Outdoors | July 12th, 2017
Frost smoke rolled off the water and gathered in the middle of the lake, obscuring anything and everything beyond the battered dock.
Somewhere in the mist, Canada geese called. The sunrise sparkled through the trees and a night light over a cabin window flicked off as the morning arrived.
This is Lake Metigoshe, a wooded paradise and well-kept secret of North Dakota and its Turtle Mountains.
Jagged shorelines circle the lake’s mirror surface. Lakeside retreats ranging from old family cottages to newly built estates line the shore, left untouched in places like Lake Metigoshe State Park and Hahn’s Bay Recreation Area.
Emerging from their tents, the smell of the forest hits campers’ nostrils in the cool morning. A skunk escapes back into the brush before sunrise. A fox darts in and out of the bushes. And the birds begin a cacophony in the early morning.
From a distance, the serene Turtle Mountains appear as a turtle on the horizon, a dark hump straddling the U.S.-Canadian border in north central North Dakota. It’s a long drive from most anywhere to get here, but there’s plenty to see: The International Peace Garden, scenic State Highway 43, Mystical Horizons.
Lake Metigoshe, the region’s largest lake, is a slice of Minnesota lakes country in perhaps the most treeless state in the Union. The Turtle Mountains are home to a fifth of North Dakota’s forest land, which comprises less than 2 percent of the state’s area.
Wildlife abounds here, from common loons, pelicans and downy woodpeckers, to white-tailed deer and raccoons.
Red-necked grebes scream at each other along the shoreline. Mallards shoot up from the water as an outsider intrudes on their turf.
And in that morning frost smoke, a beaver swims near the dock, disappearing with a splash and a slap of its tail.
Accommodations of every kind are available along Lake Metigoshe, from campsites for RVs and tents to hotel rooms to rental cabins. For those seeking solitude away from bustling busyness, the state park’s Osprey Cabin lies tucked away on the shore of Lake Eramosh, less than a mile from Canada.
It’s a primitive cabin with comforts including Coleman lanterns readily available and a pile of firewood. The spot is a bit unexpected at the extreme central northern border of the Lower 48, in a state devoid of trees and topographical features.
January 18th 2023
August 17th 2021
August 17th 2021
January 23rd 2019
August 18th 2017
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Rodeo is a family tradition for sisters Kate and Tera Flitton. The duo performs under the moniker Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls. The Utah natives will be performing along with bareback riders,…
Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m. doors open at 7 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 N Broadway, FargoCheck out this cult classic on the big screen as a live band performs along with David Bowie’s vocals, all while basking in the Art Deco glory…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA column on How Trumusklicans are trying to change historyIt took William L. Shirer a couple decades to write and then publish “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany,”…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Photos by Rick GionLiving in downtown Fargo has its perks. One of them is taking walks along Broadway and peeking into the restaurants and shops for a glimpse of what’s new. Sometimes this makes a…
Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Making her feature directorial debut, Rachael Abigail Holder guides “Love, Brooklyn” to a satisfying conclusion, even if some viewers might have hoped for a different outcome for the…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Chad Nodland, "Artistic Freedom"On January 19, 2025, the last full day of Joe Biden’s presidency, he commuted Leonard Peltier's two consecutive life sentences to home confinement at his…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…
By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com Somewhere lost in the cultural scuffle of what it means to be transgender is that it is an absolute joy to experience the world in such a way. When you take away the societal prejudice and…
By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…