Lake Metigoshe State Park
2008 Special Events
May 26—MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY. Free admission to any state park on Memorial Day, in honor of past and present servicemen and women.
June 7—NATIONAL TRAILS DAY. Our trails at Lake Metigoshe offer a variety of outdoor experiences that may include geocaching, canoeing, birding, hiking or biking. Activities this weekend celebrate what our trails have to offer. Join us in celebrating the trails as well as chances to win National Trails Day prizes.
June 14—VISITOR APPRECIATION DAY. Lake Metigoshe State Park offers a variety of recreational experiences including swimming, hiking, biking and birding just to name a few. While you are here enjoying such activities at the park, join us at the picnic shelter near the beach and enjoy a hot dog in honor of Visitor Appreciation Day. We’ll be there at 11:30am and serve until the hot dogs are gone so we hope to see you there!
July 5—FOURTH OF JULY EXTRAVAGANZA. Included in our weekend events is an annual bike parade that will take place on Saturday afternoon. At 1pm, we’ll begin decorating our bikes and lining up at the amphitheater. The parade will go through the campground and end near the beach where we’ll play some fun games. Everyone is welcome to participate so put on the red, white & blue and join us!
July 25-26—HALLOWEEN IN JULY. Everyone is invited and encouraged to bring costumes and candy, decorate campsites and participate in all of the park's spooky events. Take a frightful walk down our haunted trail on Friday night from 9:30-11 p.m. Kids can join us at the amphitheater at 10am on Saturday to put on their favorite costumes or get their face painted for trick-or-treating in the modern campground. Saturday evening will bring yet another haunting experience starting at 9 p.m. at the amphitheater. Come to Lake Metigoshe State Park this weekend, if you dare!
Interpretive Activities
Weekend interpretive activities, including hikes, campfire programs and Dakota Explorers, are held every weekend during the summer. Information is posted on the campground bulletin boards.
June 20-22 – To Each His Own
Friday, June 20
- 8:30 PM – Color My World. Did you ever wonder why the sky is blue or why space is black? Find out the answers to questions like this at the amphitheater.
Saturday, June 21
- 10 AM - Dakota Explorers: Hands-on Art & Picture Fun. Meet your artistic side at the amphitheater.
- 8:30 PM - Beauty Through the Eyes of a Child. Join us at the amphitheater as we display the pictures from the morning program.
Sunday, June 22
- 10 AM – Coffee & Conversation. Stop at the amphitheater for a morning cup of coffee and view our weekend’s “art gallery”.
June 27-29 – Fantastic Feathered Frenzy
Friday, June 27
- 8:30 PM – Birding Basics. Birding has become a popular hobby for many. Join us at the amphitheater to see if it could be one of yours.
Saturday, June 28
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Give a Hoot! Meet one of our feathered friends at the amphitheater, the owl.
- 1 PM – Birding Hike. Try out your newly acquired birding skills by meeting at the Warming House for a bird Hike. Extra binoculars and field guides will be available.
- 8:30 PM – Dress Like a Duck! Learn about bird anatomy as someone dresses like a duck at the amphitheater!
Sunday, June 29
- 10 AM - Birding the Canoe Trail. Meet at the Warming House to discover a variety of bird species from a canoe. Equipment will be provided.
July 4-6 – 4th of July Extravaganza!
Thursday, July 3
- 10:30 PM – Night Hike for Night Owls. Have you ever explored the trails after dark? Meet at the Warming House for a fun-filled night hike.
Friday, July 4
- 1 PM & 3:30 PM – Canoeing. Cool off while canoeing School Section Lake. Meet at the Warming House for some tips on canoeing and to enjoy the lake’s adventures!
- 8:30 PM – 9th Annual Beach Olympics. Join us at the beach for some friendly competition!
Saturday, July 5
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Take a leisurely stroll on the hiking trails. Wear comfortable shoes and bring your own water. Meet us at the Warming House for this guided hike.
- 1 PM – Bring your bikes to the amphitheater to start lining up for the Lake Metigoshe State Park Annual Bike Parade. Bike Parade will go through the modern campground and end up at the beach. Meet us there after the parade for some star spangled fun and games!
- There is no evening program as there is a fireworks event scheduled for the Lake Metigoshe area.
Sunday, July 6
- 10 AM – Coffee & Conversation. Stop by the amphitheater to grab a cup of coffee and to visit with park staff.
July 11-13 – Safety First!
Friday, July 11
- 9 PM – OHV Etiquette. ATV’s and dirt bikes are a blast to ride, but there are challenges associated with this responsibility. Join our department’s Safety Instructors, Jeremy and Erik, at the amphitheater as they explain safe operations of these machines.
