Grand Portage National Monument

Activities for a Full Day or More

If you have a full day, you have time to see the museum exhibits at the Heritage Center, walk through the historic North West Company Depot, have a picnic along Lake Superior, and hike to the top of Mount Rose or a part of the Grand Portage Trail.

Birding on Mount Rose

From the Heritage Center parking lot to the top of Mount Rose and down to the Historic Depot, you'll pass through different habitats. Listen for Merlins and White-throated Sparrows, watch Turkey Vultures soar, and warblers flit among the branches.

Browse the Bookstore

A selection of books and souvenirs are available for sale in the bookstore.

Earn a Grand Portage Junior Ranger Badge

Junior Rangers have fun discovering history, while learning about why we need to protect the special treasures found in our National Parks. We need the help of all our rangers to keep Grand Portage National Monument preserved and protected for many more years to come. Pick up a free Junior Ranger activity booklet at the Heritage Center, discover the park, and become a ranger by earning your badge today!

Explore Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) Culture

Learn about Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) culture past and present. Explore the art and craft of the Grand Portage community with many museum objects on display, including tools for woodworking and gathering maple sugar, a cradleboard, a drum, beaded items, and more.

Half Day Activities

Suggestions for what to do if you have a half day to explore Grand Portage. Plan to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy a view of the bay. These activities take place indoors at the Heritage Center and Depot, as well as outdoors on the grounds.

Hike Gichi Onigaming (Grand Portage)

Several options exist for exploring the Grand Portage. From a canoe adventure starting in the Boundary Waters to a short walk from the Depot, this trail offers year-round options for hiking, portaging, skiing, and snowshoeing.

Hike Grand Portage Trails

Hike the Mount Rose Trail for stunning views of Grand Portage Bay and the Depot. To experience the trek the Voyageurs made as well as Indigenous people before them, hike a portion or all of Gitchi Onagamiing, the Grand Portage Trail.

Hike Mount Rose

Hike to the top of Mount Rose for a spectacular view of Grand Portage Bay and beyond – on a clear day, Isle Royale is visible! From a protective stone wall, get a bird's eye view of the depot or look west to the gap in the land where the voyageurs transported goods along Gichi Onigaming, the Grand Portage Trail. Learn about the ancient geology that created the rugged beauty of the North Shore landscape.

If You Have 2-3 Hours

Driving through? Stop to stretch your legs at the Heritage Center and Historic Depot to view exhibits about Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) culture and where you learn about a time when the fur trade dominated North American commerce.

Investigate Archeology at the Heritage Center

View archaeological artifacts from excavations from the 1930s to the present. Most of what we know about Grand Portage and the fur trade came out of the ground! Through excavations around the North West Company depot, at Fort Charlotte, and on the Portage itself, important information about food, clothing, equipment, the location and layout of the traders’ forts, and the very earliest native inhabitants of this area has been gathered through archaeology.

Learn About the Fur Trade and the Colorful Voyageurs

Voyageurs, North Men and 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. 

Participate in a Ranger Walk or Talk

Stop by the Heritage Center for a list of today's programs. Learn how to build a canoe, take a hike with a ranger, find out what is growing in the heirloom garden, and see what kind of food the men of the North West Company ate.

Snowshoeing at Grand Portage

Ask at the front desk to check out a pair of historic snowshoes for the day. Explore the snowy Depot area.

Stamp Your Passport During Your Visit

The Grand Portage National Monument passport stamp is located at the Heritage Center desk.

Visit Grand Portage State Park

Grand Portage State Park is the location of the highest waterfall in Minnesota. The waterfalls and rapids along this section of the Pigeon River caused the significance of the Grand Portage Trail bypass for canoe traffic. The wheelchair accessible mile-long (round trip) trail is available year round.

Visit the Reconstructed North West Company Depot

Boozhoo! Bonjour! Welcome to the Depot! In the days of the fur trade, a great variety of people passed through its gates to do business with the North West Company. As you wander the Depot you'll find three reconstructed post and sill log buildings, and four outside areas -- Ojibwe village, Voyageurs Encampment, dock and historic gardens. Living history interpreters and wayside signs provide information about the activities of the period.

Watch the Grand Portage Film

Watch the feature film - Rendezvous With History: a Grand Portage Story (23 minutes)