Lake Metigoshe State Park

The Turtle Mountains have long been the country of the Pembina Chippewa and the Métis, whose Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa hold a reservation nearby. This wooded upland, with its lakes and game, was a gathering and hunting ground for generations, and the tribe remains a strong presence in the region around the park.

The name Metigoshe itself is a Chippewa phrase, a reminder that the people who named these waters knew them intimately long before the park was set aside. The oaks the name describes still grow along the shore, mingled with the aspen and birch that give the Turtle Mountains their north-woods character.

The lake is the center of everything here. A sandy swimming area draws families in summer, and the calm, clear water is ideal for canoes, kayaks, and small boats. Anglers work the lake for northern pike, walleye, and panfish, and the shoreline is dotted with cabins and quiet coves.

Because the lake sits among wooded hills rather than open prairie, it holds a sheltered, intimate feel that is unusual in North Dakota. Paddling along the tree-lined shore, with loons and waterfowl on the water, you could easily believe you were somewhere in the northern lake country far to the east.

A network of trails winds back from the lake into the forest, threading stands of aspen, oak, and birch and skirting smaller ponds and wetlands. The walking is gentle and green, and the woods are alive with birdsong, especially in the spring and early summer nesting season.

The Turtle Mountains support more wildlife than the surrounding plains, and the park is a good place to see white-tailed deer, beaver, and a wealth of birds, with moose ranging through the wider hills. The mix of forest, water, and wetland packs a lot of life into a compact park.

Summer is the busy heart of the year, with swimming, paddling, fishing, and camping under the long northern evenings. Spring greens the woods and brings the birds back, and the wildflowers follow along the trails.

Fall turns the aspen and oak to gold and rust, a quiet and beautiful time to walk or paddle. Winter transforms the park into a snow country of groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails, when the frozen lake and white woods draw a different kind of visitor entirely.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Lake Metigoshe State Park, in the Turtle Mountains of northern North Dakota near the Canadian border, is a beautiful park of wooded hills, lakes, and trails, a scenic and beloved retreat in a surprisingly forested corner of the state. The Turtle Mountains rise as a green, wooded upland above the surrounding plains, and the park surrounds scenic Lake Metigoshe with forests, trails, and abundant wildlife, offering swimming, boating, fishing, camping, hiking, and, in winter, cross-country skiing and snow activities. Its wooded lake setting makes it a cherished four-season destination. A scenic and forested lake park, it delights visitors. With its lakes and forests, Lake Metigoshe State Park offers a rewarding destination in North Dakota.

You can swim, boat, and fish on the lake, hike and bike the wooded trails, camp, watch for wildlife, and in winter enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow activities in the forested Turtle Mountains. The lake recreation, the wooded trails, the camping, and the four-season activities are the draws, making it a versatile and scenic destination. The forested setting and the lake are highlights. With its recreation and scenery, Lake Metigoshe State Park offers a rewarding experience in North Dakota.

The Turtle Mountains are a surprisingly green, wooded upland rising above the surrounding plains along the North Dakota-Canada border, a rolling landscape of forests, lakes, and hills that contrasts strikingly with the flat prairie around it. This unusual forested region, home to Lake Metigoshe State Park and the International Peace Garden, offers scenery and recreation unlike much of the state, and it holds cultural significance for the Native peoples of the area as well. Appreciating this distinctive landscape enriches a visit to Lake Metigoshe State Park in North Dakota.

The warm months of late spring through early fall are the prime time for lake recreation, hiking, and camping, when the weather is warm and the water inviting, with fall lovely for foliage in the wooded hills, while winter offers cross-country skiing and snow activities. Because activities and services vary by season, checking current information before you go is wise. For water recreation aim for the warm months, or for snow activities visit in winter, at Lake Metigoshe State Park in North Dakota.

Lake Metigoshe State Park is in the Turtle Mountains of northern North Dakota near the Canadian border, within reach of the International Peace Garden, the town of Bottineau with Tommy Turtle, the W'eel Turtle in Dunseith, and the Turtle Mountains. That makes Lake Metigoshe State Park a rewarding stop to combine with the International Peace Garden and the other attractions of the Turtle Mountains on a visit to North Dakota.