Lake Metigoshe State Park

2009 Special Events

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) Workshop-Friday-Sunday, February 20th-22nd
The North Dakota Game & Fish Department will be putting on a winter workshop for women interested in outdoor activities including snowshoeing, tracking, ice fishing, darkhouse spearfishing, dog sledding and cross country skiing. Participants must be 18 years of age or older. Participants need to arrive dressed for spending the day outdoors. Cost for the workshop is $50-$60 which includes all of the equipment and course materials. For more information and registration details, please visit http://gf.nd.gov/education/instruction/outdoorswoman.html or call Nancy Boldt, ND Game & Fish Water Safety Coordinator, at 701-328-6312.

Military Appreciation Day at Lake Metigoshe State Park-Monday, May 25th
In appreciation, folks with the proper military identification will get their ND State Park entrance fee waived for the day. Spend the day hiking, birding, biking, canoeing, geocaching, picnicking or sunning and swimming at the beach!

National Trails Day-Saturday, June 6th
Our trails at Lake Metigoshe offer a variety of outdoor experiences that may include geocaching, canoeing, birding, hiking or biking. Activities this weekend celebrate what our trails have to offer. Join us in celebrating the trails as well as chances to win National Trails Day prizes. Please visit that week’s activity flyer or press release for programming details. You may also get details from our department’s website at http://www.parkrec.nd.gov/parks/lmsp/activities.htm or call the park directly at 701-263-4651.

Lake Metigoshe State Park Visitor Appreciation Day-Saturday, June 13
Lake Metigoshe State Park offers a variety of recreational experiences including swimming, hiking, biking and birding just to name a few. While you are here enjoying such activities at the park, join us at the large picnic shelter near the beach and enjoy a treat on us in honor of Visitor Appreciation Day. We’ll be there from 11:30am-1pm and we hope to see you there!

National Great American Backyard Campout Day-Saturday, June 27
This national event encourages individuals, youth, friends and families to camp out together. Celebrate by camping at Lake Metigoshe State Park this weekend and play in our backyard! While visiting, take in the many recreational opportunities available at the park. Interpretive programs with a camping theme will take place throughout the weekend and will be fun for the whole family!

North Dakota Natural Resources Workshop-Monday-Wednesday, June 22-24
Teachers and anyone interested in North Dakota’s natural resources are invited to attend a fun-filled, hands-on workshop at Lake Metigoshe State Park. Topics may include canoeing, tree identification, water issues and conservation as well as wildlife behaviors. This workshop has a continuing education credit option (two credits). Registration is limited to 25 people. For more information on registration and cost for the workshop, please contact Amy Schimetz, Lake Metigoshe State Park Naturalist, at 701-263-4514 or Tina Harding, Turtle River State Park Naturalist, at 701-594-4445.

Fourth of July Extravaganza-Friday-Sunday, July 3-5
Included in our weekend events is an annual bicycle parade that will take place on Saturday afternoon. At 10 am, we’ll begin decorating our bikes and lining up at the amphitheater. The parade will go through the campground and end near the beach where we’ll play some fun games. All ages are welcome to participate so find your bike, put on the red, white & blue and join us! Noisemakers welcome!

10th Annual Beach Olympics-Saturday, July 11
Enjoy some family friendly competition on the Lake Metigoshe State Park Beach at 8:30pm. Challenges may include a bucket brigade, water balloon toss, ice cube melts, relay races and more. All ages welcome! Don’t be afraid to put your game face on and feel the sand between your toes. See you at the beach!

4th Annual Halloween in July-Friday-Sunday, July 24 -26
Everyone is invited and encouraged to bring costumes and candy, decorate campsites and participate in all of the park's frightening events. Take a haunting walk down our spooky trail on Friday night from 9:30-11pm. Kids can join us at the amphitheater at 10am 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 scary experience starting at 9:30 pm at the amphitheater. Come to Lake Metigoshe State Park this weekend, if you dare!

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) Workshop-Friday-Sunday, August 7-9
The North Dakota Game & Fish Department will be putting on a workshop at Lake Metigoshe State Park for women interested in learning outdoor activities such as fly fishing, canoeing, kayaking, archery, gun safety, field dressing, etc. Enrollment is limited to the first 100 people registered. The cost is approximately $135. Participants must be 18 years old or older. All equipment is provided. For additional information on the workshop and registration details visit http://gf.nd.gov/education/instruction/outdoorswoman.html or call Nancy Boldt, ND Game & Fish Water Safety Coordinator, at 701-328-6312.

