National Geographic and Heart of the Continent Partnership Introduce Heart of the Continent Geotourism MapGuide and Website

Geotourism: Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and well-being of its residents Travelers seeking unspoiled places and culturally authentic experiences now have a valuable new resource in a comprehensive “Geotourism MapGuide” and website for the Heart of the Continent region. The landmark project has taken two years to plan and execute and is a historically significant asset for everyone who visits or lives in the region.

The Geotourism MapGuide, with its Heart of the Continent Mobile App, highlights the enchanted landscapes and enduring people of northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Ontario. It is designed to showcase to local, national and international audiences the natural, cultural and historic attractions that define the region.

Roll-out events are planned for the Heart of the Continent Geotourism Mapguide and website:

• March 19, 10:00 AM at Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota
• March 19, 4:00 PM at Grand Portage National Monument in Grand Portage, Minnesota
• March 20, 10:00 AM at Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay, Ontario

All sites and attractions that have been nominated and now reside on the website are invited to attend and receive their certificate of participation from National Geographic Society. The keynote speaker is James Dion, Director of Tourism Programs, Maps Division for National Geographic Society.

National Geographic’s acclaimed mapmaking and sustainable tourism expertise helped produce the Geotourism website along with the U.S. Forest Service, Ontario Parks, Voyageurs National Park, Fort William Historical Park, Tourism Northern Ontario, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board, Thunder Bay Tourism, St. Louis County, City of Duluth, Arrowhead Regional Development Corporation, Atikokan Economic Development Corporation and many others.

The Heart of the Continent area designated for the map stretches from the outer boundaries of Duluth, Minnesota northeast along the North Shore of Lake Superior to Thunder Bay and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, then west to International Falls/Fort Frances and south along St. Louis County’s western border, including communities and private and public lands. Since the project was launched in February 2014, locals have nominated for inclusion more than 400 of their favorite points of interest; historic, cultural and natural landmarks; events; artisans; and attractions that capture the region’s unique character and beauty. The website may be viewed at www.traveltheheart.org. Residents and visitors may continue to nominate new sites, events and special places for the website, which will be dynamic and constantly changing.

"The Heart of the Continent Geotourism MapGuide and website showcase what makes the region so culturally and geographically significant,” said James Dion, Director of Tourism Programs, Maps Division for National Geographic Society. “More than ever, this project underscores the importance of connecting the local trans-border communities, smartly sharing the region’s tremendous scenic, historic and cultural assets, and helping them thrive together for future generations."

The Heart of the Continent Geotourism MapGuide:

• Is one of only 22 Geotourism programs worldwide
• Showcases many of the 400-plus sites nominated by local residents
• Is a resource designed to improve local, rural economic development
• Provides access to a niche national market of “geo-tourists”
• Will grow with the addition of hundreds of more sites and events
• Highlights the resources of the region encompassing a major portion of northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Ontario, including communities and over five million acres of public land
• Provides a long-term resource for promoting the Heart of the Continent to the nation and the world.

"Heart of the Continent Geotourism partners see this project as a great opportunity to work closely with other groups to promote the region and its assets," said Paul Pepe, Tourism Manager for the City of Thunder Bay.

“The Geotourism strategy for the Heart of the Continent will strengthen the case for responsible, meaningful tourism by embracing all tourism assets uniquely distinctive to the locale. Effective stewardship of these economic assets will produce benefits in a way that encourages the type of investment needed to preserve our unique heritage. We’re thrilled to see the partnership that has developed with National Geographic and local organizations in this regard,” said Frank Jewell, St. Louis County Commissioner.

The National Geographic Society has worked with community-based alliances to develop similar Geotourism MapGuides and websites in other regions around the world. Geotourism MapGuide projects have been completed or are ongoing including in the Central Cascades (Oregon, Washington), Four Corners (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah), Greater Yellowstone (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming), Lakes to Locks Passage (New York, Quebec), Newfoundland, Portugal’s Douro Valley, Redwood Coast (California), Sierra Nevada (California, Nevada), and the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia-Herzagovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia.)

Founded in 1915 as the Map Department of the National Geographic Society, National Geographic Maps is responsible for illustrating the world around us through the art and science of mapmaking. Today, National Geographic Maps continues this mission by creating the world’s best wall maps, outdoor recreation maps, travel maps, atlases and globes that inspire people to care about and explore their world. For more information, visit natgeomaps.com.

