Lake Sakakawea State Park On the south shore of Lake Sakakawea adjacent to Garrison Dam, Lake Sakakawea State Park offers a wide range of water-based recreational activities and facilities. The park has a full-service marina, including boat rentals, convenience store, fishing guide services and boat and camper storage. Two large boat ramps allow access to the best salmon fishing on Lake Sakakawea. The park also features modern camping and picnicking facilities. The park is the western trailhead for the North Country National Scenic Trail. Sleeping cabins are available for rent during the summer months.
Lake Zahl NWR The refuge is mostly native prairie around two large semi-permanent marshes totaling about 1250 acres. The refuge is a reintroduction area for giant Canada geese and a hunting closure area is maintained around the refuge to protect resident geese and encourage their spread to surrounding areas. The refuge lies at the juncture of the Missouri Coteau and the Missouri Slope physiographic regions. Water flowing out of Lake Zahl enters the Little Muddy River which flows into Lake Sakakawea, Missouri River, 28 miles south.
Lewis and Clark State Park The towering buttes and rolling hills of North Dakota's badlands provide a rugged backdrop to this park, located on one of the upper bays of Lake Sakakawea. Modern boating facilities, including a marina, boat ramp and camp store, are major attractions. Anglers will find excellent fishing for walleye, sauger and northern pike. Visitors can become acquainted with the natural communities associated with the park by hiking a self-guided nature trail. Sleeping cabins are available during the summer months.
Little Missouri State Park Little Missouri State Park contains some of the most rugged, picturesque badlands terrain in North Dakota. Most of the park is accessible only on horseback or on foot. Within the park are numerous wildlife species, including mule deer, coyote, fox, bobcat and golden eagle. Guided horseback rides are available from a concessionnaire. In addition, corrals and well water are provided for those bringing in their own mounts to ride the thirty miles of trails. Use of certified weed-free feed is required. The park is located along a state designated scenic byway.
Long Lake NWR Long Lake NWR is an important breeding and migrational area for thousands of migratory birds including waterfowl, shorebirds, and endangered/threatened species such as the migrating whooping crane and bald eagle and the nesting piping plover. This 22,310 acre refuge consists of approximately 15,000 acres of brackish to saline marsh and lake, 1,000 acres of other wetlands, and about 6,000 acres of tame and native grassland, woodland, and cropland. Long Lake is approximately 18 miles long and varies in width from one-quarter to two miles. Periodically the lake goes dry. Similarly, in wet cycles, the lake may reach overflow capacity at depths of 6 feet. Most years, the lake experiences marsh-like depths ranging from 1-4 feet. Due to the dynamics of the system, the refuge undergoes substantial habitat changes from season to season and from year to year. Colonial nesting marsh and water birds establish rookeries in suitable remote refuge habitat some years, and occasionally for a series of years, but often find the refuge void of that habitat because of natural habitat changes which can occur quickly. Much of the refuge is accessible only by boat and therefore it hosts a number of migratory bird species and individuals (including substantial numbers of waterfowl during molting periods) which are relatively intolerant to human disturbance during portions of the year. Major management programs include upland habitat management practices such as prescribed burning, grazing systems, maintenance and rejuvenation of dense nesting cover, and haying. Long Lake has had historic botulism losses and one of the major issues concerning management of the refuge is the lack of water management capabilities to better control botulism outbreaks.
Long Lake WMD Long Lake Wetland Management District is managed to provide high quality wetlands and nesting cover for waterfowl, other migratory bird species, and native resident wildlife. Management activities are used to rejuvenate native and tame upland habitats include grazing systems, burning, haying, and seeding of dense nesting cover.The topography of the WMD varies from the hilly pothole country to the east, known as the Missouri Coteau, to the relatively flat land of the Missouri River Slope to the west. Approximately 68% of the land in the three county area remains in native grassland and the dominant land use is cattle grazing. Most Waterfowl Production Areas in the District are open to the public for activities including hunting, hiking, bird watching, and trapping.