Interpretive Activities

Lake Metigoshe State Park offers interpretive activities on weekends from mid-May through Labor Day weekend. These activities are hands-on and fun for the whole family. For information on program details and times contact the park.Information is also posted on park bulletin boards, on flyers obtainable at the entrance station and in the local papers.

May 15-17 At the Water's Edge

Friday, May 15

Leave it to Beaver. Meet at the amphitheater to learn about these crafty aquatic critters.

Saturday, May 16

Dakota Explorers: Macro Mayhem. Dive in to find out what critters live in Lake Metigoshe by meeting at the amphitheater.

Canoeing School Section Lake. Join us at the Warming House for a quick review on canoeing basics. Then, enjoy School Section Lake from a canoe as sunset approaches. Equipment is provided. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult.

Sunday, May 17

We are sorry, there is no Sunday program this weekend.

May 22-24 Nocturnal Niches

Friday, May 22

The Park at Dark. Meet at the Warming House to take a short night hike. We’ll explore the adaptations nocturnal animals have that help them survive.

Saturday, May 23

We are sorry, there is no morning program today!

Who Gives a Hoot? At the amphitheater, get introduced to the owls that make ND their home. Discover their interesting adaptations and characteristics

Sunday, May 24

Canoeing Adventures. Discover one of Lake Metigoshe State Park’s hidden secrets…School Section Lake. Meet at the Warming House for some basic canoeing instruction to enjoy the lake from a canoe. Equipment is provided. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult. There will be morning, afternoon and early evening outings.

May 29-31 Water Logged

Friday, May 29

Crystal Clear Choices. Imagine there is a water shortage…who gets the water and how much do they get? We’ll be passing the jug around the amphitheater as we discuss answers to such questions.

Saturday, May 30

Dakota Explorers: A Drop in the Bucket. Turn yourself into a water drop and travel around the atmosphere! In our game, you may find yourself in a cloud, river, ocean, lake or a few places you never thought of! Join us at the amphitheater.

H2-Olympics. The amphitheater will turn into an Olympic arena as we set up different events to challenge water. Watch as water pole vaults, walks a tightrope and defies gravity!

Sunday, May 31

School Section Adventure. Meet at the Warming House for some canoeing basics and a morning on the water. Equipment will be provided. Parents need to accompany participants under the age of 18.

June 5-7 Art with Arlen

Friday, June 5

Meet Arlen Evensen. Arlen is a very talented local artist who is self-taught in both carving and sculpture. Arlen draws his inspiration from the scenery and wildlife that surrounds us here in the Turtle Mountains. At the amphitheater, meet Arlen to discover his talents and see his works in progress.

Saturday, June 6 (National Trails Day)

Art with Arlen. Explore your own artistic talents by joining us at the amphitheater. Arlen will be putting on a workshop utilizing clay. We’ll fire or bake the art pieces and utilize them tonight in our gallery! All ages welcome!

Gallery of Fun. The amphitheater will turn into an art gallery tonight! Stop in to see the works of art that were created earlier at the workshop. Everyone’s pieces will be displayed and they can be picked up at this time. Also, Arlen will be working on pieces of his own so stop in to see him working on his latest projects.

Sunday, June 7

Canoe Adventures. Yesterday was National Trails Day….no, we didn’t forget! We are going to celebrate today so join us at the Warming House to enjoy portions of our canoe trail! National Trails Day items will be given away. Equipment will be provided. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult.

Special thanks to Arlen for joining us this weekend and sharing his talents. Also, thanks to the ND Council on the Arts for their financial assistance this weekend!

June 12-14 Super Sleuths

Friday, June 12

Evening Canoeing. At the Warming House, we’ll go over the basics and then enjoy an evening on the water of School Section Lake. Equipment is provided. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult.

Myth Busters. Did you know that a giraffe’s neck is not flexible? They only have 7 vertebrate! Debunk other myths with us at the amphitheater.

Saturday, June 13(Visitor Appreciation Day)

Dakota Explorers: Critter Scene Investigation-CSI. Zoinks! There’s been a crime! We need your help investigating. Meet at the amphitheater and be prepared to examine the evidence.

Nature’s Most Wanted. At the amphitheater, meet the state’s most notorious plants and animals.

Sunday, June 14

Canoeing Adventure. Meet at the Warming House for some canoeing basics and a morning on the water. Equipment will be provided. Adults need to accompany participants under the age of 18.

