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
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
By Bryce Vincent Haugen There are three Fargo Park Board seats up for election June 9. Park Board President Vicki Dawson and long-time member Dr. Joe Deutsch announced their reelection bids, but board member Aaron Hill is vacating…
By Michael M. Miller Francie M. Berg, native of Hettinger, N.D., edited an impressive book, “Ethnic Heritage in North Dakota,” published in 1983. She grew up on a ranch near Miles City, Montana. Her son, Richard Berg, is…
Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m.Fargodome, 1800 University Dr. N, FargoHeralded as "The Nicest Man in Stand-Up" by The Atlantic, Nate Bargatze is also one of the top-grossing comedians, breaking both streaming and attendance records. Now…
By Sabrina Hornung In the last week of March, we heard about an AI education droid visiting the White House as the first lady made a pitch to replace teachers with androids. In an interview with conservative commentator Benny…
About the leader who sits so far-right from God he can’t see Him I have been reading Harvard PHD Heather Cox Richardson for more than a decade because she knows how important Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is in the study…
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 Gion A brand new food event called the "ONE BITE Challenge" will launch in downtown Fargo on May 23. Rocky Schneider, executive director of the Downtown Community Partnership told us more. HPR: Hi Rocky. Thank you for…
By John ShowalterAs hip-hop started to make its way into the national spotlight in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was largely split into two camps, “East Coast” and “West Coast”. Not content to be left out of a…
By Greg Carlson Veteran documentary filmmaker Marina Zenovich has chronicled a number of powerful men in entertainment, politics and popular culture, including Roman Polanski (twice), Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong…
Friday, May 8 - Sunday, May 10, 2-8 p.m.Brewhalla, 1702 1st Ave. N., FargoAmarok Tattoo is working with our pals at Drekker Brewing/Brewhalla to celebrate ink and everything odd and a little macabre. See some of the best in the…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
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 Ellie Liverani In November 2025, the FDA initiated the removal of the “black box” warning from Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The “black box” warning is a FAD safety warning for healthcare providers and patients…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By Jim Fuglie Okay, here I go again, warning (whining? complaining?) about another threat to the North Dakota badlands. Sorry. Please put up with me for a few hundred more words. Now, some folks I don’t think want to put a…