Things to see and do around Rainy Lake, Minnesota
Ranked #1,631 in Travel & Places, #60,740 overall
Rainy Lake offers Four Seasons of Fun!
The photo is from the Ranier Summer Festival, here kids ride the "Ranier Train" through town as part of the annual parade. The festival usually signals that summer is coming to an end and fall will soon offer displays of brilliant color. Fall also offers small game hunting and good fishing as walleye, crappie, northern pike and smallmouth bass all feed heavily to prepare for winter.
Summers are great in our area, with temps in the 70's and abundant sunshine. Voyageurs National Park boat tours offer trips to the historic gold mine districts, likely areas to spot wildlife and to the remote and historic Kettle Falls Hotel. There are trails to hike, bike or ride an ATV, photos to take and things to do.
Winter offers ice fishing, snowmobilihng, cross country skiing and more. Voyageurs National Park even makes snow shoes available to get out and enjoy nature. The landscape changes as a blanket of snow covers the ground and ice forms offering travel on the lake surfaces.
Spring brings special border waters regulations that allow for the latest ice fishing and earliest open water fishing in the state. Snowmelt causes our waterfalls and rapids to thunder with spectacular outflows. Watching the forest green up brings some beautiful and sometimes subtle hues to the forest.
Start scrolling down and learn more about International Falls, Ranier and Rainy Lake, Minnesota's Vacation Paradise.
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Time Travel???? (E = mc2)
As the saying goes, April showers bring.....
Here, shrubs along the Waters of the Dancing Sky Scenic byway are sprouting out in May of 2012. Incidentally, the scenic byway starts at Sha Sha point on Rainy Lake. The sign says "end of the road" but the signmakers are mistaken, it is the beginning!
Ranier Festival Photos
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Official events start with the "Dog Parade" here a volunteer is walking a dog in need of an owner.
Big Business?
4th of July, International Falls
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Color Guard leads the parade!
Pulling for Peace!
2011 International Tug of War
Pull! The Canadians pulled a little harder and won the 2011 event. This is becoming a quite popular event, with a rope stretched over the international border and teams from the US and Canada doing their best to best the other team. Yes, that's "Benchwarmer" Bob Lurtsema leading the charge, several Vikings volunteered to be part of the Celebrity Team, which included US Senators Franken and Klobuchar.
Jaunt with Jim!
Some 120 bikers descend on the area!
The group truly enjoyed their visit, which coincided with our Chamber's annual Crazy Days promotion and "Music in the Parks" so there was plenty of live entertainment for them. Many said they planned to return with their families for a more extended visit.
Field and Stream
Snowshoe fun photos
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Ron Wilcox breaking trail...okay, so I was ahead of him.
Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run 2011
Icebox Days-click to enlarge and rotate.
Five sisters make up a team of Runners for the 31st Annual Race, and they dress for the occasion.
It is me!
Think you would look good in a hoodie, they are selling for $44.00 S-M-L-XL and $46.00 to $48.00 for larger sizes. You can contact me, Pete Schultz at cvb@rainylake.org or call the Chamber of Commerce atg 1-800-325-5766.
Photo Essay-Fall 2010
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Whitetail Deer brazenly browse on the edge of town.
School days are back!
International Falls Schools, click to enlarge.
A little history footnote
The Backus building is named for Edward Wellington Backus, the man who developed International Falls around the turn of the century. Backus constructed a dam to harness the tremendous amount of water rushing from the Rainy Lake watershed toward Hudson's Bay. The volume of the Rainy River at International Falls is the same as the volume of the Mississippi River at Minneapolis. The dam was constructed in 1909 and soon, paper mills on either side of the river sprung up. The Minnesota and Ontario (Mando) Paper Company in International Falls and the Ontario and Minnesota (O & M ) mill in Fort Frances. If you walk across the bridge between International Falls and Fort Frances, you get a clear idea of just how much water is rushing downstream, and if you look, you will see water swirling around some of the rock that made the falls.
St. Thomas Aquinas Church was constructed with rock quarried from the falls during construction of the dam. In the photo below, the building is a little dark because of the bright back light from the sun, but that is made up for in the effect of the sun behind the steeple.
International Falls Bass Championship
August brings the International Falls Bass Championship, which is always a great event. This year, Jeff Gustafson and Scott Dingwall pulled in a total of 30.5 pounds of smallmouth bass in the two day event to win for the second time. The big tent fills every day for entertainment and the weigh-ins. 60 teams fish Rainy River and Rainy Lake for a day each, then combine the total weight of their catches. There are car shows, kids games, vendors, daytime and evening entertainment and more. If you'd like all the information, just go to their website at www.ifallsbass.com International Tug of War, July 2, 2010
Heave to.....