June 19-21 Things with Wings

Friday, June 19

The Talented Flyer. This talented flyer is often compared to a helicopter and can fly backwards. Take a closer look at this critter by flapping your wings and flying over the amphitheater!

Saturday, June 20

Dakota Explorers: That’s Just Batty! Kids of all ages should join us as things will get batty at the amphitheater!

Birding from a Canoe. Meet at the Warming House for some quick canoeing basics. Afterwards, we’ll be heading out in canoes on School Section Lake to see what birds we can check off your birds list! Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult. Equipment will be provided.

Interesting Insects. Buzz on over to the amphitheater where we’ll be buggin’ out over creepy crawly critters.

Sunday, June 21 (Father’s Day)

Coffee with Dad. Bring Dad over to the amphitheater for a cup of coffee.

June 26-27 Home Away from Home

Friday, June 26

Engineered by Nature. Make your way to the amphitheater as we compare blueprints from nature’s engineers to our own.

Saturday, June 27(National Great American Backyard Campout Day)

Dakota Explorers: Best Nest. Do you have what it takes to help build a home for a bird? Meet at the amphitheater where we’ll talk about some different nests. Then, a build your own activity.

Home Cookin’. Come on down to the fire! Join us at the amphitheater for some tasty vittles and explore what life could have been like on the prairie.

Sunday, June 28

Canoeing Adventure. Join us at the Warming House for the canoeing basics. Then, enjoy a morning on the water as we tour some critters’ homes along the water’s edge. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult. Equipment is provided.

July 3-5 4th of July Extravaganza

Friday, July 3

Bald Eagles. Did you know Ben Franklin wanted the wild turkey for our national symbol? Join us at the amphitheater to find out how the bald eagle trumped the wild turkey and rose to fame.

Saturday, July 4

10th Annual Bike Parade. Kids of all ages are encouraged to bring their bikes to the amphitheater where we’ll decorate them in red, white and blue. Then, we’ll line up and parade through the modern campground. Join us at the beach afterwards for some star spangled fun.

Canoeing Adventures (afternoon). Pick a time that’s convenient and meet us at the Warming House so you can enjoy some time on the water of School Section Lake. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult. Equipment is provided.

Sunday, July 5

Coffee and Conversation. Stop at the amphitheater for a morning cup of coffee.

July 10-12 Rec in the Park

Friday, July 10

Canoeing School Section. Meet at the Warming House to enjoy an evening on the water. Equipment is provided. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult.

The Park at Dark. Night owls are welcome to join us for a night hike. From the Warming House, we’ll set out and discover the night life that goes on in the park at dark.

Saturday, July 11

Dakota Explorers: Somethin’ Fishy Goin’ On. Swim down to the amphitheater where we’ll reel in some fun facts about fish and tackle where to find them.

Guided Hike. Join us for a naturalist hike starting from the Warming House. Wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring your own water, sunscreen and insect repellent.

10th Annual Beach Olympics. Join us at the beach for some friendly competition. Anyone interested should come a bit early to get placed on a team or bring your own team!

Sunday, July 12

Pedal the Park. Bring your bike to the Warming House as we set off on an adventure and explore the trails at Lake Metigoshe State Park. Please bring your own water, sunscreen and bug repellent.

July 17-19 Who Grows There?

Friday, July 17

Tree-mendous Trees. Branch out and meet us at the amphitheater to explore the diverse world of trees.

Saturday, July 18

Dakota Explorers: Scavenger Hunt. Starting at the Warming House, we’ll head out on the trail in search of some of the park’s most elusive plant life.

Is Freddy a Fungi? Freddy Fungus and Alice Alga took a “lichen” to each other and now their relationship is on the rocks. At the amphitheater, find out the answer to this and many other questions about the fungi and lichen.

Sunday, July 19

Wild Edibles. At the amphitheater, get a taste of nature’s bounty.

July 24-26 Halloween In July

Friday, July 24

Haunted Trail. Take a frightful stroll down our haunted trail….at your own risk. Trail starts near the entrance of Washegum campground. Children need to be accompanied by an adult. Please no bikes or flashlights.

Saturday, July 25

Dakota Explorers: Trick-or-Treating. Wear your favorite costume to the amphitheater…we are going trick-or-treating in the modern campground! Those who don’t have a costume can get their face painted and join us, too!

Storytelling by the fire. If you are brave enough, gather ‘round the fire at the amphitheater for some tales of ghosts, goblins, ghouls and more…if you dare.

