Grand Portage

https://www.nps.gov/grpo/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Portage_National_Monument Grand Portage National Monument is located on the north shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota that preserves a vital center of fur trade activity and Anishinaabeg Ojibwe heritage. The area became one of the British Empire's four main fur trading centers in North America, along with Fort Niagara, Fort Detroit, and Michilimackinac. The Grand Portage is an 8.5-mile (13.7 km) (2720 rod) footpath which bypasses a set of waterfalls and rapids on the last 20 miles (32 km) of the Pigeon River before it flows into Lake Superior. This path is part of the historic trade route of the French-Canadian voyageurs and coureur des bois between their wintering grounds and their depots to the east. Travel into the past to discover the present. Explore the partnership between the Grand Portage Anishinaabe and the North West Company during the North American fur trade. Experience the sights and smells of a bustling depot reconstructed in its historic location. See how it shaped co-management with the NPS today. Follow pathways to the past to imagine a drum echo over Gichigami - Lake Superior. Traveling northeast or southwest on MN Hwy 61 visitors will see signs alerting the approach to Grand Portage National Monument. A right turn exit lane or left turn from Hwy 61 at the Grand Portage Trading Post will take visitors onto Casino Road. Turn left at the first stop sign from Casino Road to Mile Creek Road. About 3/4 mile on Mile Creek Road, look for the large wooden entrance sign. Turn left up the short hill into the Heritage Center parking lot. Heritage Center The Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center opened on August 10, 2007 with a commitment to honor the area's history, people and culture. The building houses exhibit galleries about Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) culture and the fur trade, America's National Parks bookstore, multi-media programs. Ask questions, plan your visit, stamp your passport, borrow snowshoes (in winter), and more at the "Circle" (front desk). The upstairs of the Heritage Center serves as Park Headquarters. From Highway 61, turn onto Mile Creek Road (The road the Trading Post/Gas Station is on). Turn Left at the 4-way stop sign. Drive for approximately 3/4 miles and turn left at the large, wooden, Grand Portage National Monument sign. The parking lot is one way, please follow the painted arrows. Fort Charlotte Backcountry Campgrounds Two backcountry campsites, accessible to hikers and canoeists, are located at the Pigeon River (Canada/U.S. border) end of Grand Portage National Monument. Each campsite is limited to nine people. Camping permits are required and issued by the park. A permit system allows campers to reserve a campsite in advance. Allow a minimum of two weeks in advance for permit processing. Canoe-in, Walk-in, tent-only sites 0.00 There are no fees to use these backcountry campgrounds. Camping permits available from the Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center are required. You also may reserve a campsite by phone at: 218.475.0123. Pigeon River Scenary River flowing over rocks in a background of trees. Serenity pervades the Pigeon River at Fort Charlotte. Fort Charlotte Campsite Campsite near large evergreen trees near river. Campsites have tent platforms, tables and shade trees. Informative Panels Informative panels mounted in wooden kiosk. Colorful and informative panels welcome visitors. Informative Panels Colorful panels inform visitors about Fort Charlotte. Panels welcome and inform visitors about Fort Charlotte. Mount Rose Trail overlooks Historic Depot & Grand Portage Bay Stockade fence and log building overlooking Lake Superior Beautiful scenary welcomes Fall visitors to Grand Portage. Ojibwe Village (Anishinaabe Odena) Birch bark lodges among trees. The Ojibwe Village is located in the Historic Depot Seneca Sunflowers Canoe Warehouse Sunflowers blossoms in front of log building Colorful blossoms in the Three Sister's Garden Historic Depot, Hat Point Three log buildings with Lake and point of land in background. Fall is a great time to hike the Mount Rose Trail Historic Depot From Mount Rose Log buildings, stockade fence and dock near Lake. Fall is a great time to hike to the mount Rose overlook. The Men of the Voyageurs Encampment Voyageurs, North Men and The Montrealers made up the bulk of the fur trade employees at Grand Portage. These hardy souls would spend weeks to months in the wilderness transporting trade goods to remote posts either in canoes or on their backs. Learn why some were called porkeaters and how others usually did not leave the fur trade having any money to take home. Canoe on side provides shelter, 3 men relax on canoe, 3 around campfire. Stewardship at Grand Portage National Monument The National Park Service and the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa work together at Grand Portage National Monument to support, interpret, and preserve the lifeways of the Ojibwe people, including the historic values of the Grand Portage trail. The Band has long been involved in stewardship of the Monument, where tribe members play a critical role in management, landscape maintenance, and historic preservation. Historic photo of crew members of the CCCID. