Me and my kids have been doing some trip planing for 2011. Two of my kids really want to Hit voyageur national park ( I have never been there) in Jun. after they get out of school. I was woundering if anyone has been up there around that time. Sence it looks like big water on the map how is the wave condition most of the time? Also is it prutty easy to get camping sights or are there alot of people up there around that time?

Thanks,

Shane

I've been on Kab and Namekan, they are both big water. Recommend, at minimum, a 16 foot boat with a 25HP motor. Not sure about campsites, I've always stayed at a resort and haven't been there for a good 10 years. Seemed like houseboats grab a lot of them though.

JD

My Aunt & Uncle own a resort on Lake Kabetogama. Northern lights resort

They should be able to answer any questions you have about the park.

TB

Sorry should of gave a little more info. This is there plan/thaughts, They wanted to enter @ rainy lake Vistor center and work our way down to Lotten Lake (three protage). Here's the map info they showed me. http://www.nps.gov/voya/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=176302

quote Puin78thdiv: "Here's the map info they showed me. http://www.nps.gov/voya/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=176302"

map

Should be an interesting trip. I've thought about going that route myself. If there's any wind when crossing Rainy, better hope it's out of the south. Even if it isn't, all the islands should help moderate the swells somewhat. I would imagine the campsites on Rainy fill up fast - even in June. It's a good month for fishing. I'd try to get off Rainy for the first night.

We did a fishing trip to Rainy a couple years ago and I was pleasantly surprised. Campsite availability was no problem whatsoever. There are designated houseboat sites, as I recall. The rest of the sites are for anyone's use.

You don't have to spend time on big water in the park. If you enter crane there are great options. The crane lake gorge has a site, then there is a large group campground at the entrance to the narrows leading north into sandpoint lake. There is also a nice group camping area right on mukooda, an inland lake just west of the narrows previously mentioned. None of those are houseboat sights. Lots of great fishing and great day trips from those camps. You can venture down the river that lets out of the southeast side of sandpoint lake, or push on up to the bays of sandpoint into namakan and all the big water on the calmer days.

I spent a long Labor Day weekend on Kabetogama and Namakan. It was a fantastic time. We went in 3 kayaks and loved it. The paddling was easier in the early AM and Late PM. We did have vicious wind for two of the days, which got us a little wet, and would have been much more difficult to fight in canoes. Because there is more water than land in that area, the wind tends to travel around the islands, so it comes at you from more than one direction(we discovered this on a day we paddle 16 miles). We did have white caps in some areas, but most of the time the waves were managable because of the islands. The campsites are ideal, plenty of room, nice locations, level ground, and complete with picnic table, fire ring, and latrine. When we were there every campsite was full by Friday night, but that was probably because of Labor Day. This is definitely an area every outdoorsman should experience.

Only downside: Roar of boat motors all day.