 The park is situated along the Saint Louis River, and is the site of a canoe portage used by Native Americans, European explorers, fur traders, Voyageurs, "coureurs des bois", and missionaries of the 18th and 19th centuries.The river was a vital link connecting the Mississippi River waterways to the west with the Great Lakes to the east.The park is noted for its Rustic Style historical structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1933 and 1942.