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. depot and lakeshore Invasive Mussels at Apostle Islands: They're Hardier than You Thought Lake Superior was once thought to be inhospitable to zebra and quagga mussels because of it’s cold water and low calcium levels, yet they have been found in the waters of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in recent investigations. What is the National Park Service doing, and what can you do to help? A map of the western end of Lake Superior, including Apostle Islands National Lakeshore The Historic Stone Bridge at Grand Portage National Monument The Stone Bridge is a representative example of the rustic aesthetic that characterized both National Park Service and Civilian Conservation Corps construction projects. The single-span Stone Bridge crosses Grand Portage Creek and provides important access to the nearby Grand Portage Band school and community buildings. This bridge is heavily used by residents as it provides a vital link between the two portions of the Grand Portage community. A stone bridge across a creek Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background The Porters, the Canoe Landing, and the Fountain Pose The fur trade drove the exploration, mapping, and early settlement of much of North America by Euro-Americans. Many fur trade-period objects and technologies remain at the Grand Portage site complex (site 21CK12), the Fort Charlotte site complex (site 21CK7), and the Grand Portage trail corridor (site 21CK6), bringing the diversity of fur trade life and routines into sharper focus. Rusty horseshoe with nails Civilian Conservation Corp Indian Division at Grand Portage The Commissioner of Indian Affairs under Herbert Hoover, concerned about the impact of the Great Depression on American Indians, suggested a modified Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) program be created eventually named the Civilian Conservation Corps-Indian Division (CCC-ID). The Consolidated Chippewa were the first Minnesota participants in the CCC-ID. The Grand Portage Band welcomed economic support because of a depressed fish market, their main source of income. Historic black and white photo of several men digging, using tools for archeology. Things to Do in Minnesota Find things to do and trip ideas in Minnesota. Pink cliffs in the background with yellow and green bushes in the foreground. Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center In 1958, the Grand Portage Band donated part of its land inside its reservation to the National Park Service to establish the site of the Grand Portage National Monument. Band members hoped that the new park unit, complete with a visitor center and museum, would revitalize the reservation's struggling economy and bring jobs to Grand Portage. A building with many windows above a lakeshore, nestled among fall colored trees on a hill. Historic Gardens at Grand Portage Many vegetable varieties grown in the Grand Portage gardens date back to the 1700s and early 1800s. Vegetable varieties from 200 years ago and earlier are still available today because Native American and early settler families saved seeds from their harvests to plant in the following year. The seeds saved were handed down from one generation to another. Historic gardener with two children in a vegetable garden Precambrian Geology at Grand Portage National Monument Rugged hills and boggy lowlands, shear rock cliffs, shallow incised bays, and Lake Superior, all come together in the highlands of Grand Portage. High hills contain cores of large Pigeon River dikes which support Mounts Josephine, Rose, Maude, and Sophie, and also create the highest waterfalls in Minnesota at Grand Portage State Park. A layered cliff face with trees in the background and a blue sky. