LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE
When you visit Lake of the Woods you are about as far North as you can get and still be in the continental U.S. Located North of the 48th parallel and away from urban light & air pollution, Minnesota's True North offers a panoramic view of the Aurora Borealis or Northern lights. They can be a virtual light show on practically any clear evening.

This nighttime drama is a natural phenomenan. During peak sunspot activity charged particles are thrown far out into space and are carried to the earth's atmosphere by the solar wind. The particles then interact with the earth's magnetic field in the polar regions.

The colors in the northern lights are not a continuous spectrum, but a few separate colors such as red, violet, blue, and green. The first indication of a northern lights display is a faint glow low on the horizon. After a while an arch of light is lit. It can stretch all over the sky. Rays of light and "draperies" are formed with curls and waves. The draperies appear as if they are flickering or dancing in the wind. Sometimes the rays will stretch out in all directions above your head. This occurrence is called the aurora corona and will fill any onlooker with a hushed sense of awe.

A great place to check them out is along State Highway 11, a State Scenic Byway: Waters of the Dancing Sky.

RAINY RIVER

There is a magnetic, haunting quality about the Rainy River. It is something that is difficult to explain but goes bone deep. Ever changing, always beautiful, it writhes to and fro on its 70 mile sojourn from Rainy Lake northbound to the Lake of the Woods forming the boundary between the U.S. and Canada. In fact, the actual border is smack down the middle of the river.

If there is not a ballad about the Rainy River, there should be. It has a music all its own. In the spring, when the ice breaks, a variety of birds will follow the pattern all the way to the mouth where the river meets the majestic Lake of the Woods. Gushing whitewater at Manitou Rapids and Clementson Rapids are mesmerizing and yield a great photo opportunity.

Each season brings a fresh round of activity. In the winter it holds ice fisherman in toasty houses. Spring heralds a fishing frenzy for pre-spawn walleyes near Franz Jevne State Park. Summer brings a variety of water sports and wildlife. The fall palette is especially vibrant as native deciduous trees reflect their coats of many colors.

Entrenched in a rich history, the Rainy was once home to the Laurels, an ancient people that inhabited the area several thousand years ago. Their remains are protected by State law. The Grand Mound Interpretive Center, located 45 miles east of Baudette, offers self-guided tours and a museum housing artifacts. This sheltered river was part of the Voyageur's fur trading route that encompassed Lake Superior, Lake of the Woods, and Hudson Bay. Later, at the turn of the century, it became the site of a lumber industry that is still active, as evidenced by the trucks en route to Boise Cascade in International Falls.

Check out the resorts and lodges dotted along the Rainy River from Clementson to Baudette to Wheeler's Point. A variety of amenities are offered year around. The memories will last a lifetime.

CLEMENTSON RAPIDS

The Clementson Rapids are located eight miles east of Baudette on Highway 11. Every spring and summer the Rapid River, a tributary of the Rainy River, empties its contents over the Clementson Rapids. The rapids are a beautiful place for a picnic, with tables and campfire spots available at the site.

To order additional information Click Here or call 1-800-382-FISH.