Whether you go west or east, north or south, dozens of the scenic landscapes and cultural attractions of the National Park System lie within a day's drive of the Twin Cities. Here are several national parks, monuments and historic sites to explore.
Minnesota
Voyageurs National Park
Fittingly, Minnesota's biggest national park is about 40 percent water, with four large lakes (Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan and Sand Point), 26 inland lakes, several hundred islands and loads of other features, from the state's only profitable gold mine (from the 1890s) to some of the Earth's oldest rocks where the park sprawls along the Canadian border.
That makes it one of the more unusual national parks, too. You can't just take an afternoon drive to hit the highlights like the Badlands or Yellowstone.
"You really need to get out of the car and on the water," said Park Ranger Eric Grunwald.
That may mean renting a canoe or rowboat from the Park Service, or a houseboat, or bringing your own craft or joining a guided tour. The park has visitor centers at Kabetogama, Rainy Lake and Ash River, with motorized tours from the first two. Rangers do introductory paddling and water safety workshops, and dress in French voyageur costumes to tell stories from the fur trade while participants paddle the large voyageur canoes.
Anyone can car camp at the Ash River or Woodenfrog state forest sites, Grunwald said, but park regulars usually bring a boat and have a favorite remote campsite or fishing hole.
"If you're looking for solitude, this is a great place to find it," he said.
Lodging can be reserved at area resorts with water access to the park or at historic Kettle Falls Hotel, which can be reached by boat. Day tours of the hotel include a meal in its restaurant and tour of the property, including a comically warped bar floor. (nps.gov/voya; 1-218-283-6600; 278 miles from the Twin Cities.)
Grand Portage National Monument
Step back into the fur-trading era with a reconstructed fort, costumed interpreters, artifacts and interactive exhibits that let visitors try their hand at trading wild rice, furs and maple sugar for cooking pots, blankets and tools. The annual Rendezvous Days and Pow Wow (Aug. 9-11) brings together the cultures that made this trade possible: Ojibwe tribes, Scots and French Canadians. Don't miss a stop at Grand Portage State Park to see Minnesota's highest waterfall — which made the "grand portage" necessary so paddlers could make it inland from the scenic harbor on Lake Superior. (nps.gov/grpo; 1-218-475-0123; 303 miles from Twin Cities.)
Isle Royale National Park
Lake Superior's Isle Royale, accessible from Minnesota but technically part of Michigan, offers a rugged escape. Take the ferry from Grand Portage for day hikes or backcountry camping experiences. (nps.gov/isro; 1-906-482-0984; 303 miles to Grand Portage, plus boat ride.)
Pipestone National Monument
Spiritual and scenic, this southwestern Minnesota site has been used to quarry pipestone by hand for thousands of years. Smoke from carved, sacred pipes is believed to carry prayers to the Great Spirit, and American Indian carvers can be seen at work in the visitor center or possibly in small quarries. The Circle Trail leads visitors onto tallgrass prairie with colorful pink quartzite outcrops and formations such as Old Stone Face and the Oracle, as well as Winnewissa Falls. The Park Service, with the input of 23 tribal nations, will debut the monument's first new exhibits since 1958 in November. (nps.gov/pipe; 1-507-825-5464; 197 miles from Twin Cities.)
South Dakota
Jewel Cave National Monument
There are few places that can entice visitors with "cave bacon," a long, elegant drapery-like rock formation. That, along with calcite crystals, "cave popcorn," flowstone and clear pools, make the scenic tour or historic lantern tour at Jewel Cave worth the time. True adventurers, who must squeeze through a tight test space outside the visitor center, can opt for "wild caving" tours in a cave system that's considered the third longest in the world. The 200th mile was mapped last year. (nps.gov/jeca; 1-605-673-8300; 628 miles from Twin Cities).
Wind Cave National Park
Even more popular than Jewel Cave, Wind Cave has been a national park since 1903 and features delicate boxwork, frostwork and more within its 150 mapped miles. Visitors can stay at the prairie campground and choose among several tours ranging from an easy one-hour trek to four hours of wild caving. Reservations or early arrivals for first-come tickets are recommended at both Jewel and Wind. (nps.gov/wica; 1-605-745-1134; 630 miles from Twin Cities.)
Badlands National Park
If you've already done the scenic drive and a few hikes, change up a visit to this unique landscape with camping or spending the night at Cedar Pass Lodge and joining the summertime night-sky programs. With the help of park rangers and telescopes, visitors can learn about the more than 7,000 stars visible here. The park brings in experts and speakers for its three-day Badlands Astronomy Festival, July 5-7 (nps.gov/badl; 1-605-433-5361; 505 miles from Twin Cities).
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
The unassuming fenced-in area, with the Badlands as a backdrop, was never meant to attract attention. But below the surface of the Great Plains and a 90-ton blast door, the United States had 1,000 missiles with nuclear warheads ready to deploy during the Cold War. The site's small size limits tours to six people seeing the control room and the quarters of those who guarded the arsenal. The South Dakota Air and Space Museum in Rapid City also has exhibits from this chapter in American military history. (nps.gov/mimi; 1-605-433-5552; 501 miles from Twin Cities.)
North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
A stop at the Painted Canyon overlook off Interstate 94 offers a mere glimpse at the colorful striations in North Dakota's Badlands, a somewhat rounder and gentler landscape than South Dakota's version. Bison may stop traffic on the scenic drive and wild horses may be spotted trotting through canyons carved by the Little Missouri River. The rugged scenery shaped Theodore Roosevelt and prepared him to become president and one the country's biggest conservation advocates. (nps.gov/thro; 1-701-623-4466; 560 miles from Twin Cities).
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Most people can only hop on part of this 3,700-mile trail that follows the explorers' epic adventure from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back between 1804-1806, but its uncrowded stretches through the Dakotas along the Missouri River offer rugged scenery and rippling bluffs, plus sites and museums. Noteworthy South Dakota stops include Lewis and Clark Lake Recreation Area (a hub for camping) and the visitor center at Chamberlain. North Dakota sites include On-A-Slant Village, Knife River Indian Villages and a visitor center near a re-created Fort Mandan. (nps.gov/lecl.)
Lisa Meyers McClintick of St. Cloud wrote "Day Trips From the Twin Cities" and "The Dakota Off the Beaten Path."
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