Lake Metigoshe State Park, State recreation area in Turtle Mountains, North Dakota.
Lake Metigoshe State Park is a recreation area in the Turtle Mountains near the Canadian border, stretching across wooded hillsides and multiple interconnected lakes. The grounds contain a network of trails, wetlands, and different forest types that create a varied natural landscape for exploration.
The park grounds were developed during the Great Depression through the Works Progress Administration program, with workers building structures and infrastructure between the 1930s and 1940s. Its official founding in 1937 made it an important public works project, establishing the recreational facilities that visitors still use today.
The name Metigoshe comes from the Ojibwe language, meaning clearwater lake of scrub-oaks, connecting the place to the indigenous peoples who lived here long ago. This heritage is part of the landscape you experience when walking through the wooded areas.
Visitors will find more than 80 campsites with electricity and water connections, plus equipment rentals for kayaks and canoes available year-round. The facilities are well-marked, and both summer and winter activities are easily accessible from the main grounds.
The area supports more than 170 bird species and plants rarely found elsewhere in the region, making it a special place for observing local wildlife. Winter conditions here enable specialized recreation activities that take advantage of the geographic location and seasonal climate.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
