heard of it, you're not alone - VNP is one of the least-visited national parks in the continuous United States, and even some Minnesotans don't know it exists.

I will describe my trip in four separate blog posts: first, this post will cover some basics of getting there and getting around, and the remaining three posts will cover my visits to the Kabetogoma Lake, Ash River, and Rainy Lake sections of the park in more detail. Read on here for some general information about the park in its surrounding area.

Fishing Dock at Rainy Lake Visitor Center

VNP is located a five hour drive north of Minneapolis on the Canadian border (which was still closed to Americans while we were up there). It is very remote, with no other major cities (or airports) nearby. The major industry in the area is lumber, and we saw a countless number of trucks carrying loads and loads of lumber during our drive.

In 2020, VNP had just over 263K visitors, which was almost a 13 percent increase from the year before (COVID effect). In comparison, the most popular national parks like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Rocky Mountain get more than 10 times this amount of visitors each year. We decided to check it out because it was within driving distance of a wedding we were invited to near Minneapolis.

View from Blind Ash Bay Trail near Ash River

If you've done any research about VNP already, you've probably read that the best way to experience VNP is by water, and this is absolutely true. Almost 40 percent of VNP is water (made up of several large lakes), and that's not including the hundreds of islands that are only accessible by boat. There are NPS visitor centers at a few different jumping off points: Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, and Ash River. There is an additional ranger station at Crane Lake, the most remote section of the park.

We briefly considered renting a houseboat to explore furthest reaches of the park, but we decided to go with an option that was more our speed - we made nearby International Falls ("I-Falls") our home base and drove to different sections of the park each day. This decision meant that we would limit our visit to just a small portion of the park, the portion accessible by car. Following, my trip summary does not include anything about the park area nearest to Canada, including most of Rainy Lake, nor the backcountry hiking trails that are only accessible by boat. Our time exploring the waters of VNP consisted of kayaking, swimming, and going on a boat tour; I will write more about these in the upcoming posts.

The three circles cover where we went. Lots of park left to explore next time!

For accommodations, we noticed that most of the lakefront resorts and lodges near Rainy and Kebetogama Lakes required a minimum week's stay, so we researched the various hotels/motels in I-Falls. We ended up staying at the Hilltop Lodge, which is a basic motel, because they provided air-conditioning, wifi, and free breakfast (small). I'm glad that we stayed there, though, because the owners are from Wisconsin, and they were very nice and helpful.

While our hotel was in I-Falls, we found ourselves spending a lot of evenings in the adjacent town of Rainer (less than a 10 minute drive from I-Falls). In Rainer, we found some good restaurants, a small brewpub with outdoor seating, and of course, an ice cream shop.

For dining out, we would recommend the restaurant at Thunderbird Lodge, the Rainy Lake Grille in Rainier, and the restaurant at the Cantilever Hotel. Thunderbird Lodge offers outdoor seating with views of the lake, and Rainy Lake Grille had outdoor seating and great food. The Cantilever offers fancy cocktails (no beer!), and while they were woefully understaffed during our visit, the food was very good.

Kayaking on Lake Kabetogoma

Other things to know:

• 80 percent of vehicles in the area seem to be pick-up trucks, and most of these are pulling boat trailers.
• There are no good radio stations in this area, unless you like country music or Christian stations. 
• My husband, who didn't do much research before the trip, said that he would have liked to have done some fishing up there.

All in all, we had a great time at VNP, and I could see us going back and increasing our adventure level, maybe trying an overnight kayaking trip and coming with some fishing gear. Or, if we go in a group, we might opt for a house boat and make it a party. See my upcoming posts for more details about how we saw Voyageurs National Park by car.