Sunday, July 26th

Canoeing Adventures. Wind down from the frightful weekend by joining us on a leisurely morning on the water of School Section Lake. Meet at the Warming House. Equipment is provided. Participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.

July 31-August 2 Ancient Lake Metigoshe

Friday, July 31

Rock Talk. Roll down to the amphitheater for gneiss discussion of the area’s geology.

Saturday, August 1

Dakota Explorasaurus: Meet at the amphitheater to delve into the world of dinosaurs and create your own.

Fossil Fun. At the amphitheater, join us for a look into the fascinating world of fossils.

Sunday, August 2

Canoeing Adventures. Meet at the Warming House for some canoeing fun. Equipment is provided. Participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.

August 7-9 Frontier Life

Friday, August 7

Music and Storytelling. Gather ‘round the fire at the amphitheater to sing some songs and tell some tales. Instruments and stories welcome!

Saturday, August

Dakota Explorers: Pioneer Games. Children back in the day grew up without computers and video games. Find out what they did by joining us for some fun at the amphitheater.

Women of the Prairie. Travel back in time to experience some of the challenges women faced while surviving the frontier.

Sunday, August 9

Canoeing Adventures. Meet at the Warming House for some canoeing fun. Equipment is provided. Participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.

August 14-16 A Little Solar Flare

Friday, August 14

Solar Secrets. Did you know that 1 day on Venus is equal to 243 days on Earth? Explore other great secrets of the solar system by joining us at the amphitheater.

Saturday, August 15th

Dakota Explorers: A Sun-Day on a Saturday. The sun is the closest star to Earth! Kids of all ages should meet at the amphitheater to learn about this solar flare.

Canoeing Basics. Meet at the Warming House to get the basics and then enjoy School Section Lake from a canoe. What a great time on a hot day…equipment will be provided. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult.

Pictures in the Sky. Discover stories of the nighttime sky and be able to identify the constellations that go with them. Make your way to the amphitheater for this enchanting evening.

Sunday, August 16

There is no Sunday program this week.

August 21-23 Dakota Pride

Friday, August 21

Lake Metigoshe State Park History. Discover the story of park has to tell by meeting at the amphitheater.

Saturday, August 22

Dakota Explorers: Sunflowers. Kids of all ages...meet at the amphitheater to make your own sunflowers.

Canoeing Basics. Meet at the Warming House to get the basics and then enjoy School Section Lake from a canoe. What a great time on a hot day…equipment will be provided. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult.

Notable North Dakotas. Did you know that a lady by the name of Marie Downing moved out of Windsor Castle where she was a maid for Queen Victoria of England to marry a Rolla man? Meet some other lesser known, yet notable North Dakotans by meeting at the amphitheater.

Sunday, August 23

There is no Sunday program this week.

August 28-30 Crazy Critters

Friday, August 28

Camouflage, Mimicry & Deceptive Behavior. Animals need to ensure their survival and they do some crazy things to do it! Find out what they are capable of doing by meeting at the amphitheater.

Saturday, August 29

Dakota Explorers: Animal Tracks & Traces. Kids of all ages should make tracks to the amphitheater to explore various signs animals may leave behind.

Canoeing Basics. Meet at the Warming House to get the basics and then enjoy School Section Lake from a canoe. What a great time on a hot day…equipment will be provided. Participants under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult.

Funny Behaviors and Adaptations. Did you know that there is a bird that attracts its mate by decorating its nest with blue garbage? At the amphitheater, get acquainted with other critters that have crazy attributes.

Sunday, August 30

There is no Sunday program this week.

September 4-6 Leisurely Labor Day Weekend

Friday, September 4

Ranger’s Choice. Head to the amphitheater where we’ll be busting out the fun and games.

Saturday, September 5

Dakota Explorers: Art in the Park. Bring your artistic skills to the amphitheater and playground area. There will be fun craft stations set up that are fun for the whole family. Participate at all of the stations and enjoy a treat!

Park at Dark. Turn off your flashlights and explore the park at dark. Meet at the Warming House go with us on our annual end-of-the-year night hike tradition.

Sunday, September 6

Canoeing Adventures (morning, afternoon and evening). What’s camping at Lake Metigoshe State Park without a Sunday morning on the water of School Section Lake? Meet at the Warming House where we’ll go through the basics and enjoy the morning in a canoe. Equipment is provided and participants under 18 years of age need to bring an adult.