Lake Metigoshe State Park
Wooded Turtle Mountain lakes support paddling, hiking, winter trails, and a biological station far from badlands imagery.
Artwork inspired by Nancy Friese
Lake Metigoshe shows a different North Dakota: aspen-birch woods, wetlands, and glacial lakes near the Canadian border. The Old Oak Trail and canoe routes reveal ecological variety that a beach-only visit misses.
Reserve summer camping early and check lake conditions before paddling. In winter, groomed ski and snowshoe systems change which routes are practical, while the outdoor learning center runs its own programs.
Mosquitoes and ticks are seasonal facts. Clean boats and gear to reduce aquatic invasive species, and do not assume every shoreline parcel is public parkland. Wildlife viewing improves when shoreline vegetation is treated as habitat rather than cleared picnic scenery.
- Region
- Turtle Mountains
- Setting
- Bottineau, North Dakota, United States
- Admission
- North Dakota vehicle entrance fee
Quick guide
- Interpretive pair
- Turtle Mountains ↔ Old Oak Trail and paddling routes
- Closing move
- Clean boats and gear
Quick guide
- Forest
- Compare aspen-birch woodland with the prairie image many visitors bring to North Dakota.
- Water
- Use a canoe route or lakeshore stop to notice glacial basins, wetlands, and edges.
- Trail
- Walk Old Oak slowly enough to read canopy age, deadwood, and understory.
- Season
- Choose for paddling, leaf color, skiing, or snowshoeing rather than expecting one year-round visit.
Good to know
Aspen–birch woodland and glacial wetlands make this northern park ecologically unlike the open prairie many visitors expect from North Dakota.
Notice these
- Turtle Mountains
- Old Oak Trail and paddling routes
- Clean boats and gear