CONTACT:

Chris Stromberg

HOCP Coordinator

807 598-1074

HOCP@heartofthecontinent.org RESOURCES

http://www.HeartoftheContinent.org

Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report - Mar. 4, 2015

All trails remain open and in good condition. Due to wolf interaction, short sections of the Green and Yellow Trails on Namakan Lake near the Moose River Grade have been closed and rerouted. The Green Trail Reroute is now staked and groomed from the closure on Namakan Lake to the connection of the Yellow Trail (Kettle Falls) and Orange Trail (Rudder Bay). The trail reroute follows the south side of Namakan Island to near Cemetery Island and the Green, Yellow, and Orange Trail junctions.

Park staff will monitor the cause of the temporary closures, and the closures will remain in place until conditions change or the winter season ends.

Due to high winds, snow drifts are widespread. Lake surface conditions are considered rough. Riders should use caution both on and off the trails.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Yellow Trail Highlight & Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report - Feb. 25, 2015

Today’s snowmobile trail spotlight is the Yellow Trail, which extends from Ash River to Kettle Falls. A short ride from Ash River on the Green Trail over the Moose River Portage, the Yellow Trail begins. Sledding north on the trail brings the rider close to several past residences on Namakan Lake. Visitor Destination I.W. Stevens’ Pine Cove Resort preserves several structures from this notable Namakan Lake bachelor. The trail swings around the north side of Kubel Island where mail order bride Lydia Torrey lived for decades after her husband passed away in a drowning accident.

Just north of Kubel Island, the trail moves inland due to thin ice along the waterways. Thin ice is common in the areas of Old Dutch Bay and Blind Indian, Voyageurs and Squirrel Narrows, as well as near the Kettle Falls Dam. It is recommended to remain on the trail in these areas, and to always use caution whenever anyone suspects thin ice.

The Yellow Trail emerges briefly on Mica Bay, which passes Mica Island, where a short-lived mining operation, never profitable, extracted large sheets of Mica. As Mica is heat resistant and transparent in thin sheets, it was used in electrical conductors and woodstove windows until cheaper modern materials replaced it. The mines are now flooded and currently covered in snow.

After another ride through the forest, the Purple Trail junction awaits, which spurs to Rainy Lake. The Yellow Trail continues for a short distance and ends at the hibernating Kettle Falls Dam and Hotel. Winter solitude, quiet, and beauty grace the landscape. Be sure to spend some time at the overlook--if the sun should emerge, the view can be dramatic.

The Yellow Trail, 7.5 miles in length one-way, offers much to explore, from woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife to snapshots of past residents. Dress warm, prepare for the weather, and enjoy the trails within Voyageurs National Park.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available on our website at www.nps.gov/voya.

All trails are open. Recent high winds have caused drifting. Use caution especially when off trail on large lake surfaces.

Snowmobile Trails

• International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed

Ice Roads 

• Rainy Lake Ice Road - Open to Cranberry Bay and around Dryweed Island
• Kabetogama Lake Ice Road – Open

Ski Trails

• Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• Tilson Connector Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• KabAsh Trail – Open

Snowshoe Trails

• Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail – Open, not packed
• Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open, not packed
• Oberholtzer Trail – Open, not packed
• Sullivan Bay Trail – Open, not packed

Have fun out there! Remember:

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

Oberholzer Trail Highlight; Voyageurs Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report - Feb. 4, 2015

Grab a pair of snowshoes and experience the 2 mile round-trip Oberholtzer Trail. Visitors to the park often hike this trail in summer due to its convenient location - near the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. In winter, the ice and snow cover creates a completely different trail experience.

The Oberholtzer Trail was named after conservationist Ernest Oberholtzer, who lived not far from the doors of the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. Ober (as he was known) built his home on Mallard Island in 1915. Years earlier, Ober met an Ojibwe Indian guide - Billy Magee and became fast friends. They traveled, by canoe, thousands of miles throughout the area and into Ontario, Canada.

After years of travel with his Ojibwe companion, Ober realized the area should be set aside for all to enjoy and spearheaded a movement to stop dam development in the region. Oberholtzer’s persistence led to the passage of the Shipstead-Newton-Nolan Act in 1930. This legislation, based largely on Ober’s alternative plan for the region, prohibited the changing of water levels in the Superior National Forest. It was the first legislation ever passed by the U.S. Congress that mandated wilderness values on federal lands.

Ober and the many other conservationists, with whom he worked, were successful in setting aside nearly three million acres of wilderness known today as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Many of his fellow conservationists would later help establish Voyageurs National Park.

After enjoying the Oberholtzer Trail, if you need a little more adventure, snowshoe across landscapes under water spring, summer, and fall; trek across frozen wetlands, across lake ice, and around the nearby islands for a unique winter view. On Saturdays, starting February 7, join a ranger to explore these different frozen landscapes, the history the snow shrouds, and the wildlife that adapts, survives, and thrives, during northern Minnesota’s winters.