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. Balloons Over Rendezvous Learn about an early Great Lakes traveler first made famous by his interest hot air balloons. A wealthy Italian nobleman and one of the world’s first aeronauts, Count Paolo Andreani made the first balloon ascension in Italy in March 1784. In the 1790-91 period, Andreani turned to exploration and visited the Great Lakes region, coming to Grand Portage in a birchbark canoe. A hot air balloon floating above the ground. Ojibwe Horse Visits Grand Portage Lac La Croix ponies or Ojibwe horses, known in the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) language as bebezhigooganzhii or mishtadim, stand only 14 hands high (just under 5 feet). They once roamed free in Minnesota and northwestern Ontario and are perfectly adapted to life in the north country. At one time they were community animals, serving as winter labor and wandering free to forage in the summer months. A black horse in a snowy forest. George Morrison World renown artist and visionary George Morrison, a son of Grand Portage, was born in Chippewa City outside Grand Marais, Minnesota in 1919, and grew up with the beauty of Lake Superior as a backdrop. He was the first Native American Artist to have his work recognized and displayed in the White House. A man inside a room, surrounded by pieces of wood. Ningiiwekiimin: We Are Returning to Our Land In 2021, connections were renewed between the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the National Park Service, but it wasn't always this way. Grand Portage National Monument and Isle Royale program managers echo the past and look to the future in this excerpt. THE GREENSTONE (2022) Article by Anna Deschampe and Seth DePasqual A Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa flag and US flag fly side by side. Plan Like a Park Ranger! Top 10 Tips for Visiting Grand Portage National Monument Advance planning can help you prepare for your visit to Grand Portage National Monument. See our list for 10 insider tips to make the most of your trip. Many people on a lawn in front of an historic building. Nagamowin Akiing: Bineshiiyag Gichi Onigamiing (The Singing Land: Birds at Grand Portage) A summary of songbird monitoring data collected at Grand Portage from 2014 through 2018. A gray, black, and white bird (Canada Jay) stands on a green conifer branch. The People Behind Northern Nights, Starry Skies The People of Northern Nights, Starry Skies is an exhibit featuring the work of Carl Gawboy and Travis Novitsky inspired by a WDSE documentary. Paintings and photos on display at Grand Portage National Monument's Heritage Center, December 10, 2022 - January 31, 2023 Silhouette of a man and small tree in front of a night sky showing the milky way. Now That Summer Has Ended: An Exhibit about Winter Activities During the Fur Trade Era Learn about the ways people spent their winter at the time of the fur trade - work, survival, and even some leisure activities, during the harsh, dark, northern season. A historic wood building with a foreground of long shadows cast by a stockade. Canoes of Grand Portage Imagine that you are approaching the focal point of the fur trade during its pinnacle around 1797. If you came from Montreal, you traveled from Sault Ste. Marie in a 36’ canot du maître (master or Montreal Canoe), following a route along Lake Superior’s north shore. From the western interior pays d’en haut (up-country) of Canada, you paddled a 24’ canot du nord (North Canoe) down the Pigeon River to Fort Charlotte, then trod Gichi Onigaming (Great Carrying Place). Inside of a birchbark canoe showing the cedar slats. Bull Boats During the Fur Trade Commonly associated with the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara, bull boats were necessary to cross rivers in the West. Weighing as little as thirty pounds and made from the hide of bison, they replaced canoes west of Grand Portage as essential transportation for the fur trade in a landscape where birch was scarce. Line drawing of two traditional hide boats, one manned, in a river landscape. My Park Story: Teresa Hahn Teresa lives and works in Grand Portage and is a member of the Grand Portage Band of Anishinaabe. In February 2024 she became the first Anishinaabe ikwe (woman) to hold the Maintenance Supervisor position. A person holding a chainsaw, dressed in orange, in a forest. My Park Story: Nate Meshake Meet Nate, who came to work at the Monument for the healthy work environment and the balance important to his culture. A person wearing traditional clothes, standing in front of a foggy bay. My Park Story: Two Eagles in the Heavens Gene Boshey works for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe) at Grand Portage National Monument as part of co-management and the self-governance annual funding agreement, which infuses valuable dollars into the local Tribal economy. A person with a hand resting on a traditional drum. My Park Story: Ethan Poulin Ethan Poulin came to Grand Portage from Thunder Bay about 13 years ago to live with his grandmother. Living in both Thunder Bay and here is, in the words of his uncle, two wings on the same bird, and describes well the dilemma of the international border within the traditional land of the Anishinaabe. He is working now as the Community Volunteer Ambassador (Conservation Legacy), which will give him resources to put toward education and a stable job. A person standing in front of a bay. Reflections from Lake Superior For 47 years, photographer Craig Blacklock’s