Incredible Things To Do While Visiting The Pines of Kabetogama

Like many of you, I am the one who does the majority of the vacation planning in our family, and I have planned several family reunion-type vacations too. Planning a vacation is a ton of work, there’s so much to consider and of course, you want the best experience! And it’s even more challenging if you are trying to plan a family reunion or event for a larger group of people with varying interests.  I see you, Planners! You’ve taken on an extraordinary responsibility, and I know you want to plan the Best Vacation Ever. For Everyone.  Of course, not everyone is a planner. I love it when a guest checks in and asks, “So, what’s there to do around here anyway?” I don’t relate to this style of travel (more Type A, not B), but I have had the most fascinating conversations that started with that question! No matter your travel style, or if you are traveling solo or with a large group, we offer plenty of activities at The Pines of Kabetogama on every budget that will delight you and your family.

Fish from our dock and you may catch The Big One. We have world-class fishing in Lake Kabetogama, and believe it or not, you can catch fish right off our dock! Last year, we had a wonderful family visit from Chicago on their first family fishing trip, and the 10-year son caught a massive Northern Pike off the northwest corner of our dock while learning how to fish. The excitement was contagious in the marina, he got countless congratulatory high fives and even shouts of encouragement from nearby boaters (who were likely jealous), it was such a cool moment! Really, how can you not get excited when a child has such an amazing experience, knowing his memories will last a lifetime? You might have luck catching Northern Pike or even walleye in our marina too.  We sell live bait in the gift shop and can lend you a bait bucket if you forgot yours. Just remember this – when you do catch The Big One, I will happily accept a sample of your fish fry dinner. 😊

Wrestle with an alligator while cooling off in Lake Kabetogama. Lake Kabetogama is a pristine, clear lake, and yes, a little chilly at times but that doesn’t stop brave swimmers from taking the plunge! You might think Northern Minnesota is cold year-round, but that is not the case, in fact, it will get hot and humid during peak summer and there’s nothing like taking a refreshing dip to cool off. We have a small, clean, sandy beach for you to enjoy during your stay, and despite the subheading there are no real alligators in the lake, just our very popular alligator-shaped water trampoline. In the warmer months, the alligator is a popular hangout for guests of all ages. If you are worried about the deep water or inexperienced swimmers, we have extra life vests in the gift shop to borrow (in all sizes except infant), just stop by and we’ll get your fearless swimmers fitted and in the water in no time.

Enjoy the fresh air and beautiful view while playing a family-friendly lawn game. You can’t beat the view of the Lake Kabetogama from our expansive front lawn (and occasionally the excitement of witnessing a big catch), but if you need a little extra entertainment, we invite you to borrow one of our many lawn games. Cornhole (or bean bag toss) is cherished by many, but we have also expanded our offerings to include bocce, volleyball, badminton, croquet, ladder toss, and my two new personal favorites – Kubb and giant four-in-a-row. I played Connect 4 all the time as a child, and the giant version is even more addictive (bigger is better in this case, and it’s going to be really hard for me not to play this all summer). Last year, I was introduced to Kubb (also known as Viking Chess) by one of our staff members at a team picnic, and we had such a fun time together playing this game (while eating a delicious fish fry, see previous section). This Swedish yard game is rumored to have been played with real skulls and bones by the Vikings, but this version includes wooden blocks and sticks. It is fairly simple, think a cross between horseshoes and bowling, but I guarantee your friendly competitive side will come out and you will share many laughs and cheers with your loved ones while you play this new game.

Meet new friends by the community firepit. I firmly believe that anyone can get along and make a connection if they can find something in common, and all of our guests have at least one thing in common – you are among the exclusive club of those that have visited Voyageurs National Park! Don’t be shy, grab a chair and say hello and maybe you’ll spark up an amazing conversation and learn something new. If you have kids, they will enjoy meeting new friends too. My kids gravitate towards other children and love to have someone to play with, and I’m sure yours do too. It’s entertaining to watch a group of kids create a new game (such as “Fastest Tiger in the Wild West” or “Lava Monster”, I didn’t make these up) and I’ve seen several groups of kids choreograph new dance and cheer routines. While your kids are entertained, you can sit back and relax and enjoy those conversations with your old and new friends too.

