North Dakota?

[j_robinson2]

Have been planning a trip to see a friend in the cold and frozen North country

of North Dakota. He is near Minot where the airbase has the highest

retirement/lowest re-enlistment rate of the whole US Air Force.

 

What is there to photograph in a place like this? What in North Dakota at all?

I have heard more about Kansas!

 

At least South Dakota has the Badlands. But what does North Dakota have other

than being able to see the backs of polar bears in the Arctic hundreds of miles

North since it is so flat?

[Two23]

I've traveled ND extensively on my sales job, and I have to say it's a huge surprise. It's one of Jim Brandenburg's favorites. You need to be more specific about exactly when you want to go though. What I'd recommend will vary 100% depending on time of year. This time of year it's really not all THAT cold. I mean, the lakes won't be frozen solidly enough to even walk on yet. The bigger ones are still open.

 

Minot has several things going for it this time of year. One is that there aren't any big cities anywhere near, so you can often get decent shots of the Northern Lights. There is a really cool RR trestle out west of town that would make a great shot with the Lights behind it. The ducks etc. are beginning to come down now, and their numbers will stun people not familiar with them. The MO Rivery Valley is spectacular, even more so with snow. Lots of ranch scenes to photo and we are very friendly out here. I almost never have been turned down to photo on private land. The small towns are nice to photo, especially the Main Street at night. South and west of Bismarck is Medora and the ND Badlands are quite beautiful any time of year. They are very different from the SD Badlands BTW. All in all, ND is one of my favorite state. My favorite month there is January or February.

 

 

Kent in SD<div></div>

[SCL]

Fields of sunflowers (summer), lots of pheasant, in Fargo I remember seeing an enormous tractor manufacturing plant.

[j_robinson2]

The way it was described to me was flat, flat and more flat. Maybe there is more there than people say?

[crabseye]

Why not Minot?

[J.W. Wall]

For instance, http://www.ndtourism.com/

[christian deichert]

Not that this is on the top of everyone's list (especially given that this is a nature thread), but there's plenty of abandoned missile silo sites (including the Safeguard complex in Nekoma).

 

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is worth a visit. On my visit to the south unit, I saw herds of bison, badland formations (with a river, unlike Badlands), scoria from a coal seam fire, and a petrified forest.

[brett_duval]

If you have the time you should go to Theodore Roosevelt NP. There are two units, north and south, with the south one being the better of the two. While there last summer I saw bison, elk, deer, wild horses, prairie dogs, a coyote, and a snake. There are also a few interesting view points and hikes. On the way there you can stop at New Town, gamble at the Indian casino, and shoot Lake Sakakawea.

 

If you don't have time to drive to TRNP then drive northwest of Minot for an hour or two. There are plenty of lakes and reserves up there where you can find hundreds, maybe thousands, of ducks and geese. If you're lucky the sandhill cranes will be coming through, too. You should also be able to find old abandoned farmhouses, windmills, cars, truck, farm equipment, etc.

 

If your going before next spring you should go now. I was in ND last week and it's starting to cool off. If you wait too long most of the wildlife will be gone. Good luck.

[jeff_drew4]

Some of the areas around the rivers are terrific for migratory birds and other critters! N.D. is picturesque even along the interstate and one can get a peaceful drive with little traffic. One more neat thing about Minot and some other towns in the Dakotas and northern Minnesota, when it's snowing & blowing hard, the flakes are driven horizontally! One side of a structure can have a foot of snow but the ground is relatively bare! True enough! I saw it! BTW: other things to appreciate in N.D., the people are nice, the sky is very blue; the air is very clean; and the movie "Fargo" is nothing like the city! OT, if you like kick-ass collegiate hockey, N.D. has that too!

[jautey]

There are dozens of wildlife (state and federal) refuges in North Dakota, some real nice ones up around Minot. Not sure what time of year your going to be there but if you time it right you'll see more waterfowl than you thought exsisted.

 

It also has a nice set of State Parks, Icelandic, in the northeast part of the state is interesting as is Lake Metigoshi.

 

Like others have said check out TR National Park, but its a long way from Minot. If you have more time check out the the Little Missouri National Grasslands.

 

http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/refuges/nd/

http://www.parkrec.nd.gov/Parks/parksa-z.htm

http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/dakotaprairie/medora.htm