Fort Charlotte Backcountry Campgrounds

• Camping at Grand Portage National Monument is limited to minimal impact (Leave No Trace) backcountry camping. There are two campsites acessible to hikers and canoeists. Each campsite is limited to 9 people. Camping permits are required. The permit system allows campers to reserve a campsite in advance. Careful planning is essential for a successful and enjoyable adventure on the Grand Portage Trail. Camping rules and regulations will be enforced.

Anishinaabe Oodena (Ojibwe Village) Re-creation

Fur traders constructed their posts near Native villages for survival and convenience. This re-creation of a small village at the NWCo Depot exemplifies the economic partnership between the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and the Northwest Company.

• Standing on a grassy area amid historical re-creations of birchbark structures. One, called a tipi, is conical. Another, called a wigwam, is larger and rounded on top. Scattered around the area are a birchbark canoe, an outdoor cooking area, a cradle board for carrying babies, and other household items of the period.

Canoe Warehouse at the Grand Portage Depot

Archeological and historical data indicate that a large building stood here, probably a warehouse. It may have housed trade goods and supplies destined for Athabasca country in the far Northwest.

• Interior of a historic wood building. Canoes hang above, suspended from the rafters and evidence of woodworking crafts along the walls.

Giizhikag (The Cedars)

Old-growth white cedar trees persist despite fire, drought, and logging along this section of trail. Known simply at giizhikag (The Cedars), the oldest of this group of trees were saplings when North West Company men and others trudged this portage in the late 1700s.

• A trail enters a grove of old growth cedars.

Grand Portage Highest Point

At 1,340 feet (408.4 m), this sign marks the highest elevation on the portage trail, 7 miles (11.27 km) from Lake Superior.

• A wooden sign set off the trail in front of the forest that reads: Portage High Point. El. 1340 Feet.

Great Hall at Grand Portage

The Depot at Grand Portage is the summer headquarters for the North West Company and the Great Hall is the meeting room. Here the owners of the company held their all important business meetings with their clerks in the far reaches of the continent.

• Inside the Great Hall, tables are set up for meals. One cherry wood table is for the owners and is set with fine china and crystal. Another picnic style table is set at one end with Blue Willow ware for the Clerks and at the other end with pewter plates and spoons for the interpreters and guides. At both ends of the room are fireplaces made of local stone. The four corner rooms hold exhibits. Clockwise from the north door: an exhibit about making a beaver hat, a gentleman's bedroom, an exhibit about a London Street showing products made from fur, and a typical trade post. In the north corner of the building hand hats and blanket coats (capotes) to dress up in period clothing for photos.

Hike Mount Rose

Mount Rose is a forested hill behind the Heritage Center. Two steep trails with stairs and switchbacks ascend a half mile to the top where a half wall protects a commanding view of the historic depot, Grand Portage Bay, and distant Isle Royale. Mount Rose Trail and Loop can be hiked year-round.

• Mount Rose is a forested hill behind the Heritage Center. Two steep trails with stairs and switchbacks ascend to the top where a half wall protects a commanding view of the historic depot and Grand Portage Bay.

Historic Garden at Grand Portage

The Grand Portage historic kitchen garden is located inside the palisade behind the kitchen. The North West Company operated its post here from 1778 to 1803. Many vegetable varieties grown in the garden now 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.

• Behind the historic kitchen and outdoor bread oven is a raised garden bed bordered by logs that hold the soil in place. There is no walkway around the garden, only a lawn. During the summer months, rows of historic vegetables such as beans, lettuce, carrots, beets, potatoes, and herbs grow in this bed. The garden is watched over by a wooden scarecrow wearing historic, fur trade era clothing. Large barrels of water and wheelbarrows are around the garden, outside of the bed.

Kitchen at Grand Portage

Look around this historic state-of-the-art kitchen to see kitchenware of the time, and watch staff prepare food on the hearth or bake bread in an outdoor bread oven. While you’re there, learn what the voyageurs ate on their journey and see what Native goods made it on the menu.

• Inside an historic building with a large hearth. A fire burns to coals that can be used as a heat source for cooking or baking. Along the walls and on the stone floor are iron cooking implements. Around the periphery of the room are historic kitchen items, such as tea service, spice rack, and wooden food preparation tables. In one corner are Native items: a fawnskin rice container, some birch baskets with wild rice and maple sugar, and a bison fur parcel. In another corner is a cool storage room with a stone dry well dug into the ground to access cold temperatures.

