Dakota Prairie National Grasslands

Dakota Prairie National Grasslands

Parks Directory of the United States / National GrasslandsAddress:240 W Century Ave
Bismarck, ND 58503
Phone:701-250-4443
Fax:701-250-4454
Web: www.fs.fed.us/r1/dakotaprairie
Size: 2,609,900 total acres, encompassing four national grasslands: Little Missouri NG (1,028,000 acres); Sheyenne NG (70,200 acres); Cedar River NG (6,700 acres); Grand River NG (155,000 acres).
Location:Little Missouri NG: Western North Dakota; accessible by I-94, US 85; nearby towns include Grassy Butte and Medora. Sheyenne NG: Southeastern North Dakota; accessible by ND 27; nearby towns include Anselm, Lisbon, and McLeod. Cedar River NG: Southern North Dakota; accessible by ND 49; nearby towns include Lemmon, SD, and North Lemmon, ND. Grand River NG: Northwest South Dakota; accessible by SD 73 and SD 75; nearby towns include Bison, Lodgepole, and Shadehill.
Facilities:9 campgrounds (Little Missouri NG), dispersed camping, picnic and day-use areas, trails, scenic drives.
Activities:Camping, hunting, canoeing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, bird watching.
Special Features:Four disparate grasslands each with their own characteristics. Little Missouri NG is the nation's largest grassland. It surrounds Teddy Roosevelt National Park (see entry in national parks section) and offers the most developed amenities. 100-mile-long Maah Daah Hey Trail traverses the area's scenic and rugged North Dakota badlands. The Little Missouri River, along the grassland's western edge, is popular for canoeing. Sheyenne NG contains a 25-mile segment of North Country National Scenic Trail (see entry in national trails section). Its long-grass prairie supports a large population of greater prairie chickens. Grand River NG's mixed-grass prairie is home to Shadehill Recreation Area (see entry in South Dakota state parks section) and the historic land of Sitting Bull. Cedar River NG is a mixed-grass prairie on plains and rolling hills, intersected by streams and dry draws. All but 400 acres of Cedar River NG lie within Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
See other parks in North Dakota.