Lake Metigoshe State Park
2191 Lake Loop Rd, Bottineau, ND
Bottineau, ND
A clear lake ringed by aspen and oak in a corner of North Dakota that feels far more like the north woods than the open plains.
Lake Metigoshe State Park surrounds a clear glacial lake in the Turtle Mountains, a wooded upland along the Canadian border that rises green out of the surrounding prairie. The name Metigoshe comes from a Chippewa phrase meaning clear water surrounded by oaks, and the park lives up to it, with a lake ringed by aspen, oak, and birch and laced with quiet trails.
This is a rare stretch of true forest in a state known for open plains, left behind when glaciers shaped these hills and filled their hollows with lakes. People come to swim, paddle, and camp in summer, and to ski and snowshoe when the snow falls, making Lake Metigoshe one of the most-loved outdoor escapes in northern North Dakota.
What Guests Love
- Swimming and paddling on a clear glacial lake framed by trees
- Forest trails through aspen, oak, and birch that feel like the north woods
- The four-season pull, from summer canoeing to winter cross-country skiing
- Abundant wildlife, from deer and beaver to moose in the surrounding hills
Worth Knowing
- This is one of North Dakota's most forested corners, so expect a cooler, greener setting than the open plains
- Summer weekends on the lake are the busiest, so arrive early for the beach and boat access
- Winter turns the park into a cross-country ski and snowshoe destination, with groomed trails
- Ticks and mosquitoes are part of the woods in warm months, so pack repellent
Details
Bottineau, ND
Learn about Lake Metigoshe State Park
The Turtle Mountains and the people who know them
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.
On the water
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.
Into the woods
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.
Four seasons on the lake
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.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Bottineau
Bottineau
About 13 miles southwest
A leafy county seat and gateway to the Turtle Mountains, home to the downtown Tommy Turtle sculpture.
International Peace Garden
About 25 miles east
A formal garden straddling the U.S. and Canada border, with sunken gardens, a chapel, and a 9/11 memorial in the Turtle Mountains.
Turtle Mountain country
Surrounding
A wooded upland of glacial lakes and hills, home to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and unlike anywhere else on the North Dakota plains.