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stretching the rope over the Rainy River.
100 years of paper making
Boise Cascade's paper mill is a centurian!
A Busload of Fun!
The North Dakota Farmers Union scheduled three mystery tours to see some of what our Rainy Lake area is like. Traveling here, the group came along the Waters of the Dancing Sky Scenic Byway. The tour includes checking out Koochiching County with a drive to Littlefork and Lindford, then past the Grand Mounds and back to the Falls. Then it's off to the Koochiching Museums for a tour of the history and Bronko Nagurski exhibits. Mystery Tour?
They call this a mystery tour because the participants are not told where they are going or what they will see. The tour takes them through Ranier and along the south shore of Rainy Lake to the Thunderbird, where everyone enjoys lunch and the spectacular view. You simply have to drive to the end of the road (I like to think it's the beginning of the road) after that. A stop at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center for Voyageurs National Park includes a short walk on the Oberholtzer Nature Trail with a park naturalist. The tour then heads back to International Falls. All along the way, the groups hear about the recreation, history and industry of our area. The trips have been great fun. Wait, let me ask......
Is this all new to you? are you on a mystery tour?
Rainy Lake in Real time...Almost
- Rainy Lake Web Cam
- Courtesy of Island View Realty
- Rainy Lake Web Cam
- Courtesy of Rainy Lake One Stop
See Plane?
It is not unusual for float planes to carry people between our area lakes, which sometimes involves international travel. The seaplane dock is adjacent to a remote reporting station for U.S. Customs to allow for travel from Canada to the U.S. by float plane. For what it's worth, perhaps the best known and most popular airplane floats were originally manufactured in International Falls by Pee Kay Products. Minnesota, Dakota and Western
Railroad Buffs have commented on the switching engines used by our local railroad, pictured is a newer one with a fresh paint job. There are some that were made by the American Locomotive Company in the 1940's that the railroad set gets excited about. They are apparently somewhat rare, and clearly made to last. Some comment on the whistling sound of the diesels winding up, which is apparent music to their ears. Click here to read a fun feature on MD & W
- Journal writer Faye Whitbeck on Switching Engines.
- If you recognize the term ALCO, you have to read this! The link will take you to the Journal website, just search for switching engines and the story will be there for you.
CBS goes LIVE
Below zero temperatures attract attention.CBS came to International Falls during a nationwide cold spell that brought freezing temperatures to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Here you see Dave Price and Robert Laforty posing for a photo after braving the cold for about 2 hours during the live shot.
See the link below....see what Dave had to say.
We get national attention!
- Cantore's Stories
- Weather Channel's Jim Cantore has several fun stories about Ice Box Days events in International Falls.
- Dave Price on You Tube
- Dave Price's live shot from International Falls during a national cold spell.
Holy Cow! as we might say around here.
“It's true what they say: "If you are not the lead dog, the scenery never changes."”
There is Moose! Where is Squirrel?
The photo is of a resident VNP bull moose and provided here courtesy of Voyageurs National Park.
Some Icebox Days 2010 photos
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Winter Recreations
Winter is a great time for wildlife watching. Raptors, such as this owl, will be out hunting. Whitetail deer, and a number of other mammals will also be seeking food and shelter. Snowshoes are a great way to check for wildlife in a relatively quiet mode. It's very exciting to have a ruffed grouse that has been roosting in the snow burst out of a snowbank while snowshoeing. If you didn't know, grouse dive into deep snow to roost because of the additional insulation the snow provides.
Miles to Ride!
Wintery Scenes
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Smokey dressed for the weather
Winter Work!
Loggers do the bulk of their hauling in the winter when freezing temperatures firm up the network of haul roads. Those roads are commonly called "Winter roads" and provide great access to remote areas of Koochiching County. A variety of sizes and types of wood are delivered for storage in International Falls where Boise will use them to make paper. Some logs are chipped in the forest and loaded into covered trailers that are then raised high in the air to dump their loads. Check the photos below! Fall Colors
Stop at the Tilson Creek boat launch and you'll find a hiking trail on the north side of the road that takes you along the higher shoreline of Rainy Lake. Just off the end of the parking area is a sign for the Tilson Creek ski trail. The first part of the trail system will be through some lowlands that soon rise to provide the mix of forest habitat that gives us great splashes of color.
