To the eastern eye, used to hills and forests and people, North Dakota seems barren. But, look again, with a wider eye, to the distant horizion, the clear dome of blue sky, the prairie rolling away like a grassy ocean. Hidden in the folds of the land is one of the great waterfowl nesting areas of North America. Those rolling grasslands once supported buffalo by the millions, and you can see them in your mind's eye if you look hard enough. Montana calls itself "the big sky country"; the sky is no smaller in North Dakota. At night, it's filled with stars, and sometimes on the coldest nights you can almost hear the Northern Lights crackle as they dance in the sky. Hot in the summer, cold in the winter, dry and dusty much of the time, so empty that it can be foreboding at times, the state has a special beauty all its own. The scattering of people across the rural parts of the state are a tough and hearty breed, few enough that the state is one of the last reserves of elbow room in an increasingly crowded country. The state's literacy rate is the highest in the country, and the crime rate the lowest. It's a place where there's still room for the spirit to expand.
Much of the NCNST in North Dakota is located on open, rolling prairie, much of it cropped or grazed. There are few trees; except in the river valleys, most of the trees along the trail route were planted by hand, to provide shelter from the bitter winter winds, firewood to drive away the cold, and shade to protect from the hot summer sun. Wherever you see a grove of trees along the NCNST in these areas, a farmhouse usually stands _ or once stood, for rural North Dakota has been steadily losing population through the second half of the century, as farms and ranches have become bigger and less labor-intensive. Even the rural towns along the route are generally small and shrinking, though some have had better luck than others.
"Completing the North Country Trail in North Dakota will be a challenge," the National Park Service's slide show on the trail says. True, indeed; although vast strides have been made in the last few years, and the percentage of completed trail in the state threatens to overtake more populated and trailwise states, much remains to be done, and here, as elsewhere on the trail, the supply of public lands for trail development is running low. Quiet back roads will probably be an NCNST feature here for many years to come.
Finding water will on occasion be difficult, but generally not a major problem. Small towns with maildrop potential are adequately spaced, although food supplies in some may be very limited. Hiker-specific supplies are nonexistant.
Hiking use is tiny, and will likely remain so for some time to come; alone of the NCNST states, trail planners here think "horse" as much as they do "hiker". However, there's much here for the hiker to appreciate and learn if they keep their eyes open and are ready to accept it, and the hiking itself is probably the easiest of any of the trail states.
Mercer and McClean Counties, ND
29.5 mi total 0.0 certified 0.0 connecting 7.9 marked 21.6 bare
0.0 [0.0] WEST TRAILHEAD -- LAKE SAKAKAWEA STATE PARK
The westernmost segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail is generally located close to Lakes Sakakawea and Audubon, the latter maintained as a wildlife refuge. The segment is mostly roadwalks, though the suggested route is mostly on low-use gravel roads. (It should be noted that many small back roads in North Dakota are unnamed, and have no identification on the ground or map. In general, however, this should not be a problem in this section.) Water should not be a problem anywhere in this section, although camping may be. CAMPING: two public fee campgrounds in the Garrison Dam area. Camping is not normally permitted on National Wildlife Refuge lands to the east, although outside of nesting season, low-impact tent camping may be permitted if permission is asked ahead of time. SERVICES are only available in the Garrison Dam area.
LAKE SAKAKAWEA STATE PARK is located approximately 11 miles west of US83 on North Dakota SR200. The entrance road is 3/4 mile west of the west end of Garrison Dam, which impounds the Missouri River. (Note: the Missouri River is the eastern edge of the Mountain Time Zone, which is also the boundary between Mercer and McClean Counties.) The park's entrance station is about 1 mile down the entrance road. A day use fee is charged to vehicles. If driving, turn east (right) about .1 mile past the entrance station, then south (right) after about 0.3 miles, and continue to the Scotia Bay Picnic Area at the end of the road, where the west trailhead marker is located. Lake Sakakawea State Park has 822 acres, and 300 tent and RV campsites, beaches, launch ramps, and a small camp store. For further information, contact Lake Sakakawea State Park, Pick City, ND 58565. (701) 487-3315. Friends of Hikers: Assistant Park Ranger Dave Leite has greeted virtually all of the few long-distance hikers to reach Lake Sakakawea in the past ten years.
Certified trail follows the lake shore southward from the picnic area. At times of high water, parts of the trail may be inundated, and it will be necessary, but not difficult, to bushwhack along higher ground. After 1.3 miles, reach the Corps of Engineers Intake Picnic Area, overlooking the Garrison Dam powerhouse intake structure; follow the road on out to SR200.
