Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. It was established in 1975. The park's name commemorates the voyageurs, French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequently travel through the area. Voyageurs National Park lies within the heart of the North American Continent. Here you can see and touch rocks half as old as the world, experience the life of a voyageur, immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of a boreal forest, view the dark skies, or ply the interconnected water routes. The late-summer months of August and September are often the best time of year to explore the park's hiking trails. The weather is often warm and pleasant, and the biting insects have mostly gone away. The long northern winter provides ample time for outdoor enthusiasts to ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, and ice fish in the park. The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open year round and offers cross-country ski rentals and a snowshoe loan program during the winter months. Naturalist programs are also offered during the fall, winter and spring months at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. Spring is a time of transition. As winter snow and ice melts, the lakes open up the way for boaters to begin exploring the interconnected waters of the park again. Summer brings many water loving people to the park for houseboating, fishing, kayaking and canoeing the interconnected waterways here. All three visitor centers are open daily and boat tours and naturalist programs are offered throughout the summer. Canoes and rowboats are available for rent on the Kabetogama Penninsula interior lakes through the Boats on Interior Lakes (BOIL) Program. Inquire at any visitor center.