Meadow on the Grand Portage

During the 18th century fur trade, this was a grassy wetland. Today it is known as The Meadow. Many walked the trail in knee-deep mud, with only moccasins to protect their feet. Beaver activity in the area creates ponds and wet conditions, necessitating a boardwalk for contemporary portagers.

• A wetland of grasses along a boardwalk adjacent to dense forest.

Midway Parking for the Grand Portage

Midway parking for the Grand Portage. This 8.5-mile portage became a vital link in the 18th century water trade route from Montreal and the Great Lakes to the northwestern wilderness. First traveled by Indians, the Grand Portage bypassed a series of falls and rapids extending along the last 21 miles of the Pigeon River.

• A forested area cleared of trees to allow parking and access to a trail that leads into the trees. A sign reads: The Grand Portage. This 8.5-mile portage became a vital link in the 18th century water trade route from Montreal and the Great Lakes to the northwestern wilderness. First traveled by Indians, the Grand Portage bypassed a series of falls and rapids extending along the last 21 miles of the Pigeon River. During the fur trade, thousands of tons of trade goods and furs were carried across the portage on the backs of voyageurs. Sieur de La Vérendrye, David Thompson, Alexander MacKenzie, Alexander Henry, and other explorers traveled this route from 1779 through 1802. The North West Company held a summer rendezvous at the eastern end of the Grand Portage along these shores of Lake Superior.

Mount Rose - Once an Island!

About 12,000 years ago, melting glaciers formed temporary lakes. The biggest, Glacial Lake Duluth, submerged most of the Grand Portage. Its shoreline was 738 feet (225 m) above today’s Lake Superior. The shoreline of Glacial Lake Beaver Bay was where you are standing, 243 feet (74 m) above Lake Superior.

• A wayside on the side of the trail that reads "Mount Rose – Once an Island! About 12,000 years ago, melting glaciers formed temporary lakes. The biggest, Glacial Lake Duluth, submerged most of the Grand Portage. Its shoreline was 738 feet (225 m) above today’s Lake Superior. The shoreline of Glacial Lake Beaver Bay was where you are standing, 243 feet (74 m) above Lake Superior. Mount Rose was an island and Mount Josephine was surrounded by water on three sides! If a lake lasted long enough for waves to work against the shoreline, there is evidence left behind – beaches and bluffs, sometimes high above the present lakeshore. The gentle slope before the Great Hall is the beach of Lake Sault, which had a shoreline 8 feet (2.4 m) above Lake Superior."

Mount Rose A Story in Rock

The weathered outcrop above you is made of sedimentary rock, known as the Rove Formation, formed by layers of sands and clay deposited on an ancient sea floor nearly two billion years ago. There are at least two sedimentary rock types visible in the stratigraphy, or layering, you see before you: a dark sandstone known to geologists as graywacke; a fine-grained siltstone known as shale. Rivers carried these sediments to the sea, where they were deposited on the

• A wayside in front of a scree slope reads: "A Story in Rock The weathered outcrop above you is made of sedimentary rock, known as the Rove Formation, formed by layers of sands and clay deposited on an ancient sea floor nearly two billion years ago. There are at least two sedimentary rock types visible in the stratigraphy, or layering, you see before you: a dark sandstone known to geologists as graywacke; a fine-grained siltstone known as shale. Rivers carried these sediments to the sea, where they were deposited on the deep ocean floor by submarine landslides known as “turbidity currents.”

Mount Rose Geologic Ridges

Hard Rock Ridges You are standing on a ridge of hard, igneous rock with a 10-foot (3-m) crust of "baked" rock on top. How was this formed? Roughly 1.1 billion years ago, hot volcanic magma pushed up into cracks and faults in the existing rock bed, know as the Rove Formation, made of silt and a coarse rock called graywacke. The heat radiating from the magma baked the nearby rocks.

• A wayside along the trail that reads "Hard Rock Ridges You are standing on a ridge of hard, igneous rock with a 10-foot (3-m) crust of "baked" rock on top. How was this formed? Roughly 1.1 billion years ago, hot volcanic magma pushed up into cracks and faults in the existing rock bed, know as the Rove Formation, made of silt and a coarse rock called graywacke. The heat radiating from the magma baked the nearby rocks. Once cooled, the magma and “baked” rocks were more resistant to erosion. Millions of years later, glaciers and post-glacial lakes scoured and washed these hard rock ridges – called diabase dikes Today, diabase dikes form all the high points in the area, including Mount Josephine, while all the low points are graywacke. The Grand Portage Trail passes through a gap in the dikes." This wayside is in front of a view of a peninsula along the edge of a bay that illustrates these ridges.

