From a 1938 Airfield to Voyageurs National Park
I woke up at a Harvest Host just outside Cook, MN, after a major storm rolled through around 2 a.m. The lightning was spectacular—bright flashes lighting up the inside of the van like a strobe. Eventually, I had to close the MaxxAir vents because rainwater was splashing in. Pat, my host, told me about special fans that automatically shut when it starts raining—something I’ll have to look into.
Pat and Dave own a property with an unusual history. I did a some research and found that long before it became their home, this land was Anderson Airport (MY49), a private-use airfield created in 1938. Back in its day, it was a modest but functional operation—two intersecting grass runways, about 2,150 feet long, with working landing lights. It served private pilots, bush flyers, and the occasional adventurous visitor who preferred to arrive by air rather than navigate northern Minnesota’s winding roads. For decades, MY49 appeared in small-type listings in aviation directories, never busy enough for scheduled service but well-known among the region’s flying community.
Today, the airfield sits quiet. The runways are overgrown but still visible from the right angle, and the rusting runway lights still stand in place like relics from another era. At the far end of one runway, trees now stand in shallow water, victims of local flood control and beaver dams that have permanently changed the drainage. Standing there, it’s easy to imagine the sound of a taildragger rolling down the grass strip and lifting into the northern sky—one of those little pieces of living history that most people drive past without ever knowing.
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Type: Private-use grass airstrip
FAA Identifier: MY49
Location: North Airport Road, Cook, MN
Runway: Turf (17/35), ~2,150 ft long (~655 m)
Elevation: 1,310 ft
Lighting: Once operational; no longer functional
Operations: No scheduled traffic; historically used for private flights
Established: 1938
Before leaving, Pat and Dave topped up my water. Their well water was crisp and cold—exactly what I needed for the road ahead. They were full of stories—some about the airport, others about the quirks of northern Minnesota life—and I could’ve stayed all day listening. But eventually, I rolled out sometime after 10.
My next stop was Voyageurs National Park, which straddles the U.S.–Canada border. This park is unlike most others—it’s dominated by water. Over 40% of its area is made up of interconnected lakes, rivers, and wetlands. For thousands of years, this was a travel corridor for the Ojibwe people and, later, for French-Canadian fur traders—the voyageurs the park is named after. Today, visitors explore the park mainly by boat, kayak, or canoe, navigating through a maze of islands and coves. The park is also part of the larger “Heart of the Continent” wilderness area, offering some of the darkest skies in the U.S., perfect for stargazing and photographing the Milky Way.
I stopped at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center, watched the park film, and learned how remote it really is. Many campsites here are only accessible by water, and some require a permit and boat transport. I’d thought about doing a kayak trip, but all the guided tours were booked. You can have a kayak delivered to your campground, but you still need to figure out how to get it to the water. Campsites close to the shoreline were sold out, and no boondocking options came up on any of my apps. A few people suggested just parking overnight at the visitor center lot—shoot the stars, sleep in the van.
Instead, I ended up at Voyageurs RV Campground, which had exactly three tent sites left ($10 per night). I didn’t need water, electric, or sewer hookups, so it was an easy choice. My spot turned out to be perfect—just enough open sky overhead for Starlink to connect without a hitch.
After settling in, I took a quick spin through International Falls for some grocery shopping. Along the way, I passed towering stacks of cut logs—visual proof of the town’s role as a major wood-processing center. Back at camp, dinner was a messy but delicious Mexican-style creation: flour tortillas piled with refried beans, sautéed onions, mushrooms, and peppers, topped with pulled chicken and sharp Wisconsin cheese. Cleanup took longer than I’d like to admit.
I wrapped up the evening with a run of AGT audition videos—some cringe-worthy, some jaw-dropping—and started looking forward to tomorrow’s bike ride.