cross ranch state park

I love visiting the park every season. The best is on a beautiful but windy day. Cool to see those big cottonwood trees blowing in the wind. It is primitive so be ready to leave the city behind. That is a good thing!

Eight of us rented the Art Link log cabin for the weekend of Nov. 28th & 29th. Nice largecabin. Wood burning stove for heat & cooking on. We had never used either for survival, worked out just fine to heat the cabin, however a bit messy the burnt wood of course created ash dust. Now cooking on the stove took a bit of getting used to, but wehad planned meals that could be baked in the oven & heated on the stove top. It was a cold windy weekend so we did need to burn a bit of wood. Also running outside to the bathroom (vaulted toilet) was a bit cold & dark at night needed a flashlight. We all had fun, but would rent the other cabin next time the wood burning stove isn't for people with any sinus issues & all of our clothes, bedding, anything fabric smelled like smoke from the stoves. Also they claim you can sleep several people in the loft, yeah well if you're a monkey. The loft is high with steep stairs no rails, going up isn't bad, but you now have to come back down. I wouldn't allow children to do that climb unattended, too dangerous! The bedroom has 2 twin bunkbeds to sleep 4, the couch is only for one person you can set up an air bed in the livingroom. So the cabin only sleeps 7 comforably. We managed fine with 2 small adult couples sleeping on the bottom bunks. You could put 2 air beds in the loft, but again getting up there & down the cieling is very low up there also so be carefull when getting up off your pillow. You would need to blow up the beds up there so bring a long extension cord so you can find an outlet down below to blow up the bed or you would never get the bed up there after it's aired up. If you can really ruff it & don't need an air bed & can just sleep on a sleeping bag well you could sleep 6 up in the loft. Providing you are a good climber. Makes you appreciate the moderations of running water & other means of heat than burning wood. All in all it was fun. There are showers & real toilets at the visitor center, but it's a little walk when it's cold outside.

This ND state park is located within the Missouri River cottonwood trees. Many of these trees were there when Lewis and Clark made their journey down the river. Nature walking trails, canoe and cabin rentals and campground. The park is 28 miles north of Mandan on hwy 1806. Large picnic shelters for gatherings. Very peaceful. Yearly Bluegrass festival is great. Daily fee or ND state park pass is required.

If you are following the Lewis and Clark Expedition route, Cross Ranch is a good place to visit. First the Missouri River is accessible and there are trails along the water in a natural state. And this is a free flowing stretch of the river, rare to find since so much of the Missouri is dammed. Photographers: tall cottonwoods beckon for all types of photos.

Quiet camp ground with close proximity to the Missouri River. Very peaceful and relaxed- not a lot of activity. Perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway with nature.

Rare natural area preserved by The Nature Conservancy; Named after the Maltese Cross cattle brand of Teddy Roosevelt. From river banks and cottonwoods to the natural high bluff prairie.

This is a great spot to camp if you like getting back to nature. Most sites are premative, but on the south side have a few sites with electrical hookups. The whole campground is in the woods. Blue grass festival is held here annually.

It is a primitive area near the Missouri River north of Bismarck. They have a very good Blue Grass festival there ever year.

Too many trees, no where to park fifth wheel campers without the trees rubbing on them, or tearing the rubber roofs.

Good quiet camping opportunities, great cabins (check them out in the winter). Neat location along the Missouri river. Only negative is that state parks should open their trails to bikes.

They have nice campgrounds here but there is not much to do when the water is high or all the canoes are rented. The tent camping is far far away from the showers and toilets. Nice fire pits.

Quiet primative camp grounds for both tents and campers/RV's. Good playground for the kids. Nice hiking trails along the river and through old Cottonwood groves (some of the trees are HUGE!). Programs and kids activities most weekends in the summer.

We camped here in July of 2010. We thought we needed to get here early to make sure we got a camp site, but we had no problem getting a site. In fact, we had the entire walk-in camp site section to ourselves. There was only one other group in the park that we saw, and they were all the way over at the group camping section.Our camp site was just off the Missouri River. Close enough that we could see people fishing on the river. At night we were able to hear the coyotes howling back and forth from each side of the river.There are also cabins available for rent.Also located nearby are the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Fort Mandan, Knife River Indian Villages, and Fort Clark.