50 Years, 50 Legacies: Rick and Sean Oveson
#24: Rick and Sean Oveson: The Keepers of Kettle Falls
For thousands of Voyageurs visitors, the first taste of the park’s remoteness begins with a red-roof – the Kettle Falls Hotel. Since 1996, that welcome has been shaped by concessioners Rick and Sean Oveson, whose hands-on stewardship has kept the iconic hotel open and hospitable.
Other than campsites, Kettle Falls Hotel is the only lodging inside Voyageurs National Park and is reachable only by water. Guests who don’t have their own boat arrange shuttles through the hotel as part of their reservation.
Credit: Kettle Falls Hotel
Credit: Kettle Falls Hotel
Operating Kettle Falls isn’t a typical hospitality job. For decades, the Ovesons have managed everything from freight runs across the water, the challenge of housing seasonal crews, keeping the restaurant and its famously tilted saloon humming, and ensuring the kitchen stays stocked even when storms delay deliveries.
Built in the 1910s and long tied to the Williams family, Kettle Falls Hotel has lived many lives – lumber outpost, fishing destination, and now a National Park landmark and highly visited tourism destination. When the modern concession era shifted in the 1990s, Rick Oveson became concessionaire in 1996, continuing a tradition of hospitality beyond the Williams family.
Over time, the Ovesons became trusted interpreters of the place’s character. They have kept the dining room straightforward and friendly, preserved the hotel’s historical feel and orientated both first-time visitors and families that have been visiting for generations.
Their steady presence helped new audiences appreciate Voyageurs; as Sean Oveson told the StarTribune during the park’s 2013 season, people have increasingly embraced the protection and distinctiveness that make this landscape different from heavily developed lake country.
Voyageurs National Park is defined by water and remoteness, but the Ovesons’ legacy makes that remoteness feel inviting. By keeping the hotel functional and true to its history for decades, they’ve helped generations of visitors stay in the heart of the park without roads to get there.
Credit: Kettle Falls Hotel
Check out the full list of our 50 legacies!
This year, we’re celebrating 50 years of Voyageurs National Park by sharing 50 inspiring stories of the people who shaped its legacy. Years, 50 Legacies is a yearlong storytelling series highlighting individuals whose lives are woven into the fabric of the park – whether through conservation work, cultural traditions, recreation, research, or personal connection.
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