Arriving at Falls International Airport in International Falls places you close to it all, with Voyageurs National Park, Rainy Lake, and the Canadian border just minutes away. International Falls is a paper-mill town on the Rainy River that proudly calls itself the Icebox of the Nation. It is unfussy and outdoorsy, the kind of place where walleye boats outnumber sedans and the cold is a point of pride rather than a complaint.

Standout experiences around International Falls: - Explore Voyageurs National Park from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center, 12 miles east of town - Rent a houseboat and spend a few nights among the islands of Rainy and Kabetogama lakes - Fish for walleye, northern pike, and smallmouth bass on Rainy Lake - Take a photo with the giant Smokey Bear statue in Smokey Bear Park - Learn about hometown football legend Bronko Nagurski at his museum beside the Koochiching County Historical Museum - Walk across the bridge to Fort Frances, Ontario, for a day in Canada - Join Icebox Days in January for frozen turkey bowling and the Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run

International Falls makes a natural base for the whole border-lakes country. Ranier, a tiny lakeside village with a lively bar and a historic lodge, is 10 minutes east. Kabetogama and its resorts are about 30 minutes south, and Crane Lake, the quiet eastern gateway to the park, is roughly 90 minutes. Order a walleye sandwich or a plate of fried smelt in season, and keep an eye on the night sky, because this is one of the better places in the Lower 48 to see the northern lights.