It's educational, it's free, and it's only a mile and a half off the highway. Back in 1804, a crew of voyageurs left Fort St. Louis, near present-day Superior, Wis., traveling by water and overland to set up an outpost in cooperation with an Ojibwa tribe. The market for beaver hats in Europe had created a demand for pelts in the territories of the United States and Canada. Take I-35 north of Minneapolis about 60 miles to Exit 169 at Pine City. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and Monday holidays, and noon to 5 Sundays.
Admission is free.
The site is open May 1 through Labor Day. The Willard Munger State Trail begins about 14 miles north of Pine City at Hinckley, Minn., Exit 183 off I-35, and stretches north to Duluth. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwa operates the Grand Casino at Hinckley 24 hours a day. Take Exit 183 and go east one mile from I-35. The casino also has a 281-room hotel and an RV resort.