Some of the events in the parks:
Icelandic State Park:
Annual Kids Weekend
Fort Stevenson State Park: Military Days
Fort Ransom State Park: Sodbuster Days
Please click on the park links to the left to see all events scheduled for a specific park.
** Click on column headers to sort by Park, Date, Event, etc.
| Park | Date | Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Lake | May 28 | All Day | Military Appreciation Day | Free daily admission for past and present servicemen and women to any state park on Memorial Day, in honor of their service to our country. |
| Cross Ranch | May 28 | Military Appreciation Day | Vehicle entrance fee waived. | |
| Fort Abraham Lincoln | May 12 | 1 pm | Mother's Day Hike | Join us as we celebrate that special mom in your life! Choose between a guided hike on the park's wilder trails or on the park's paved trails. Also enjoy a musical performance by Kris Kitko at 12:30pm and 1:30pm! |
| Fort Stevenson | May 26-28 | 11:00 am - 4:00 pm | Sky Dance Sakakawea | Kite flying festival for all ages. Fly your own kite. Build your own kite. See kites of all shapes and sizes being flown, including stunt kites. 20th Anniversary. |
| Fort Stevenson | May 28 | All Day | Military Service Personnel Day | Free Military Personnel admission into the park. |
| Icelandic | May 28 | All Day | Military Appreciation Day | Free admission, no daily vehicle fee on Memorial Day in honor of past and present service men and women. |
| Lake Metigoshe | May 28 | Military Appreciation Day-Memorial Day | There’s free admission into all ND state parks on Memorial Day, in honor of past and present military personnel serving to protect our nation. Military identification may be required for the free admission. Come spend a day at the park, enjoy its natural beauty or take part in its many recreational activities it has to offer. | |
| Turtle River | May 28 | Military Appreciation Day | There’s free admission into all ND state parks on Memorial Day, in honor of past and present military personnel serving to protect our nation. Military identification may be required for the free admission. Come spend a day at the park, enjoy its natural beauty or take part in its many recreational activities it has to offer. |
| Park | Date | Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Lake | Jun 2 | 10 am | National Trails Day | Join a Ranger for a guided hike along the Nature Trail. After the guided hike, take the opportunity to explore other portions of the Beaver Lake State Park trail system on your own. Meet at the park swim beach at 10 a.m. |
| Cross Ranch | Jun 23-24 | National Trails Day AND Visitor Appreciation Day | Today is a nationally recognized event to encourage people to get outside. Park Naturalists will lead hikes in the park and the neighboring Cross Ranch Nature Preserve Trail. Call ahead (701-794-3731) to register for our first ever River Bottom 5k Run! Vehicle entrance fee is waived! | |
| Cross Ranch | Jun 15-16 | Annual Missouri River Bluegrass Festival | Kids Fest will also take place during the festival with activities Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening. Further concert information will be released at a later date. While the concert is outdoors, pets will not be allowed in concert area, there is no smoking in concert area, and taping of the concerts is prohibited. Ticket prices are TBD. Ages 16 and under are admitted free. | |
| Fort Abraham Lincoln | Jun 2 | 9 am - 7 pm | National Trails Day |  Schedule of events (pdf 428k) |
| Fort Abraham Lincoln | Jun 16-17 | Frontier Army Days | ||
| Fort Ransom | Jun 2 | 10:00 am | National Trails Day Hike with the Park Manager | Meet at the Visitor Center at 10 a.m. |
| Fort Stevenson | Jun 2 | 2:00 pm | National Trails Day | Ranger guided hike through park’s native prairie. North Dakota bird checklist available. Hike will start at the Guardhouse Interpretive Center. |
| Fort Stevenson | Jun 23-24 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Fort Stevenson Frontier Military Days | Living history demonstrations with military encampment and maneuvers. Skills and crafts of the Indian Wars period on display. Visit the Fort Stevenson Guardhouse Interpretive Center. 20th Anniversary. |
| Fort Stevenson | Jun 24 | All Day | Visitor Appreciation Day | Free admission into the park. |
| Grahams Island | Jun 2 | All Day | National Trails Day | |
| Grahams Island | Jun 22 | All Day | Devils Lake Chamber Tournament | |
| Icelandic | Jun 2 | National Trails Day | Guided hikes at 9:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and a night hike at dusk. T-shirts and other door prizes at each hike. | |
| Icelandic | Jun 9 | Saturday Night at the Hall | Dinner outside under event tents and live music inside the Historic Arka Hall. | |
| Lake Metigoshe | Jun 2 | National Trails Day | Join us in celebrating this event at Lake Metigoshe. Many programs are planned to get folks out on our trails to enjoy the park. Activities may include geocaching, canoeing, guided hikes, etc. Take part in our activities for your chance to win prizes. Please visit our website, that week's activity flyer or press release for further details. | |
