Turtle River State Park

Turtle River State Park is named after the meandering Turtle River that cuts across the beautiful wooded Red River Valley where the park is situated. This public park is a great recreational retreat that covers a total of 784 acres and is located west of Grand Forks (the third-largest city in the State of North Dakota). The main entrance to the park can be found north of the community of Arvilla about 22 miles west of Grand Forks on Highway 2.

This state park was established in 1934 and shortly thereafter, the construction of the park's amenities started under the auspices of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which is a public work relief program founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Some of the amenities that can be found at the park include camping grounds, playground, sledding hill, fishing, RV dump station, picnic shelters, cabins, showers, electrical hookups, kitchen, and dining hall. Additionally, the park has a visitor center that hosts the Conservation Corps Interpretive exhibits and displays. The visitor center also includes a gift shop and a public restroom.

All of these amenities provide plenty of opportunities to enjoy a vast number of activities including picnicking, camping, cross-country skiing, fishing, mountain biking, wildlife watching, and hiking. Pets are allowed at the park and if you choose to bring your four-footed friend with you to the park, you will not be charged any additional fee to enter the park.

If you do bring your dog to this park, you must observe some basic rules including ensuring your dog is well behaved (no excessive barking or harassing of wildlife) and cleaned up after always. Your dog must always be in a secure enclosure or on a leash not longer than six feet long. You should not tie your dog to a tree or any other stationary object and you must always ensure that your dog is attended to. Additionally, you should not allow your dog to go into buildings or to wander into designated swimming areas.