artistic practice has been intrinsically linked to the interface of land and water in wilderness areas—most often Lake Superior. Over that time his artwork has evolved from large-format color landscapes depicting what these places looked like to increasingly non-representational imagery untethered from context—always with a mission to preserve the wild character of the places he photographed. A person wearing sunglasses and hat, holding a large camera, on the shore of a lake. My Park Story: Sofia V. Sofia Vanderlan graduated from the largest high school in Minnesota, Wayzata, yet was one of only two Indigenous students in a class of over 900. At the encouragement of her grandmother, who lives in Grand Portage, Sofia has worked five summers at Grand Portage National Monument every year since the summer after her freshman year of high school. Two people wearing traditional Ojibwe clothing The Current: Spring 2023 The Spring 2023 issue of the Great Lakes Newsletter contains articles on the changing ways we produce and look at data, staff changes, the field season schedule, an overview of a project to look at songbird data from all three Midwest networks, and a listing of new publications. A white page with a black border at the top and the words The Current: Fall 2023 The Fall 2023 issue of the Great Lakes newsletter contains articles on planning for the future of the Inventory and Monitoring Division, retirement and departure of staff members, a summary of the Western Great Lakes Research Conference, a field season summary from each of our monitoring programs, and a list of new reports and publications. The front page of a newsletter, with a photo of a dragonfly perched on hiking boot. Building a Bark Canoe at Grand Portage Birch canoes were an integral part of the fur trade. The technology was born of the boreal forest and developed by the Anishinaabe and other Indigenous people to navigate the area's many rivers and lakes. This is the process used for hundreds of years. Three people in historic clothing, paddling a birch canoe. Amphibian Monitoring at Grand Portage National Monument, 2015-2019 A summary of amphibian monitoring data (frogs and a toad) collected at Grand Portage National Monument up to 2019. A light brown frog with darker brown lines on its back clings to the trunk of a paper birch tree. Amphibian Monitoring in the Great Lakes Network Parks: 2023 Update A summary of amphibian monitoring data collected in seven Great Lakes Network parks as of 2019. A light green and gray frog sits in the crotch of a tree branch at the trunk. Mooz (Moose) The name for this iconic symbol of the North shore of Minnesota comes from the Anishinaabe word for the animal mooz (moose), which translates roughly to “twig-eater.” Among the Anishinaabe, who have revered and depended on this majestic animal for generations, it is a symbol of endurance and survival. Two bull moose engaging with their antlers Bat Monitoring in Great Lakes Network Parks, 2024 A summary of acoustic bat monitoring in Great Lakes Network parks from 2015 through 2019. A bat with large, round ears hangs from a rock. Bat Monitoring at Grand Portage, 2016–2019 A summary of results from acoustic bat monitoring conducted at Grand Portage National Monument from 2016 through 2019. Side-by-side photos of a little brown bat (left) and a northern long-eared bat hanging upside down. My Park Story: Volunteer Sam Gennawey Volunteering offers VIP (Volunteer in Parks) Sam Gennawey an opportunity to take an extended deep dive into a particular park’s landscape, history, and people. He talks about the honor to be selected to work at Grand Portage National Monument. A person in historic clothing talking to an audience. The Current: Spring 2024 Spring 2024 issue of the Great Lakes Network newsletter, "The Current," featuring science stories, a farewell, the 2024 field season schedule, and recent publications. Woman wearing a backpack and carrying a GPS unit and a compass wades through water and shrubs. Potatoes to Feed the Fur Trade Nearly every North West Company post from Grand Portage on Lake Superior to Fort George on the Pacific coast grew potatoes. The potatoes grown at Grand Portage were likely brought from Montreal, Michilimackinac, or possibly England as seed potatoes. A graphic of four grayish-brown potatoes. Barley Men Bere is a barley that grows well in colder climates near large masses of water, its rapid growth lends itself perfectly to the long hours of sunlight and short growing season of Grand Portage summers. Line drawing of three barley stalks. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. How the Birds Got Their Songs When the Great Spirit presents a challenge to the birds, one of the birds tricks the others and earns the prettiest song. Find out which bird—and where you can hear it today. A book cover with a painting of an eagle and smaller bird flying over a lake.