Written by Ellery McCardle, Voyageurs Conservancy Member and volunteer
Not many people can say that they live near a National Park. But for those who do, it can be the perfect backyard.
“It’s quite the treat. I love visiting National Parks and thought it would be so awesome to live near Minnesota’s only National Park,” said Mandy Fuller.
She and her husband moved from the Twin Cities to International Falls in 2019, and currently live less than 20 miles from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. During the summer, Fuller says she visits the park almost every weekend, and well, who can blame her.
She typically walks the trails and finds something new and interesting almost every time, but has her favorite spots, too.
“There’s a tree that has fallen down at some point in time at the Rainy Lake Visitors Center on the southeast end that I always find myself photographing,” she says.
Fuller says she likes to take panoramic shots, looking southeast toward the islands, from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center, and she’s on the lookout for owls and other critters. Her astrophotography won her 2nd place in last year’s Voyageurs Conservancy Photo Contest, with a photo showing a stunning view of the Milky Way.
“My husband and I went out around midnight on a comfortable summer night. There is a dock on the south end of Rainy Lake Visitor Center. I could see with my eyes the Milky Way and just had to attempt to capture it with that dock in view. I was also looking to get some airglow, which is a pretty cool phenomenon, and got a little bit of that in my photo as well,” she says.
Fuller only moved to the area less than two years ago, but already, Voyageurs National Park feels like home.
“When I was visiting International Falls a few times a month before I moved up here, I’d always end up at Voyageurs taking photos or to get some fresh air. It’s so peaceful there,” she says.
Whether you live near Voyageurs National Park or not, Fuller leaves us with a word of advice, I think we can all appreciate and put to use during our next visit: “Take a second and just enjoy the fresh air and the sound of the trees and wildlife around you. It’s quite amazing.”
“The park itself has so much history, rare wildlife, and an incredible ecosystem. All of those things are hard to find these days, and it would be terrible to lose all of that,” - Mandy Fuller