The park has a variety of snowshoes styles and snowshoe sizes for all ages to enjoy. They are free-of-charge (donations welcome) and can be checked-out at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Snowmobile Trails

Pressure ridges, places lake ice has buckled or heaved due to winds or currents, have developed both on and off designated snowmobile trails within Voyageurs National Park. Pressure ridges have settled down but will continue to be monitored. Slush conditions have gotten better with the lower temperatures but pockets of slush exist off the trails. Trails are rerouted as hazards are found, but visitors are encouraged to check each pressure ridge prior to crossing due to changing conditions.

• International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed

Ice Roads

• Rainy Lake Ice Road – Open to Cranberry Bay and around Dryweed Island
• Kabetogama Lake Ice Road – Open

Ski Trails

• Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked – Pine Loop rocky in places.
• Tilson Connector Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• KabAsh Trail – Open

Snowshoe Trails

• Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail – Open, not packed
• Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open, not packed
• Oberholtzer Trail – Open, not packed
• Sullivan Bay Trail – Open, not packed

Need to borrow cross-country skis or snowshoes? They're available at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report - Jan. 14, 2015

All winter trails within the park are now open. Snowshoes and cross-country skis are available from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center (see details below). Snowmobile portages are groomed. Full grooming on lake surfaces will occur as ice conditions allow. Conditions on frozen lake surfaces are rough. Snowdrifts have frozen and create hazardous conditions off-trail. Use caution at night and during low visibility.

The Rainy Lake Ice Road is open from the visitor center to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island. The Kabetogama Lake Ice Road is now open from the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center Boat Launch to the Ash River Visitor Center Boat Launch.

Ski trails are open, packed, and tracked. Conditions are fair to good. Snowshoe trails are open, but not packed.

Please remember the snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and portages. The speed limit for the ice road is 30 mph.

When ice fishing, please remember holes must be drilled at least 50 feet from ice roads and snowmobile trails. To reduce hazards to snowmobile users, all ice blocks are to be immediately chopped up, submerged, or hauled to land. Placement of equipment or any type of structure must be greater than 50 feet off the edge of all ice roads and 50 feet off the centerline of all snowmobile trails. Written authorization from the park is required for individuals to plow greater than 300 feet on any lake surfaces within the park.

The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. During business hours, the visitor center offers maps, information, and hot cocoa. Visitors may borrow snowshoe and cross-country skis, but must be returned the same day.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Snowmobile Trails

• International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Open and staked
• Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open and staked
• Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open and staked
• Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Open and staked
• Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open and staked
• East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Open and staked

Ice Roads 

• Rainy Lake Ice Road – Open to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island
• Kabetogama Lake Ice Road – Open

Ski Trails

• Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked – Pine Loop rocky in places.
• Tilson Connector Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• KabAsh Trail – Open

Snowshoe Trails

• Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail – Open, not packed
• Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open, not packed
• Oberholtzer Trail – Open, not packed
• Sullivan Bay Trail – Open, not packed

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice & Trail Conditions Report - Jan. 7, 2014

Recent snowfall has allowed for good progress on opening trails throughout the park. Use caution off trail; ice ridges have been active, and high winds over the past few days have created snowdrifts, currently soft, on the lake surface. Some snowmobile trails still remain closed, but progress is moving quickly to open them as ice conditions allow. The Rainy Lake Ice Road is now open from the visitor center to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island. The Kabetogama Lake Ice Road is now open from the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center Boat Launch to the Ash River Visitor Center Boat Launch. Ski trails are open, packed, and tracked. Snowshoe trails are open, but not packed.

Please remember the snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and portages. The speed limit for the ice road is 30 mph.

When ice fishing, please remember holes must be drilled at least 50 feet from ice roads and snowmobile trails.

The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. During business hours, the visitor center offers maps, information, and hot cocoa. Snowshoe and cross-country skis loans have started for the season.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Snowmobile Trails

• International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Closed
• Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open and staked
• Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open and staked
• Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Closed
• Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open and staked
• East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Closed

Ice Roads

• Rainy Lake Ice Road - Open to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island
• Kabetogama Lake Ice Road - Open

Ski Trails

• Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• Tilson Connector Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• KabAsh Trail – Open

Snowshoe Trails

• Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail – Open, not packed
• Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open, not packed
• Oberholtzer Trail – Open, not packed
• Sullivan Bay Trail – Open, not packed

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report - Dec. 24, 2014

Changing temperature conditions and lack of snow cover continue to slow winter trail progress. The green trail from Rainy Lake/Franks Bay to Kabetogama Lake/Crane Lake is open and staked. Lake ice and overland portages have minimal snow cover with standing water and slush along the trail and portages. Conditions are poor on both the lake and portages. Use caution while traveling along the trail system. All other snowmobile trails are closed at this time, but ice checking and portage clearing continues. Please remember the snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and portages.