Explore the night sky. Voyageurs National Park is a certified International Dark Sky Park, which means that it has minimal light pollution, and you can see so many more stars. We have replaced the lighting on our property to be dark-sky friendly as well, meaning you can view the magnificent night sky like never before. Bright stars, brilliant planets, the Milky Way, satellites, and the Northern Lights (when they happen) are all visible from just about anywhere on our property, and it’s amazing what you see when you take a quiet moment and look up. The community firepit (and the entire front lawn really) is the best location to view the Northern Lights if you are lucky, and if you do see them, you will have something else in common with other guests to talk about the next day around the community firepit!

Try a new water sport. For a nominal fee, we offer canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards for rent by the hour, first come first serve. This is a low-commitment way to try out a new sport, and despite its size, Lake Kabetogama can be as smooth as glass on a quiet day. We have a protected bay for those that are new to paddle sports, or for the more experienced, you can paddle out further to explore the lake and nearby islands. If you didn’t know, Voyageurs National Park is named after the voyageurs (a French word for “traveler”) who, more than 250 years ago, traversed the interconnected waterways by canoe. (I hope they mostly had pleasant weather).

Schedule a Voyageurs National Park Boat Tour. Not everyone is eager to rent a boat or to be responsible for safely navigating the waters, and that’s completely understandable. The national park offers a variety of boat tours throughout the summer months, departing from all three visitor centers, and the per person price runs between $20 – 60 per person depending on your age and the cruise you select. Tickets are available for purchase starting on April 15th of each year for that summer’s tours, and I recommend that you book as soon as you know which cruise you want to join as some tours will sell out in advance. The park’s boat tours visit popular tourist destinations such as Kettle Falls and Ellsworth Rock Gardens, among others, and they also have a late-night cruise where you can view the night sky and learn about constellations.

Snap a photo on the Kabetogama Walleye. On your way in, or out, of Kabetogama, you absolutely must stop to get your picture on the giant walleye! Climb on top of walleye (complete with a saddle) to capture a family photo that you will cherish for years. This also might entertain your group for a bit, especially if you travel with a crowd that likes to ham it up for the camera. If you appreciate giant, touristy sculptures (I know I am not alone here), or even if you don’t (who are you), then you can’t miss this photo opportunity. Even better, make snapping a photo on the Kabetogama walleye a new annual family tradition (or if you are my kids, at least four times a summer).

Visit downtown International Falls. International Falls has a cute little downtown area on 3^rd Street with shopping and restaurants that will amuse you for an afternoon. Ronning’s is one of the charming stores that has practical items like clothing and shoes, unique gifts, souvenirs, games, and locally sourced food and crafts.  I challenge you to walk out of this store without a bag! While you are downtown, you must stop by Smokey Bear Park, where you will find…drumroll…a giant Smokey the Bear statue! Smokey stands 26-feet tall and has been a resident of this International Falls city park since 1954. He’s still just as handsome as ever and waiting for you to memorialize your family vacation.

Observe bears up close in the wild then have a “dam” good meal. It will take you about an hour to drive to the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary, but it is a really cool opportunity to see black bears up close doing their black bear thing. Last year we went at the end of the season when the bears were preparing for hibernation, and holy cow the bears were well on their way to achieving their hibernation goal weight! The staff do a nice job explaining the history of the sanctuary and will answer any question you have about black bears. This is another moment where if you just stand still and observe, you will bear witness (haha) to the black bear culture and capture amazing wildlife photographs. We happened to see a little kerfuffle between a mama bear and another bear who was apparently being annoying. While mama was taking care of business, her unbearably cute (sorry) cubs practically flew up a tree where they hung out for a while, delighting the visitors. My advice is to get there as soon as the sanctuary opens in the evening, because you might be surprised at how long you want to stay and watch and learn. On your way out, stop by the gift shop (proceeds help support the bears), where you can find just about anything you can imagine with a bear on it. After this afternoon/early evening outing, you might be as hungry as a bear (seriously, I can’t help it). I suggest you stop by The Dam Restaurant for a bite to eat. Our kids got a giggle out of ordering the “dam” fries and the “dam” steak, and you can imagine this dinner table conversation got very silly and went downhill fast, but we made a lasting memory!