Voyageurs National Park  Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota was established in 1975. The park's name honors the “voyageurs”, or French-Canadian fur traders who first European settlers explore the isolated wilderness. The parks 4 major lakes, combined with rocks between 1 and 3 billion years old, make this park popular amongst kayakers and fishermen, in-fact the park’s primary access is via water. European demand for beaver pelts brought fur traders into the region and later settlers used the area for logging, mining, and fishing resources. The isolation of the park provides some of the best conditions to watch the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis. Popular sites within the park include Ash River, Ellsworth Rock Gardens, Kettle Falls, Kabetogama Lake and Rainy Lake which straddles the Canadian border.