A photo story

Paddleboarding in Voyageurs National Park

Laura headed out from a wooden dock on a standup paddleboard in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, in June 2026. I took this as she pushed off, with a yellow bag on the front of the board, a forested shore across the water, and a heavy sky of clouds overhead. It was evening, around 59, with almost no wind, and a little light rain.

Voyageurs is more water than land, about 40 percent water, and the best way through it is by boat. The park is a chain of big lakes along the Canadian border, including Rainy, Kabetogama, and Namakan, with forested shores like the one behind her. Two days later we were both out on the boards again, and the second photo is from that morning: clear and sunny, around 57, with a breeze around 6 miles an hour.