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Voyageurs National ParkEvergreen tree tops with a bright blue sky background
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Voyageurs National Park
People

Voyageurs National Park was established in 1975, but the stories of people who lived in this place stretch much farther back in time.

The first people to travel to this region came thousands of years ago, after the last of the glaciers had melted away and left this low landscape of expansive lakes and wetlands.

Many people called this place home before the European demand for beaver pelts brought fur traders into the region. The voyageurs, who paddled large birch bark canoes carrying trade goods and furs between the Canadian northwest and Montreal, continue to inspire the imagination of today's park visitors.

This landscape was also home to people that sought to make their living off the land through logging, mining, commercial fishing, and recreation.

Grey Precambrian schist with bands of white quartz, NPS  

Did You Know?
The rocks you see at Voyageurs National Park are older than those found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Last Updated: February 10, 2008 at 11:42 EST