| Lake Metigoshe | Jun 9 | Lake Metigoshe State Park Visitor Appreciation Day & 75th Anniversary Celebration | Park entrance fees are waived for the day! Take in what the state park has to offer whether it’s fishing, swimming, geocaching, hiking, biking, picnicking or camping. Celebrate LMSP’s 75th anniversary by stopping in at the kitchen/dining hall where festivities will be taking place. The kitchen/dining hall is one of the few original buildings that still stands, representing the historical aspects of the park. Stop in to enjoy food, entertainment and historical pictures of the park. Call the park directly for further details. | |
| Lake Metigoshe | Jun 23 | 8th Annual Great American Backyard Campout Day | The Great American Backyard Campout is a national event sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation that provides an opportunity for everyone to re-live, or experience for the first time, how much fun it is to spend a night sleeping under the stars and enjoying the sounds of nature. We invite you to bring your friends and family to camp and celebrate the 8th Annual Great American Campout Day with us at Lake Metigoshe State Park. | |
| Lake Sakakawea | Jun 2 | National Trails Day, Visitor Appreciation Day | Free admission | |
| Turtle River | Jun 2 | National Trails Day | Join us for a TRIALgate Party! There will be games, prizes and a hikes lead through the beautiful Turtle River State Park. Attention Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.. This hike qualifies for the Girl Scout "Get with the Land" patch. Boy Scouts can use this hike towards a belt loop, pin or merit badge. | |
| Turtle River | Jun 2-3 | Let's Go Fishing | Celebrate the joy of fishing by taking someone fishing this weekend. No Gear? No Problem! Fishing poles and tackle is available to check out for the day. North Dakota fishing license not needed this weekend. | |
| Turtle River | Jun 16 | Turtle Fest | Come join us at Turtle River for a day of fun, games, music, fishing, minnow races, great food and lots more! Event Flyer (pdf 275k) | |
| Turtle River | Jun 22-24 | 8th Annual Great American Backyard Campout! | Grab your family and friends and head out to one of North Dakotas State Parks! The Great American Backyard Campout is a national event sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation that provides an opportunity for everyone to re-live, or experience for the first time, how much fun it is to spend a night sleeping under the stars and enjoying the sounds of nature. Come camp and celebrate the 8th Annual Great American Campout Day with us at Turtle River State Park. |
| Park | Date | Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Lake | Jul 21 | 11:30 am - 2:30 pm | 80th Anniversary Celebration/Visitor Appreciation Day | Lunch will be served from 11:30am-1:00pm at the North Shore picnic shelter. Hot dogs, chips, watermelon, birthday cake and pop will be served while supplies last. Park program at 1:30pm in the Memorial Picnic Area. Free daily admission. Contact Beaver Lake State Park Staff at: 701-452-2752 for further details. |
| Cross Ranch | Jul 7 | Do the Big Muddy | To celebrate the Missouri River we’ll have an afternoon of great family activities! Take a ride in a canoe or kayak or participate in our “water games.” Call ahead (701-794-3731) and register for our “Any that floats” raft race! | |
| Fort Ransom | Jul 14-15 | Sodbuster Days | ||
| Fort Stevenson | Jul 4 | Dusk | July 4th Celebration | Fireworks display in the picnic area of the park. |
| Fort Stevenson | Jul 20-21 | ND Governor's Cup Fishing Derby | 252 teams competing for the Governor’s Cup 37th annual championship. Flights go out between 7:00 am and 8:30 am. Weigh-ins begins at 3:00 pm. | |
| Icelandic | Jul 20-22 | Christmas in July | Campsites are decorated for Christmas. Decorating Contest, Christmas Movie and Bike Parade for the kids. | |
| Lake Metigoshe | Jul 1 | 13th Annual Bike Parade | The bicycle parade will begin by decorating our bikes and lining up at the amphitheater at 10 a.m. The parade will start at roughly 10:15 a.m. and go through the modern campgrounds. Afterwards, we’ll play some fun games and enjoy a cool treat. Everyone is welcome to participate so hop on your bike, put on the red, white and blue and join us! | |
| Lake Metigoshe | Jul 13-15 | Fun in the Sun Weekend | Join us as we celebrate summer this weekend! Put on your swimsuit, grab your beach towel, slather yourself up with sunscreen, slip on your flip-fops and join us for all kinds of summer fun including water balloon battles and cool, summer treats! The 13th Annual Beach Olympics will take place at the beach on Saturday night at 8:30pm so come prepared for some friendly competition! Call the park directly or see that week’s programming flyer or press release for further details on all of the activities. | |
| Lake Metigoshe | Jul 27-28 | 7th Annual Halloween in July | Everyone is invited and encouraged to bring costumes and candy, decorate campsites and participate in all of the park's spooky events. Take a frightful walk down our haunted trail on Friday night from 9:30-11 p.m. Kids can join us at the amphitheater at 10 a.m. on Saturday to put on their favorite costumes or get their face painted for trick-or-treating in the modern campground. Saturday evening will bring yet another haunting experience starting at 9:30 p.m. at the amphitheater. Sunday will wrap-up a wild weekend with a canoeing adventure starting at the warming house at 10 a.m. Come to Lake Metigoshe State Park this weekend, if you dare! | |
