Best time to visit Voyageurs National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit Voyageurs National Park: May and September. Daily highs run about 60–65°F, with about half of August's visitors.
Hardest months: January–March and November, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Voyageurs National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 5 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 15° / 1°F | 0 in | 7.6 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 16° / 0°F | 0.1 in | 7.7 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 32° / 16°F | 0.4 in | 6.7 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Poor | 44° / 27°F | 1.2 in | 7.3 in | Quiet | – |
| May | Best | 62° / 42°F | 2.6 in | 0.5 in | Moderate | – |
| June | Good | 73° / 54°F | 3.9 in | – | Peak | – |
| July | Good | 77° / 61°F | 3.6 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Good | 74° / 60°F | 3.8 in | – | Peak | – |
| September | Best | 66° / 53°F | 4.4 in | – | Moderate | – |
| October | Fair | 51° / 39°F | 2.5 in | 2.7 in | Quiet | – |
| November | Poor | 35° / 24°F | 0.7 in | 8.6 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 23° / 11°F | 0.3 in | 10.3 in | Quiet | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°F | 1°F | 0 in | 7.7 in |
| February | 15°F | 0°F | 0.1 in | 7.8 in |
| March | 32°F | 16°F | 0.4 in | 6.7 in |
| April | 44°F | 27°F | 1.2 in | 7.4 in |
| May | 62°F | 41°F | 2.6 in | 0.5 in |
| June | 73°F | 54°F | 3.8 in | – |
| July | 76°F | 61°F | 3.6 in | – |
| August | 74°F | 60°F | 3.7 in | – |
| September | 66°F | 53°F | 4.5 in | – |
| October | 50°F | 39°F | 2.5 in | 2.8 in |
| November | 35°F | 24°F | 0.8 in | 9.1 in |
| December | 23°F | 11°F | 0.3 in | 10.7 in |
Rainy Lake
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°F | 0°F | 0 in | 7.2 in |
| February | 15°F | -1°F | 0.1 in | 7.4 in |
| March | 32°F | 15°F | 0.3 in | 6.4 in |
| April | 43°F | 27°F | 1.1 in | 6.7 in |
| May | 61°F | 41°F | 2.6 in | – |
| June | 72°F | 55°F | 4.1 in | – |
| July | 76°F | 61°F | 3.5 in | – |
| August | 75°F | 60°F | 3.8 in | – |
| September | 66°F | 53°F | 4.0 in | – |
| October | 50°F | 39°F | 2.6 in | 2.2 in |
| November | 34°F | 24°F | 0.7 in | 7.8 in |
| December | 23°F | 11°F | 0.3 in | 9.6 in |
Kabetogama Lake
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16°F | 1°F | 0 in | 7.3 in |
| February | 16°F | -1°F | 0.1 in | 7.6 in |
| March | 33°F | 16°F | 0.3 in | 6.5 in |
| April | 45°F | 27°F | 1.3 in | 6.9 in |
| May | 62°F | 42°F | 2.5 in | – |
| June | 73°F | 54°F | 4.1 in | – |
| July | 77°F | 60°F | 3.6 in | – |
| August | 75°F | 59°F | 3.8 in | – |
| September | 67°F | 52°F | 4.2 in | – |
| October | 51°F | 39°F | 2.4 in | 2.5 in |
| November | 35°F | 24°F | 0.7 in | 8.2 in |
| December | 24°F | 11°F | 0.3 in | 10.1 in |
Namakan Lake
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16°F | 3°F | 0 in | 7.8 in |
| February | 16°F | 1°F | 0.1 in | 7.8 in |
| March | 32°F | 17°F | 0.4 in | 6.9 in |
| April | 45°F | 27°F | 1.3 in | 7.7 in |
| May | 63°F | 42°F | 2.6 in | 0.6 in |
| June | 73°F | 55°F | 3.9 in | – |
| July | 77°F | 61°F | 3.7 in | – |
| August | 74°F | 60°F | 3.9 in | – |
| September | 67°F | 53°F | 4.6 in | – |
| October | 51°F | 40°F | 2.6 in | 3.1 in |
| November | 35°F | 25°F | 0.8 in | 9.2 in |
| December | 24°F | 12°F | 0.3 in | 10.7 in |
Sand Point Lake
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16°F | 1°F | 0 in | 7.9 in |
| February | 16°F | 0°F | 0.1 in | 7.9 in |
| March | 33°F | 16°F | 0.4 in | 7.0 in |
| April | 45°F | 27°F | 1.2 in | 7.9 in |
| May | 63°F | 42°F | 2.6 in | 0.6 in |
| June | 73°F | 54°F | 3.6 in | – |
| July | 77°F | 61°F | 3.6 in | – |
| August | 74°F | 60°F | 3.8 in | – |
| September | 67°F | 53°F | 4.5 in | – |
| October | 51°F | 40°F | 2.6 in | 3.0 in |
| November | 35°F | 25°F | 0.8 in | 8.8 in |
| December | 23°F | 11°F | 0.3 in | 10.4 in |
Voyageurs National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a difficult time to visit Voyageurs National Park. Daily highs average 32–62°F and lows 16–42°F. Expect about 1.4 in of rain a month and 4.8 in of snow, with up to 13 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0–57% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit Voyageurs National Park. Daily highs average 73–77°F and lows 54–61°F. Expect about 3.8 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 91–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a mixed time to visit Voyageurs National Park. Daily highs average 35–66°F and lows 24–53°F. Expect about 2.6 in of rain a month and 3.8 in of snow, with up to 3 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 5–48% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Voyageurs National Park. Daily highs average 15–23°F and lows 0–11°F. Expect about 0.1 in of rain a month and 8.5 in of snow, with up to 16 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 1–11% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours and trails, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
There are four distinct seasons in Voyageur country. During June, July, and August periods of fine, mild weather prevail. The frost-free season averages 120 days from June to mid-September. The average ice-out date is May 3. The first measurable snowfall occurs in late October and the last in late April or early May.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 5 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
