Grand Portage, Minnesota.

On our journey via the North Shore Scenic Byway near Grand Portage, Minnesota, we saw a sign that directed us toward the Grand Portage Heritage Center. Taking the detour, we pulled into the parking lot of a relatively new structure and found our way inside.

Inside the center, several exhibits tell the story of the relationship between the Ojibwe and the fur traders of the British North West Company. We spent some time looking at the exhibits not realizing the best part of this National Monument is across the highway hidden somewhat behind some large trees.

“Travel into the past to discover the present. Explore the partnership of the Grand Portage Ojibwe and the North West Company during the North American fur trade and the NPS today. Follow pathways into a distant time. Experience the sights and smells of a bustling depot reconstructed in its exact location. Hear the beat of the drum echo over Gichigami – Lake Superior.” – From the Grand Portage National Monument website.

The Heritage Center opened in 2007. The building houses exhibit galleries about Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) culture and the fur trade, America’s National Parks bookstore, and multi-media programs. a complete schedule of hours and seasons is available here. With some exceptions, they are open daily all year and you can even borrow snow shoes for a winter walk. Be sure to check the schedule for special hours and closings. For example, they are closed on Sundays from November through February. Specific dates are listed on the site.

Sensing there was something more than just this visitor center, I wandered outside and followed a sidewalk around the corner of the building to find a completely reconstructed trading center. There isn’t even a fee to explore the site originally known as Fort George.

The best time to visit the park is the second weekend in August when Grand Portage invites Re-enactors from across the U.S. and Canada. We missed the festivities by about two weeks, as we visited on September 2. There were, however, some docents on-site in a few locations that provided descriptions of the buildings where they happened to be located.

Inside the stockade fence, visitors can walk through the buildings of the historic depot including the Great Hall, Kitchen, Canoe Warehouse, and Gatehouse. The images below depict views of some of these attractions inside the reconstructed trading center. As I noted above, there is no fee to view the attraction.

The site is considered a National Monument rather than a National Park. I learned the difference between the two types of parks on their website. I had not seen this description before when visiting other National Park Service sites. “The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorized the President to declare by public proclamation landmarks, structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest situated on lands owned or controlled by the government to be national monuments. A national monument is intended to preserve at least one nationally significant resource. It is usually smaller than a national park and lacks its diversity of attractions.“

Grand Portage got its name from the necessity to traverse the Pigeon River between Lake Superior and the Ojibwe hunting areas. Rapids and shallow waters were not navigable along the route. For probably 2,000 years, native Americans traveled the path that parallels the river carrying their goods and canoes with them.

By the early 1700s, the French began arriving in the area. After 1763, the British used the centuries-old pathways to reach the fur-trapping regions of Minnesota and Canada. Today hikers can travel the Grand Portage from Fort George on Lake Superior to Fort Charlotte on the Pigeon River. Details on the hike and videos of sections of the Grand Portage can be found here. The entire hike is about 8.5 miles (13.6 km) and is rated Easy on the site, however the NPS site notes otherwise. The NPS site describes the hike like this: “The Grand Portage is a nearly nine-mile portage/trail that connects Lake Superior to the Pigeon River over land. The hilly, rocky, rutty route challenges even experienced hikers.” Check the hike information underneath the Camping information on the NPS page here.

Camping is not available around the site or at the trailhead, however, the Grand Portage Lodge does offer a small camping area. There are two backcountry campsites in the area. These spots are easily filled, so you should reserve well in advance, especially around the time of the August celebrations. There are plenty of hotels in the area both in the United States and across the nearby Canadian border.

From the fort, a small island is visible in Grand Portage Bay. The NPS website describes the island. “During the time of the French and English traders, it was called Isle au Mouton (sheep island); before roads came to Grand Portage it was Pete’s Island, named for commercial fisherman Pete Gagnon; today, it is simply known as Grand Portage Island. The island helps block damaging waves from coming into Grand Portage Bay, helping make it one of the best natural bays on Lake Superior.“

A visit to the Heritage Center and Grand Portage National Monument is worth a couple of hours for a self-guided tour. The price is certainly not an issue, and it’s only a short detour from the main route of the North Shore Scenic Drive. You can view this entire gallery on my Flickr site here.

Our next stop on our journey concluded the North Shore Scenic Drive at the Canadian border. We continued on our journey eastward through southern Canada, our next overnight stay would be at Thunder Bay, Ontario.

John Steiner