LAKE METIGOSHE STATE PARK, NORTH DAKOTA

Our Opinion: Neutral. Nice place for a family summer vacation, but so remote we are not likely to return!

Date of Stay: July 8th and 9th, 2008

Weather During Stay: Pleasant - highs in the low to mid 70’s, lows in the 50’s. A tornado had come through the area the day before we arrived.

Site Description: The campground has two loops. Sites 1-44, pullouts with 50 amp E and water, are in the “new loop” and are reservable. The older loop, sites 45 through 70 (?), is first-come, first-served, with much shorter sites (all backins), 30 amp E and water. All sites have a picnic table and campfire ring. Both loops have clean bathhouses with showers, dumpsters, and recycling of aluminum cans. A dump station is available.

Rate: We paid $15/night since we had an annual pass ($25). Without an annual pass, add $5/day to the cost of camping.

Phone/radio/TV: Verizon phones have 3 bars and the aircard works, sometimes on Broadband, sometimes not. Getting a TV satellite signal is challenging in this wooded park (our roof mounted satellite was blocked). We didn’t try the TV antenna. Local NPR on 88.9.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: Heavily wooded, gently rolling state park at 2200’. Lots of water, including Lake Metigoshe. Views are of other campers, trees and grass.

Lighting/Noise: Both low, unless you have noisy neighbors.

Favorite Sites: We were in long, level site 1. If someone had been in site 44, our neighbor, we would have been sharing lawn space. Many of the sites in the “new” loop are accessible for big rigs, with care, but many are not level. Almost all sites in the “old” loop are too short for big rigs.

Hiking/Walking: Nice! Trails traverse the park, often skirting the shores of small lakes.

Comments: This is a remote park about 4 miles south of the Canada/US border. The lake is a rustic resort area shared by the state park and private property owners. If you have a big rig, reserve a site in the reservable loop or be prepared to be assertive in using a vacant “reservable” site. It appears they prefer to have reservable sites go empty while the F-C, F-S loop is packed rather than going the extra mile to make “unreserved” sites available until the next reservation arrives.