Voyageurs National Park Association Information

Voyageurs National Park Association’s mission is to connect people to Voyageurs National Park, enhance the visitor experience, and protect the park for present and future generations. Voyageurs National Park Association (VNPA) was founded in 1965 by a group of passionate community leaders who recognized the need to preserve in perpetuity the lands and waters of the Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point Lakes region of northern Minnesota. They succeeded, and in 1975 Voyageurs National Park was established. Encompassing 218,000 acres, Voyageurs is one of the wildest, most scenic, geologically unique, and historically rich areas of Minnesota and the National Park system, enjoyed by over 230,000 visitors annually. Voyageurs is known for its amazing water-based recreation and camping experiences, pristine lakes and world-class fishing, boreal forests, calling loons, winter ice roads, and starry skies. Today, VNPA serves as the park’s nonprofit partner, working to connect people to the park through education and outreach efforts, and to protect Voyageurs through advocacy and conservation initiatives. Recently, with support from our members and partners, VNPA: - Received a National Park Service Director’s Partnership Award and two NPS Midwest Region Champion Awards. - Empowered our 130th Minnesota high school student through the National Park Teen Ambassador program. - Helped launch a multi­-year wetland restoration initiative that will restore biodiversity for healthy fish and waterfowl habitats. - ­Leveraged $20,000 in federal funds with private philanthropy to rehabilitate the Cruiser Lake Trail. - Sponsored community listening sessions and a leadership retreat to develop the park's 5-year priorities. - Connected over 2,000 Minnesota students to the park through classroom presentations and field trip grants. - Funded important science like a wildlife researcher and a hydrology study on the impacts of sulfide mine development in the park’s watershed.