XC Skiing/Snowshoeing

XC Skiing/Snowshoeing Areas

• Denbigh Experimental Forest

  Denbigh Experimental Forest is located on 640 acres, 13 miles west of Towner, ND on Highway 2.  In addition, there are 115 acres known as the Souris Unit located three miles north of Towner, ND on Highway 14.

  Denbigh was established after the 1930s when the Dust Bowl hit McHenry County.  The USDA Forest Service established the Denbigh Experimental Forest in 1931.  Research began to determine what conifer or hardwood trees would survive in the area.  Over the next 20+ years, more than 40 tree species were planted at Denbigh.  In 1983, the Forest Service contracted maintenance and forest management responsibilities to the North Dakota Forest Service.  However, all of these responsibilities were transferred back to the US Forest Service-Dakota Prairie Grasslands in 1998.  Denbigh is now managed by the Sheyenne Ranger District office.

  The southwest one-half of Denbigh Experimental Forest was planted to thousands of trees and shrubs between 1931 and 1942, while the remainder was left as natural prairie habitat.  It is used by a variety of grassland birds, prairie butterflies, and wildflowers.  Over 200 bird species have been recorded here, including the yellow-rumped warbler, northern saw-whet owl, sharp-shinned hawk, brown creeper, bald eagle, red-breasted nuthatch, and red crossbill.  For the last 75 years, this area has been left idle leading to tree and shrub encroachment and the invasion of noxious weeds and exotic grasses.  The Dakota Prairie Grasslands is working to restore the native prairie portion through noxious weed treatments, mowing, and prescribed burning.

  Associated with the Denbigh Experimental Forest, is the Towner State Nursey which was established in 1935 by the US Forest Service to produce tree seedlings for planting the proposed Souris National Forest.  However, this National Forest, located just north of the Towner Nursery, was never established due to lack of funding.  The nursery was closed in 1942 due to World War II and was re-opened in 1951 by the ND Forest Service who continues to operate it today.  The Towner Nursery produces about 1.25 million tree seedlings per year.

• Sheyenne National Grassland

  Sheyenne National Grassland is located in southeastern North Dakota, comprising 70,180 acres (28,400 ha) of public land amid 64,769 acres (26,211 ha) of privately owned land.  It is characterized by sandy soils, originally deposited as the delta of an ancient river as it emptied into glacial Lake Agassiz.  Since that time, wind and rain have shaped the topography into a unique landscape ranging from flat deltaic plains to choppy sand dunes.

  It is the only National Grassland in the tallgrass prairie region of the United States.  The grassland provides habitat for greater prairie chickens in North Dakota as well as several other sensitive species such as the Dakota skipper and Regal Fritillary.  It also contains one of largest populations of the western prairie fringed orchid, which has been placed on the list of Threatened Species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Other unique plants found on the grassland include other orchids and ferns.

  The grassland is managed with prescribed grazing, fire, and mowing.  These programs are all managed in cooperation with the local grazing association.  Treatment of noxious weeds is also very important and is accomplished through herbicide application, biocontrol, and sheep grazing.

  Recreation opportunities abound throughout the grassland.  Visitors can enjoy activities such as hiking, hunting, camping, horseback riding, photography, and backpacking.  See Activities section below for detailed descriptions.  Some points of interest to visit while on the grassland include:  Iron Springs creek, the Horseshoe Hills, Old Bridges, Owego Pioneer Cemetery, and an Old Fire Lookout Tower.

  The grassland is located in eastern Ransom and western Richland counties, about 12 miles (19km) east of the city of Lisbon.  The grassland is administered by the Forest Service as part of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands from the Supervisor’s office in Bismarck, North Dakota.  The local Sheyenne Ranger District office is located in Lisbon, North Dakota.

  Other places of interest in the vicinity of  Sheyenne National Grassland include:

  The town of McLeod, North Dakota.  Visitors can learn about the area’s history, including some of the Grassland’s history at the McLeod Museum Complex.  The museum complex includes a Presbyterian Church built in 1909, the Soo Line Depot, a homestead house built in the late 1800s, and a one-room school house which operated from 1904-2002.  McLeod is located three miles south of Highway 27 on County Road 54 or 149^th Avenue SE. 

  The Nature Conservancy operates Brown Ranch through their Sheyenne Delta office located just a few miles southwest of McLeod, ND.  Some of this land is managed in conjunction with the Sheyenne National Grassland. 

• Hankinson Hills Trail
• North Country National Scenic Trail
• Oak Leaf Trail