1999 Map of The Cascades

About this map

Site of Fort Charlotte marks a significant historical waypoint at the edge of the Grand Portage National Monument, where the fur-trade era's portage trails met the inland waterways. This remote international boundary region is defined by the winding course of the Arrow River and the Pigeon River, which separate Cook County, Minnesota, from Ontario's Thunder Bay District. The rugged hydrography of the area is punctuated by the rapids at The Cascades, illustrating the difficult terrain navigated by early voyagers and indigenous peoples alike. Large portions of the southern terrain are protected within the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, preserving a landscape that remains relatively undisturbed by modern development, while the northern section is dominated by the confluence of the Whitefish River and the Arrow River before they flow toward Pine Lake.