- VISITATION:
- Highest in July and August; lowest in May and October.
- .
- LOCATION:
- Grand Portage, Minnesota
- ADDRESS:
- P.O. Box 668
315 South Broadway
Grand Marais, Minnesota, 55604
- TELEPHONE:
- (218) 387-2788 (TDD) or (218) 387-2790 (FAX)
- OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS:
- Monument grounds, trails and the Grand Portage are open year-
round. The reconstructed stockade and buildings are open mid-May
to mid-October, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:
- Weather conditions change frequently, due to the site's
location on the north shore of Lake Superior. Cool lake breezes
are common during the spring, summer and fall, with frequent
periods of rain as well as occasional sunny days. Summer
temperatures range from the mid 80's to low 90's, but are usually
10 to 15 degrees cooler by the lake. Winters are generally very
cold and windy, with consecutive days of sub-zero temperatures.
Average annual snowfall for the immediate area is about 100
inches.
- DIRECTIONS:
- Monument headquarters is located in the U.S. Coast Guard
Building in Grand Marais, Minnesota, approximately 36 miles west
of Grand Portage.
Grand Portage National Monument is located in the Grand Portage
Reservation. Visitors traveling east/north along Minnesota State
Highway 61 can follow National Park Service signs along the highway.
The site is located approximately one mile south of Minnesota Highway
61 in the community of Grand Portage. Signs are also located to the
north/east of Grand Portage for visitors traveling south/west on
Minnesota State Highway 61. The Monument is located seven miles from
the Canadian border.
- TRANSPORTATION:
- Regional bus service is available between Duluth, Minnesota,
and Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, through Grand Portage.
- FEES, COSTS, RATES:
- The entrance fee is $2.00 per person for those 17 through 61
years of age, with a maximum of $5.00 per family. Federal access
passes are sold and accepted (i.e., Golden Age, Golden Access and
Golden Eagle). Voluntary donations are accepted.
- FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
Visitor Center/Exhibits:
- No visitor center on site. The reconstructed historic
buildings have been furnished in the time period of the late
1700's. They contain static interpretive displays as well as
hands-on exhibits. Video programs are presented throughout the
day and are open-captioned.
- Programs/Activities:
- Regularly scheduled, conducted interpretive programs are
presented at the stockade mid-June through Labor Day. Topics and
times vary throughout the week. Subjects for the programs
include historic cooking and baking, Native American craft
demonstrations, historic musket firing and walking tours. Times
and locations are posted on-site.
An annual special event, Rendezvous Days, is a re-creation of the
historic fur trade rendezvous held at Grand Portage. The event
includes historic demonstrations and activities for both the
public and historically costumed re-enactors. The event is free,
and its held the second weekend of August. The Grand Portage
Band of Minnesota Chippewa also sponsor a traditional American
Indian Pow Wow in conjunction with Rendezvous Days.
- Lodging and camping facilities:
- Primitive camping is permitted in the monument at Fort
Charlotte, at the western end of the Grand Portage. There is no
charge for backcountry camping, but a permit is required which
can be obtained at registration boxes located along the Grand
Portage, or at the on-site ranger office. No other camping is
permitted within the monument. Lodging is available at nearby
resorts, or at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino. Adjacent to
the historic stockade is a picnic area located along Grand
Portage Bay.
- Food/supplies:
- Food and supply items can be obtained at two local
restaurants and a small grocery store.
- Other Concessions/NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities and
Opportunities:
- An on-site book store is open mid-May through mid-October.
The store is operated by the Eastern National Parks and Monuments
Association. Books, historical fur trade items, prints and maps
are sold.
Ferry service from Grand Portage to Isle Royale National Park is available through two ferry
boats which operate mid-June through Labor Day. The Wenona leaves the monument's
dock daily, travels to Windigo Harbor on Isle Royale, and returns
later the same day. The
Voyageur II leaves from the Voyageur Marina beginning in early
May and runs until late October. This ferry circumvents the island
and returns the following day.
Other transportation to Isle Royale is available from Michigan.
- Accessibility:
- The reconstructed buildings are accessible to persons with
physical disabilities. A wheelchair is available on-site. Video
programs are open-captioned. Braille and large-print scripts of
The Northwest Passage video are available. Rest rooms and picnic
area are accessible. The Grand Portage and other monument trails
are not considered accessible.
- RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES/USE:
- Video programs, hands-on exhibits in the Great Hall,
conducted interpretive programs and the Grand Portage and Mount
Rose Trails are all recommended activities.
- BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Allow from one to two hours.
- ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:
-
Grand Portage State Park, the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino
and Judge Magney State Park are close by.
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- Write: Superintendent, Grand Portage National Monument,
P.O. Box 668, Grand Marais, MN 55604
or e-mail: Grand
Portage e-mail
______________________________
