Lake Metigoshe State Park

Lake Metigoshe State Park encompasses a total area of 1,551 acres in the Turtle Mountains and off the shore of Lake Metigoshe. The park is situated 14 miles northeast of the city of Bottineau, Bottineau County, North Dakota. The park is close to the US-Canada border and adjacent to the much larger Turtle Mountain Provincial Park in Manitoba, Canada.

The name of the lake comes from a native North American tribe called the Ojibwe (also called the Ojibwa or the Chippewa). The Ojibwe coined the phrase ‘Metigoshe Washegum,’ meaning ‘clear water lake surrounded by oaks’, a phrase that paints a picture of the beauty of the lake and its environs.

Other interesting features of the lake and the park that surround the lake include the walleye, northern pike, and perch which are favorite fish among anglers. In the park surrounding the lake, you will also find aspens, rolling hills, smaller lakes, and several trails like the National Recreation Trail and Old Oak Trail. These features attract a lot of different people like nature enthusiasts including nature photographers, hikers, anglers, and sports enthusiasts.

Some of the features that the Lake Metigoshe State Park offers include a playground, picnic shelters, camping grounds with electrical hookups, an RV dump station, cabins, group dorms, showers, kitchen, boat ramp, canoe and kayak rentals, ski, and snowshoe rentals. Some of the activities that you can enjoy while at the park include winter sports like skiing, skating, and ice fishing. You could also enjoy biking, fishing, photography, swimming, outdoor recreation activities like learning about ecology and conservation and of course also enjoy hiking.

While hiking, you can bring your dog with you. There are certainly some rules that you must follow but nothing that will detract from a wonderful experience at the park. Some of the rules that you must observe include your dog must always be attended to and kept on a leash not longer than six feet long. Your dog must always be cleaned up after, that is you must immediately bag and dispose of your pooch’s poop in the right way. Also, you must keep your dog away from indoor facilities like cabins and administrative buildings.