Another benefit of this stop is the fishing pier near the bridge. There is a good possibility of catching fish at this pier at any time.
Then there is the bike trail, which starts in International Falls and goes along the south shore of Rainy River and Rainy Lake all the way to the access road to the Voyageurs National Park Rainy Lake Visitor Center.
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Forestry Road framed with fall colors.
"The Voyageur" is Ready for Business!
Saturday, September 26, 2009, the Voyageur departed from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center with her first public tour of Rainy Lake. The new 49 passenger boat provided plenty of seating and deck space. It is a really big boat, and while it seems to be lumbering along, it is really going at a good clip.The first tour left the dock at 1pm, traveling past Rainy Lake City, out of Black Bay and into the channel. The Captain (John Romosz) took her east past Bushyhead Island so everyone could see the shaft remaining from a defunct mine, then rounded the island to the north and went back the the Visitor Center. It took a little more than 40 minutes and everyone got to gawk at wildlife, historic sites, other boaters, picturesque cabins and the general beauty of Rainy Lake.
The only drawback to this tour was the overcast skies. It wasn't really cool, or windy, just dark and gloomy. fortunately, the sun was out on Tuesday as the park service continued their free tours.
The 4:00pm Tour, Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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The Voyageur is underway, heading north from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center
Gold fever on Rainy Lake? Learn more with one click!
Sunrise, Sunset
Part of the beauty of Rainy Lake are the rocky islands carved from the Canadian shield, but the wide expanses of open water reflecting the rising or setting sun always makes for great photos.Beautiful hues of crimson and gold frame the craggy shoreline in the photos below. You can imagine the colors dancing off the water had you been there to see these scenes in real-time.
Fishing may be the most popular recreation on Rainy Lake
Smallmouth bass are gaining in popularity among anglers. The International Falls Bass Championship is a catch-and-release tournament that brings 60 teams of bass anglers to Rainy Lake and Rainy River every August.
Big pike can almost always be caught along the weedy and rocky shorelines along some of the popular bays, like Black Bay, Jackfish Bay, Cranberry Bay and Lost Bay.
Muskie are also among the game fish in Rainy Lake and lake sturgeon lurk in the Rainy River below the dam at International Falls.
The 2009 Bass Championship winners were Ted Olson and John Cann, who totaled 28.10 pounds of bass over the two day tourney.

John Cann and Ted Olson
want to know more?
check out all the information on the International Falls Bass Championship at their website, just google International Falls Bass Championship, or check later in this lens for a list of links.
Get the current fishing report
- Rainy Lake area website
- The current report on this website is updated weekly, and sometimes more frequently depending on conditions.
Learn More about our popular game fish!
Jason Davis had a great time visiting Rainy Lake
- On the Road with Jason Davis
- KSTP TV of St. Paul, MN features Jason Davis' popular travel and in this episode, he houseboats on Rainy Lake, visits the historic Kettle Falls Hotel, fishes and more. Enjoy.
Water sports?
Although there can be big stretches of open water on Rainy Lake, canoe and kayak enthusiasts find plenty of room.
Beaches on many of the islands provide an opportunity to laze around in the sun. No boat? No problem, just head to City Beach, just outside of Ranier. The beach has areas for volleyball or basketball, changing rooms, dock, slides and picnic areas.
Fun on the Water Photos
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Canoe on Black Bay
Where else are you greeted with a boatload of flowers?
The resorts on Rainy Lake offer food and beverage service and can arange guide service for a memorable trip.
If you need more information click on the big arrow link.
Get into the Swing!
Falls Country Club
- Click Here
- Falls Country Club is a short drive west of the Falls on Highway 11/71.
Archery Range Draws Attention!
Wildlife Watchers in Minnesota's Vacation Paradise!
- Birding and wildlife watching in the Voyageurs National Park Region.
- check out area guide books on-line, you will have an option to download two booklets.
Learn more about some commonly sighted birds.
Eagle Banding in Voyageurs National Park
There will be fireworks!
An international tug of war is usually conducted in conjunction with the two events. Our team gathers at the Pat Roche Access in International Falls and the Fort Frances, Ontario team gathers at the Sorting Gap Marina, a 1200 foot rope is stretched between the teams and the first ones in the river lose!
United Way Fundraiser!
There are quite a few nice driving tours around Koochiching County and a trip to the "Lost 40" is described in detail on a lens listed with many other links later in this lens.
