A cooperative effort has been successful in providing funding that will again offer visitors to the Rainy Lake portion of Voyageurs National Park a unique experience.
The park’s water-based wonders will be more visible to many visitors with the addition of a new 49-passenger tour boat expected to offer trips within the park by 2010.
The $1.4 million for the boat’s construction comes from the federal government as a result of a cooperative effort, according to Raoul Lufbery, acting superintendent of VNP. That effort included letters of support from local governments for the park’s funding request, as well as support from other groups like the Voyageurs National Park Association, Friends of Voyageurs National Park and the International Falls, Ranier and Rainy Lake Convention and Visitor Bureau.
This support highlighted the need to offer tours and shuttle boat operations within the park. Without that opportunity, many visitors who do not have boats available miss out on what makes this national park jewel shine among the other parks.
And while this 50-foot boat will likely be used to offer scheduled tours of the park, Lufbery said some thought has been given to using the boat to shuttle campers to certain sites, such as the Chain of Lakes where they could stay for one or more days.
Tours boat services have been missing since The Pride of Rainy Lake, owned by Bob and Mary Hilke, left Rainy Lake nearly 10 years ago.
It’s the kind of service that the Hilke’s provided — warm, friendly and knowledgeable tours of the area — that left an impression with visitors to the area. And that means they may visit again or tell their friends and family about Voyageurs National Park.
This water-based national park is precious to all of us who have it in our backyards. Many of us have boats, or have family and friends that have boats, that allow us to explore and enjoy Voyageurs. This boat will allow visitors, as well as residents without access to a boat, to find out what it is that makes Minnesota’s only national park a special and valuable place to share.