| Turtle River | Jul 14 | Halloween in July | Dust off last year's Halloween costume and join the park staff in a howling good time by participating in decorating your campsite, costume contest at the amphitheater, trick or treating in the campground and our very own haunted trail. |
| Park | Date | Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Ranch | Aug 11 | Dog Days of Summer | Bring your four-legged family member to the park this weekend. There will be dog treats in the geocaches, a hide-and-seek dog toy on the trails, and more! Bring your favorite beverage and side for our hot dog cookout. Well-behaved dogs on a six foot leash are welcome. | |
| Fort Stevenson | Aug 4 | 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm | Aquapalooza | A family oriented boating experience; live band and activities for the whole family. See http://www.aquapalooza.com for more information. |
| Fort Stevenson | Aug 4-11 | CANDISC Bicycle Tour | CANDISC Tour 2012 is a 400-mile loop tour originating and ending at Fort Stevenson State Park. Cycle the world famous “Enchanted Highway” featuring the world’ largest metal sculptures. Experience “New Salem Sue” the world’s largest milk cow. Enjoy friendly hospitality that is truly North Dakota. 20th Anniversary. | |
| Fort Stevenson | Aug 25 | All Day | Beach Party | Garrison Chamber of Commerce Beach Party, live bands and carnival style entertainment, fun and food for all ages, 50’s, 60’s & 70’s music. |
| Icelandic | Aug 10-12 | Kids' Weekend | An entire weekend totally devoted to kids with crafts, games, entertainment, contests, and lots of excitement. | |
| Lake Metigoshe | Aug 3-5 | Outdoor Feast Weekend | This weekend is all about making and enjoying food in the great outdoors. Grab a fork and join us at the park this weekend to get a taste of some different sweets and treats that you may have never tried before, but are sure to make again! | |
| Lake Metigoshe | Aug 10-12 | ND Game & Fish Department’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) Workshop at Lake Metigoshe State Park | Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops are designed primarily for women with an interest in learning skills associated with hunting, fishing and related outdoor endeavors. Although they are open to anyone 18 or older, the workshops are tailored primarily to ladies who have never tried these activities or who are beginners hoping to improve their skills. Summer activities may include kayaking, canoeing, fly fishing, geocaching, shot gunning, Dutch oven cooking, orienteering and more! | |
| Lake Sakakawea | Aug 4-5 | Great Plainers Salmon Club Outing | ||
| Lake Sakakawea | Aug 18 | Great Plainers Salmon Derby | ||
| Turtle River | Aug 18 | Turtle River Birthday Bash | Come celebrate Turtle Rivers 78th birthday with us. The day will be filled with games, crafts, and BIRTHDAY CAKE!! |
| Park | Date | Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Lake | Sep 29 | 10 am | National Public Lands Day | Volunteer to help make a difference on our public lands through various projects in Beaver Lake State Park. Meet at the park office at 10 a.m. Contact Beaver Lake State Park Staff at: 701-452-2752 for further details. |
| Fort Ransom | Sep 8-9 | Sodbuster Days | ||
| Icelandic | Sep 9 | Pioneer Machinery Show | Machinery parade, threshing, tractor pull, kids peddle pull, entertainment, displays, and breakfast. All located at the Pioneer Machinery Site (across the road from Icelandic State Park). | |
| Lake Sakakawea | Sep 1-2 | Great Plainers Salmon Club Outing | ||
| Turtle River | Sep 4-20 | Eco Ed - (short for Ecology Education) | Camps are offered free to all seventh grade students in Grand Forks County. This camp was developed to give students hands on experience that will reinforce classroom lessons in Life Science. Sponsored by the Grand Forks Soil Conservation. | |
| Turtle River | Sep 7-9 | Camp LOL (Loving Our Land) | Join Girl Scouts in our Four State Area for a fun camping event full of exciting educational opportunities in the scenic Turtle River State Park. Programs available for Daisy through Ambassador. | |
| Turtle River | Sep 21-23 | BOW: Become an Outdoor Woman | BOW workshops are designed primarily for women with an interest in learning skills usually associated with outdoor endeavors such as hiking, fishing, mountain biking, survival, birding and much more. Although they are open to anyone 18 or older, the workshops are tailored primarily to ladies who have never tried these activities or who are beginners hoping to improve their skills. |
| Park | Date | Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No events have been scheduled yet for this month. | ||||
| Park | Date | Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icelandic | Nov 18 | Christmas Open House/Visitor Appreciation Day | The Pioneer Heritage Center will be decorated with trees, lights and a variety of Christmas displays. This event is our annual Visitor Appreciation Day; vehicle entry fees are waived for this event. |
| Park | Date | Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No events have been scheduled yet for this month. | ||||
