What Is Grand Portage National Monument?
Grand Portage National Monument preserves eight and a half miles of trail from the European fur trade (1731-1804)!
What Makes It Beautiful?
Most of the Grand Portage is closed in by thick forest, so it’s not a park built for views. What it does offer, though, is a long, meditative out-and-back through eight and a half miles of lush green nature, with ancient cedars and pines, mushrooms and berries of all sorts, and, of course, the magnificent works of beavers, descendants of those lucky ones who survived the fur trade! It’s a gently sloping trail, interspersed with stairs and boardwalks, and sometimes disappearing altogether into a green carpet! The campground at Fort Charlotte is a wonderful gathering place in the solitude of this remote location, and so long as you come prepared with rain gear and lots of bug spray, you’ll find a trip along the Grand Portage to be really healing for your mind and soul!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at Grand Portage National Monument!
- Donate to the National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
The trailhead is at:
170 Mile Creek Rd
Grand Portage, MN 55605
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
Hike whenever the mood strikes you, but I’d recommend spring through fall!
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