Mount Rose Landing

This Mount Rose Trail landing is along the uphill hike from the parking lot to the summit of Mount Rose and offers a spectacular view of Grand Portage Bay.

• A wooden platform with a bench and bannisters with staircases leading up to it and up to the next section of trail. It is surrounded by trees with a view of Lake Superior in the distance.

Mount Rose Summit

The Mount Rose Summit offers a view to the east overlooking the historic depot and Grand Portage Bay. To the west, a gap in the landscape indicates where the Grand Portage Trail passes through the landscape.

• A wall protects a viewing platform to the east overlooks a recreated historic wooden buildings surrounded by a stockade at the edge of a bay. To the west is a hilly, tree-covered landscape with a visible dip, indicating the path followed by the Grand Portage Trail.

Mount Rose Trail Bench

This bench, about halfway up the hill from the Depot trailhead, is a perfect spot to catch your breath in sun dappled shade with a view of Lake Superior through the trees.

• A wood bench next to a gravel path, surrounded by trees.

Mount Rose Trail Depot Overlook

This Mount Rose overlook is at a low rock wall along the trail. From this viewpoint you can see the historic depot and beyond to the dock in Grand Portage Bay.

• A low rock wall marks this viewpoint overlooking the Historic Depot and out into the bay.

Mount Rose Trail Interpretive Overlook

Wayside with fur trade era quotations and an aerial view of the historic depot and Grand Portage Bay. A low stone wall keeps visitors back from the edge.

• A wayside titled: Grand Portage 1793, and reads: "All the buildings within the Fort are sixteen in number made with cedar and White spruce fir split with whip saws after being squared, the Roofs are covered with Shingles of Cedar and Pine, most of their posts, Doors, and windows, are painted with Spanish brown. Six of these buildings are Store Houses for the company's Merchandise and Furs, etc. the rest are dwelling houses shops compting and Mess House – they have also a wharf or kay for their vessel to unload and Load at." John Macdonell 1793 "The Grand Portage is situated in the bottom of a shallow bay perhaps three miles deep and about one league and a half (3 3/4 miles) wide at its mouth from Pointe aux Chapeaux to Pointe a la Framboise having a small island just opposite the fort about half way from one of these points to the other: on a low spot which rises gently from the Lake... Immediately back of the Fort is a lofty round Sugar loaf mountain the base of which comes close to the Picket on the North West Side." John Macdonnell 1793

Mount Rose Trail Junction

This bench marks the turnoff trail to the Heritage Center parking lot.

• A wood bench at the junction of a gravel path with a dirt path.

Mount Rose Trailhead (Depot)

The Mount Rose Trailhead is the beginning of a half-mile, uphill hike to the summit of Mount Rose. From there is a spectacular view of Grand Portage Bay and distant Isle Royale to the east, and the gap in the land where the Grand Portage trail passes to the west.

• A wooden sign titled: Mount Rose Trail, 1/2 mile to summit. The text reads: in 1793 when traveler John Macdonell first saw the North West Company post he wrote that "Immediately back of the fort is a lofty round sugarloaf mountain" now called Mount Rose. It still serves as a landmark to those who approach Grand Portage. A hike up the trail will provide panoramic view of many historic Grand Portage area features. The sign has an arrow in the upper left pointing to a tree-shaded path through a forest.

Mount Rose Trailhead (parking lot)

The Mount Rose Trailhead is the beginning of a half-mile, uphill hike to the summit of Mount Rose. From there is a spectacular view of Grand Portage Bay and distant Isle Royale to the east, and the gap in the land where the Grand Portage trail passes to the west. This is also the best aerial view of the Historic Depot.