Ski trails do not have significant snow accumulation to allow grooming at this time. Snowshoe trails are open, but not packed, and snow accumulation is poor.

The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is closed on Thursday and Friday, December 25-26, for the Christmas holiday. New hours begin on Saturday, December 27, 2014, open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. During business hours, the visitor center offers maps, information, and hot cocoa. Snowshoe and cross-country ski loans have not started for the season.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available on the park's website at www.nps.gov/voya.

Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report for December 17, 2014

Changing temperature conditions and lack of snow cover have slowed winter trail progress. The green trail from Rainy Lake/Franks Bay to Kabetogama Lake/Crane Lake is open and staked. Lake ice and overland portages have minimal snow cover, causing slick lake surfaces and rough portages. Use caution while traveling along the trail system. All other snowmobile trails are closed at this time, but ice checking and portage clearing continues. Please remember the snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and portages.

Ski trails do not have significant snow accumulation to allow grooming at this time. Snowshoe trails are open, but not packed, and snow accumulation is poor.

The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. During business hours, the visitor center offers maps, information, and hot cocoa. Snowshoe loans and cross-country ski rentals have not started for the season.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Photo by Shelly Morin

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

While the weather outside might be frightful, the ice making has been delightful! Maintenance and LE Rangers have been checking ice over the last week and posting thin ice signs. The Green Trail from Franks Bay to the Ash River Visitor Center was staked today and is now open.

Check the weekly trail report and the park website for the most up to date information and conditions. Reminder that the speed limit in the park is 25 mph on land portages and 45 mph on lake surfaces.

Thank You for a Successful Give to the Max Day!

I wanted to take a moment and share my sincere gratitude with you. On Give to the Max Day, you gave a total of $7,357 online, winning us a $6,000 matching grant from a very generous donor. We also received $5,131 in checks! That makes a total of $18,488 raised by you during this special day of giving.

We couldn't have accomplished this without the support of a wonderful community of people who care deeply about Voyageurs National Park.

Your generosity will provide the opportunity for more young people to experience the park through our National Park Teen Ambassador Program. You have made it possible for us to double the number of volunteers who support the park next year. And you are helping us to protect this special place, so that it can be enjoyed by generations of Minnesota families.

I want to recognize and thank each of you who has made a gift, volunteered, mentioned our work to a friend, or shared your photographs of the park with us. We could not do this work without you.

Thank you so much!

Christina Hausman Executive Director

Guest Post: from The American Walkabout by Michael Quine

(Editor's Note: We enjoyed reading Michael Quine's account of his recent trip to Voyageurs National Park, so we asked him if we could share an excerpt with you. Enjoy!)

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - Henry David Thoreau

After years of ignoring their call, I revisited my once and future plan to trek through the U.S. National Parks, only this time it would take on an entirely different meaning. My intentions were to holistically improve myself and invigorate my own being. I did not want just a sightseeing tour of our country. I wanted to throw myself, stripped of societal comforts, into its beauty and harshness to see who comes out the other side (if I survived).

So with this new inspiration, I planned, with plenty of room for spontaneity, a year long sojourn through the American landscape of our National Parks. Disengaged from societal pursuits to set out alone and face the uncertainty guaranteed by the Wilderness. To harden both hands and mind and to not be Lost, but rather Found, in nature.

Following an eye-opening trek across Isle Royale National Park, the second Park on my journey directed me due west towards the "border waters" - a labyrinth of waterways on the US-Canada border. Tucked within this region is a waterlogged territory known as Voyageurs National Park. A park comprised almost entirely of an elaborate web of marine channels. Named after the brave men that paddled the waterways, carrying precious cargo of fur for trade.

In honor of these legendary men, I sought to authentically mimic their sea-faring strategy by loading up my kayak (packraft) with my precious cargo. Though instead of furs, I would bring back with me photographs and stories - even if all my photos from this park were taken with my phone (I did not want my camera to be a casualty to a capsize).

Despite bad weather and uncooperative currents, my experience in Voyageurs was more than just a corporal adventure... it provided me a glimpse into the inherit goodness of humankind.

