Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area
A forested river gorge provides hiking, paddling, horseback riding, and motorized routes near the Canadian border.
Artwork inspired by Paul Barr
The Pembina River cuts through one of North Dakota’s most topographically and biologically varied regions. Forested slopes, ravines, prairie openings, and river habitat create fall color and bird diversity uncommon across much of the state.
Choose a user type before choosing a trail: hiking, equestrian, and motorized systems overlap imperfectly, and road access changes with mud. Paddling requires current water-level and hazard information rather than a calendar assumption.
- Landscape
- Forested Pembina River gorge
- Setting
- Walhalla, North Dakota, United States
- Admission
- Some trail permits or facility fees may apply
Quick guide
- Begin at
- Match trail to permitted use
- Time needed
- 3 hours–2 days
Quick guide
- Relief
- Use the deep river valley to see terrain unlike the surrounding northern plains.
- Habitats
- Compare forested slopes, prairie openings, wetlands, and river-edge communities.
- Route
- Choose the correct motorized or nonmotorized trail system before arriving.
- Season
- Expect mud, snow, insects, and hunting activity to change access and visibility.
Good to know
Hiking, horse, and motorized trail systems overlap imperfectly here, so choosing a user type before choosing a route prevents misleading mileage and access assumptions.
Notice these
- Forested Pembina River gorge
- Match trail to permitted use
- Offline map and current conditions