• Next to the parking lot there is a gravel pathway between picnic tables that leads to a staircase where the Mount Rose trail begins. Two interpretive signs tell about the area. The first is titled: Bears! Moose? Red Squirrels. What Else Lives Here? and reads: What animals live in the forest and along its rivers and lakeshores? Were they here 200 years ago? A changing environment and the presence of people affect the lives of all creatures. During the fur trade era, many animals disappeared due to over-hunting. Today, the forests about with deer, wolves, and small animals such as squirrels and grouse, but moose are rarely seen. Caribou once roamed here but moved north, while cardinals are recent are recent arrivals. Coyotes are new too, eking out a living between wolves and foxes. Why is it a bad idea to feed wild animals? Feeding animals what we eat can make them dependent, less able to survive on their own, and more likely to stalk or attack people. The other, titled Boreal Forest, reads: Can you see the difference between evergreen and broadleaf trees in the background photograph? Two major forest types overlap at Grand Portage: the boreal forest, which covers the entire globe at northern latitudes, and the eastern broadleaf forest, where maples, white pines, and cedar are common. For centuries, the Ojibwe and other native peoples depended on forest resources for canoes, shelter, and food. During the fur trade era, Europeans relied on Native know-how to range far into the boreal forests to trade for beaver hides. Later, settlers saw value in the forest's timber, cutting vast swaths. Due to human and natural forces, today's forests have greatly changed from the forests of 1800.

North West Company Depot Gatehouse

In the days of the fur trade, a great variety of people passed through the Depot's gates to do business with the North West Company.

• A reconstructed fur trade depot fenced by an 11 foot palisade of pointed, thin, upright logs. Inside are several re-created buildings and a kitchen vegetable garden.

Pigeon River at Fort Charlotte

Picture in this location Fort Charlotte – once a North West Depot for North canoes laden with furs and now a backcountry campground. The fort no longer exists. In its place are two tent platforms. Many paddlers recreate the historic journey from what are now Voyageurs National Park or the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, stopping overnight at Fort Charlotte, then portaging to Lake Superior.

• A river passing through a dense forest.

Three Sisters Garden at Grand Portage National Monument

Because Grand Portage was a major hub of the fur trade, seeds and other items passed through en route to other posts. This planting style is thought to originate with the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) and traveled west with the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe). The Anishinaabe Oodena at Grand Portage grows an example as a teaching tool.

• The garden is outside the main palisade, across from the Canoe Warehouse. It is surrounded by a short, square wall three logs high so that the garden itself is raised. Sunflowers, corn, beans, squash, and tobacco grow throughout the warm months.

Trailhead for Gichi Onigaming, the Grand Portage

Today's 8.5 mile (13.7km) portage trail corridor can be thought of in two parts: the eastern "half" that passes through gaps and valleys to avoid the high rocky ridges and the western "half" that passes over elevated terrain to avoid steep slopes and swamps. The parking area at Old Highway 61 approximately divides the halves so hikers can choose the "exploration into history" of their choice.

• An 8.5 mile (13.7 kilometer) trail to historic Fort Charlotte begins here. This forest page is the most efficient path between land features to connect Lake Superior with the Pigeon River, bypassing several waterfalls. It was used by the voyageurs of the fur trade and others for thousands of years before.

Heritage Center

• Heritage Center
• Open year-round, 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 Center houses exhibit galleries about Anishinaabe culture and the fur trade, a bookstore, and multi-media programs. Ask questions, plan your visit, stamp your passport, borrow snowshoes (in winter), and more at the front desk. The historic site is open late May through mid-October.

• 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.

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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!

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. 

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Grand Portage Site Tour

Start at the Monument parking lot,170 Mile Creek Road in Grand Portage. See the Heritage Center and work your way through the historic site structures. Add a hike to the top of Mount Rose for a stunning view of the bay, which will take you back to the parking area.

Hike the Grand Portage Trail

The Grand Portage Trail (Gichi Onigaming) is an eight-and-a-half mile long trail between Lake Superior and the Pigeon River used to transport goods during the Fur Trade Era and for thousands of years as part of a larger trading network. It is natural pathway formed by glacial runoff and a popular destination for through-canoers coming from lakes along the border country. Hikers begin at the Fire Hall on Store Road or midway at old Highway 61 (County Rd 89). Reservations required to camp at Fort Charlotte.

Mount Rose Hiking Trail from the Heritage Center Parking Lot

This trail can begin at either trailhead. This tour is the steeper, more direct route to the summit. 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! Get a bird's eye view of the Depot or look west to the gap in the land where the voyageurs transported goods along the Grand Portage Trail. Learn about the ancient geology that brings beauty to the North Shore landscape.

Mount Rose Hiking Trail from the Historic Depot

The Mount Rose Trail has two trailheads. This tour begins across from the Historic Depot at the corner of Mile Creek and Store roads and can follow the Grand Portage Site Tour. This hike is available year-round – see which animals left their tracks in the snow! In spring, watch the leaves unfurl and the many wildflowers emerge. In early summer, bring your binoculars or listen for returning birds. The surrounding forest in fall is loaded with fiery color.