Follow along to find out more about my Voyageurs National Park Excursion and the countless other adventures soon to be documented here. Maybe they may inspire you to visit the amazing beauty found in Voyageurs and all our National Parks.

www.thewalkaboutphotography.com

Secrets of Voyageurs - The Night Sky

It's a good time of year for reflection, so our staff decided to share some of the things that we love about Voyageurs National Park with you. Please comment and share your favorite stories from visiting Voyageurs with us! Voyageurs National Park is well known for its pristine lakes and big fish! But after the sun has set for the evening, and you've eaten a few s'mores, it is definitely worth leaving the warmth of your tent to enjoy the beauty of the night sky. Grab a chair and a blanket, and spend some time enjoying the majesty of nature.

Unlike at home, where the night sky might be harder to see because of city lights, it's quite dark at the park at night, so the stars appear brilliantly lit. And as you marvel at them, just imagine how the light that you are seeing from distant stars can be thousands, or even millions, of years old.

Experts recommend that you use a red headlamp or flashlight, since it won't spoil your night vision. It's helpful to bring a star chart with you, and you may want to use binoculars, but with the naked eye, you can see the Milky Way stretching out above you. (Here's how to find it, if you're not sure.) Sometimes, you may see planets, or the craters of the moon. (There are also many great apps for learning about the night sky on your phone.)

As you relax and enjoy the stars, you might glimpse a shooting star, (a meteor) as it streaks across the sky. These are actually small amounts of matter from outer space. As they enter the atmosphere, friction heats them up, and they appear as a streak of light.

Meteors can frequently be seen in the park. In fact, tonight, October 22, is actually a great night for seeing them, as the Orionid Meteor Shower will be happening in the early morning hours.

It's amazing what night sky photography has captured in the park, such as in the image above by Shawn Thompson. Here, you can see the stars as they appear to rotate in the sky over time (that's from the rotation of the earth). And if you look closely, you can just make out the colorful streaks of the Northern Lights (the aurora borealis) on the horizon.

Sometimes, at Voyageurs National Park, you can even see the Northern Lights in all their spectacular glory. We held a photo contest over the summer, and we were stunned by some of the images visitors had taken of these shimmering lights!

These lights, which appear to dance in the night sky, are caused by interactions between the Earth's magnetic field and disturbances on the surface of the sun. It's not possible to predict exactly when and where you might see the aurora borealis, but it is more likely when you are further north - and of course, the night sky needs to be dark and clear. Scientists also use the Kp index, which ranges from 0-9, to represent the level of solar activity that is happening at a given time. The higher the Kp index is, and the further north you are at the time, the more likely it is that you might see the aurora borealis in the night sky. The Geophysical Institute in Alaska provides an aurora forecast using this information.

There's another sky phenomenon to keep an eye out for tomorrow, but this one will happen during the day. You can see the new moon partially eclipsing the sun during the afternoon hours on October 23, 2014. Remember, you must use proper eye protection when watching a partial eclipse to prevent blindness or eye injury. Here's how to safely watch a partial solar eclipse, and the time when the eclipse will happen where you live.

Lastly, sunsets, and the night sky, are even better when enjoyed with family and friends. If you're visiting the park with kids, be sure to check out the Junior Ranger Night Sky Activity Guide (PDF).

Have fun out there!

P.S. If you love Voyageurs National Park as much as we do, please Save the Date for Give to the Max Day - which is November 13 this year.

Or, if you'd like to learn more about the park, and you live in the Twin Cities, come to our free event on November 6 - Antlers, Fangs & Fur. You'll enjoy Dr. Steve Windels' stories of studying moose, wolves, and beaver in Voyageurs National Park. The event begins at 5:30 at REI in Bloomington. We'll be serving hot cider and appetizers from Whole Foods Market until the presentation begins at 6 p.m.

Summer Boat Tour Reservations Available

Get an early start to your summer plans. Reserve your seat today on a boat tour of Voyageurs National Park!

Tours begin on June 15, and depart from the Rainy Lake and Kabetogama Lake Visitor Centers. For a complete schedule, visit www.nps.gov/voya.

You may purchase tickets today by visiting www.recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777.

Voyageurs National Park’s Campsite Reservation Program Is Underway

Voyageurs National Park’s new reservation/fee amenity program is up and running on www.recreation.gov. The 51 campsites on the reservation system are filling fast. Don't miss your opportunity to reserve yours! Here's how to find and reserve a campsite using the new system:

• Where it says "Search for places and activities" choose Voyageurs National Park.
• Select "Permits and Wilderness."
• Then, select the area you are interested in.

You may also make a reservation using the National Call Center at 877-444-6777. Just ask for "permits."