PICK CITY, ND, 58565 is located 1 mile west of the Intake Picnic Area access road. Restaurants, laundry, convenience store, sporting goods, motel.
1.6 (1.6) TURN EAST ON SR 200
The trail turns east, to cross Garrison Dam, the largest earth-fill dam in the world, backing up the Missouri River some 175 miles to the west in 378,000 acre Lake Sakakawea, created for flood control, power, recreation, wildlife, and other purposes. Garrison Dam began in 1947, was completed in 1954, and the first power generated in the powerhouse in 1956. The five generators produce 1.8 to 2.6 billion kilowatts annually. A historic display on the building of the dam is available in the powerhouse lobby. Tours of the powerhouse are available; contact (701) 654-7411 for information. The suggested roadwalk route follows the top of the dam eastward, and it's a longer walk than it looks; it's 2.5 miles from the powerhouse to the intake structure. The time zone changes to Central Time near the powerhouse. (Note: Lake Sakakawea State Park and Corps of Engineers officals have a proposed route for the trail that could be constructed sometime in the next few years. This route will not cross the dam, but will head downhill from the Intake Picnic Area junction, cross behind the powerhouse, loop past Downstream Campground, making use of a short trail there, then will cross the dam spillway well to the south of the dam before turning back north to Riverdale, and following the shore northward.)
DOWNSTREAM CAMPGROUND is located about 1.5 miles south of the suggested route, near the proposed route. A Corps of Engineers campground, it has 101 tent/RV sites, plus some primitive sites to the south. Fee. For information, contact US Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Sakakawea Office, PO Box 527, Riverdale ND 58565. (701) 654-7411.
4.9 (3.3) TURN NORTH ON MISSOURI DRIVE
The suggested route turns north off of SR200 east of the dam onto Missouri Drive, which offers some fine overlooks of the lake. The projected route in this area will turn off Missouri Drive's sidewalks, and continue north; the suggested route rejoins SR200 after 1.9 miles.
RIVERDALE, ND 58565 has more roads platted and graded than have ever been built; it's much smaller than it appears on the map. Riverdale was built for housing during the construction of the dam. Joan Young reports that the Riverdale bowling alley has an interesting display on the building of the dam. There is also a small restaurant and convenience store. Private campground to the north of town; no information available.
6.8 (1.9) TURN EAST ON SR 200
The suggested route follows SR200 east for 1.2 miles to the gravel CH15.
8.0 (1.2) TURN NORTH ON CH15
The gravel CH15 heads north for 2 miles then turns east.
10.0 (2.0) TURN EAST ON CH15
It is anticipated that the proposed new route will end somewhere in this vicinity. Wolf Creek Game Management area is to the north; camping is not permitted. The suggested route follows CH15 east for five miles to SR48.
15.0 (5.0) TURN NORTH ON SR48
Follow the paved SR48 north for 0.5 miles to the village of Cole Harbor, where US83 crosses. Continue straight across US83, and continue north on the unnamed gravel road. After 2.1 miles, a side road leads to the Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, about a mile to the west. After another 0.4 miles, reach the Audubon Wildlife Management area auto tour road. (NOTE: The lake east of US83 is Lake Audubon; it's maintained at a more stable level than Lake Sakakawea.)
COLE HARBOR, ND 58531, Bar, small convenience store about 1/2 mile south of trail on US83.
18.4 (3.4) TURN EAST ON AUDUBON NWR AUTO TOUR ROAD
This gravel, occassionally almost two-rut auto tour road generally follows the shore of Lake Audubon eastward for 6.3 miles through the 11,273 acre Audubon Wildlife Management Area to the intersection with CH12N; it only gets very light use, and is a pleasant walk, with a great amount of waterfowl during nesting season, and wildlife activity during most of the year. Take note that users are not supposed to leave the road, especially during wildlife nesting season, and no camping is permitted; however, contacting the Audubon Wildlife Management Area Headquarters, Cole Harbor ND 58531 (701) 442-5474 may result in rules being bent. There are several interpretive displays before reaching CH12N.
24.7 (6.3) TURN EAST ON CH12N
The suggested route follows the gravel CH12N eastward for 3.1 miles until reaching the gravel CH23.
27.8 (3.1) TURN NORTH ON CH23
The suggested route follows the gravel CH23 north for 1.7 miles until reaching the McCluskey Canal intake structure.
29.5 (1.7) MCCLUSKEY CANAL INTAKE STRUCTURE
Segment ends at this point.