Driving Around!
Ranier Summer Festival
Ranier Days
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Live Entertainment!
Icebox Radio Theatre also performs at the band shell. This group produces radio drama and comedy just as it was done in the golden age of radio, or should I say audio. Below is a clip for Icebox Radio Theater from the local Fox Network affiliate. A link to IBRT's website will be found below.
Helpful links
- Ever wonder how they came up with names for all the lakes in Minnesota?
- an essay examines the quirky and often redundant lake names in Minnesota.
- Towering pine dominate this point of interest
- It's a short drive from International Falls to see the Lost 40, here are turn-by-turn directions.
- Plenty of public land to hunt, or wildlife watch.
- Some information on Ruffed Grouse populations and habitat in Koochiching County.
- Minnesota Arrowhead Region
- this site will introduce you to the entire region, which includes Voyageurs National Park and the Superior National Forest.
- Come for the fishing, Stay for the Fun
- that's the motto of the International Falls Bass Championship, so much more than just a fishing contest, check their info at this wite.
- Voyageurs National Park
- Plenty of information on recreation within Voyageurs National Park
- Destination Voyageurs National Park
- This site has information on all the great gateway communities to Minnesota's only National Park, and the only Water-based National Park in the system.
- Icebox Radio Theater
- Great original productions from the Backus Auditorium and Center for the Arts. Here you will see video's and learn more about the history of this great local entertainment resource.
- Check out the High Falls on the Vermilion River, they are pretty cool.
- info on a short day trip from International Falls to the Superior National Forest.
- You can use land survey markers to figure out where you are!
- Markers and Section Corners tell their locations if you can read the data, here's a simplified explanation.
Learn more about the Voyageurs and the park.
You Made it this far!
I know you like it!
Can our area be described in Statistics?
The population of 56649 is 10,696.
That's #8459 out of all 42,305 zip codes.
97% of the population is white, which is 23 points more than the national average.
The average household income in 56649 is $37,868, which is $8,170 more than the typical average.
This contributes to the average house being worth $67,600. When the survey was done in 2000, that represented a difference of -14% from the typical value.
Men make up 49% of the population, and the typical age in this part of MN is 41.
Stats about: International Falls, MN
Population: 10,696Number of Households: 5,318
Average House Value: $67,600
Average Income per Household: $37,868
Elevation: 1,128 ft
Population Breakdown:
Love This Lens?
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Please tell me what you think
Anyone can comment
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RuralFloridaLiving
May 8, 2012 @ 7:19 pm | delete
- Loved the lens. That's a beautiful place you live in. Enjoyed the fishing!
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BuddyBink
Dec 20, 2011 @ 5:03 pm | delete
- This looks like a wonderful place to visit. Thank you for the tour.
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fugeecat
Oct 28, 2011 @ 8:52 pm | delete
- I used to live in Duluth when I was a child and we visited the International Falls area often.
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pajnhiaj Oct 25, 2011 @ 9:54 pm | delete
- Very nice! More ideas for my family and I to do around minnesota now. Thanks!
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Tipi
Oct 14, 2011 @ 4:44 pm | delete
- Traveling through your neighborhood and ending up with so many memories of growing up. I think us kids must have asked if we could go see Smokey the Bear every time we went to International Falls....and Bo's Dairy Bar, which is gone now, I always wanted to sit on a pink stool.
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SweetsFishing
Sep 14, 2011 @ 7:46 pm | delete
- I saw the blades for the winds turbine the other day driving on the highway! I can't believe how large they are. I need to make another trip to Rainy Lake soon!
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Annleecakes Sep 13, 2011 @ 2:33 pm | delete
- Thank you!
My Bob just finished reading your lens sharing and it remonded him of home! He has fished Rainy Lake many times and viewed many things you have written about, although he homed closer to Duluth. But, was born and raised in Minnesota.
Blessings.........Annlee
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Runnn
Sep 5, 2011 @ 7:15 pm | delete
- I can see a lot of interesting activities in this town. It looks fun!!
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aardvarkapparel
Aug 30, 2011 @ 6:36 pm | delete
- The tug of war looks fun!
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agoofyidea
Aug 30, 2011 @ 2:52 pm | delete
- This is an amazing lens. I am ready to book a trip to Minnesota. Thanks for the effort put into this lens.
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by PeteSchultz
My name is Pete Schultz and I work for the International Falls, Ranier and Rainy Lake Convention and Visitors bureau. The job has allowed me to experi... more »
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