Saturday, July 12
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Fun on 4-Wheels. What do cars and ATV’s have in common? Very few things! Join Erik and Jeremy at the Warming House parking lot to watch a demonstration on how to correctly operate these machines with their unique differences. Their differences might surprise you!
- 1 PM – Wild Edibles. There are many things in nature that are edible, but there are some that are not safe to eat. At the amphitheater, find out which are safe and perhaps get a taste!
- 8 PM – Survival Man-NoDak. Camping is a great way to experience the outdoors in a comfortable setting, but what would happen if you found yourself without conveniences? Learn some skills at the amphitheater that will help you survive in the outdoors.
Sunday, July 13
- 10 AM – CSI Metigoshe. There’s been a crime and we need backup for this investigation. Join us at the scene of the crime, the amphitheater.
July 18-20 – Go Green!
Friday, July 18
- 8 30 PM – The Story of Stuff. Do you ever wonder where our stuff comes from and what happens to it when we’re done with it? Find out at the amphitheater.
Saturday, July 19
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Kids Gardening & Composting. Plant your own food and watch it grow. Meet at the amphitheater.
- 1 PM – Un-Nature Hike. Join us at the Warming House to go on a hike. Find out how many items on the trail aren’t supposed to be there!
- 8:30 PM – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Stop by the amphitheater to learn simple things you can do to help protect Earth.
Sunday, July 20
- 10 AM - Clean Water Canoeing. Join us at the Warming House for some basic canoeing tips and to learn about water systems.
July 25-27 – 3rd Annual Halloween in July
Friday, July 25
- 9:30-11 PM - Haunted Trail. Take a frightful stroll down our haunted trail.…if you dare. Trail starts near the entrance of the Washegum campground loop and ends near the Warming House parking lot. Children should be accompanied by an adult. Please, no flashlights.
Saturday, July 26
- 10 AM - Trick-or-Treat. Kids! Come to the amphitheater to get dressed up in your spooky costume or get your face painted for trick-or-treating in the modern campground.
- 9:30 PM – Storytelling. If you are feeling brave enough, join us at the amphitheater to learn about the history of Halloween and storytelling.
Sunday, July 27
- 10 AM – Canoeing. Wind down from the frightful programs by joining us on a leisurely stroll on School Section Lake. Meet at the Warming House. Equipment will be provided. Participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.
August 1-3 – All Fun & Games
Friday, August 1
- 8 PM - State Park Trivia. Meet at the amphitheater to find out how much you know about the North Dakota State Parks!
Saturday, August 2
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Pioneer Games. Before video games and computers, children had to entertain themselves by utilizing and making very simple toys. Check these games out at the amphitheater.
- 1 PM – The Incredible Journey. Meet at the beach to play a game in which you have to be a water molecule and take a journey throughout the hydrologic cycle!
- 8 PM – Wildlife Jeopardy. How much do you know about wildlife? Find out just how much by playing our version of jeopardy at the amphitheater!
Sunday, August 3
- 10 AM – Canoeing. Take a trip out on School Section Lake with us! Meet at the Warming House for a fun adventure on the water. All equipment will be provided.
August 8-10 – North Dakota Species
Friday, August 8
- 8 PM – North Dakota Tree-Mendous Trees. Sarah Tunge from the North Dakota Forest Service will be talkin’ trees. Join us at the amphitheater to get introduced to native species. Learn some of their characteristics and how to identify them.
Saturday, August 9
- 2 PM – Somethin’ Fishy Goin’ On. Like many animals, fish have very interesting adaptations. Learn about these adaptations and design your own fish! Swim on over to the amphitheater and meet Emily for this splashin’ program!
- 8 PM – Fishes of North Dakota. Join us at the amphitheater to get introduced to some of North Dakota’s native fish species. Discover what they eat, where they live and other fun fishy facts!
Sunday, August 10
- We’re sorry. There will be no Sunday morning program this weekend.
August 15-17 – The Natural World
Friday, August 15
- 8:30 PM –Natural Wonders of the World. You’ll be in awe when you see our presentation exhibiting pictures of amazing natural wonders. Make a stop at the amphitheater to see these wonders!
Saturday, August 16
- 10 AM – Ecodramas. If you can like charades, you’ll love Ecodramas! Meet at the amphitheater to perform these acts of nature.
- 8 PM – Wilderness Ethics. Join Ranger Jeramy at the amphitheater to learn about how humans impact our natural world.
Sunday, August 17
- 10 AM – Coffee & Conversation. Stop in at the amphitheater for a morning cup of coffee and to chat with the park interpreters.
August 22-24 – Happy Camper
Friday, August 22
- 8 PM - Camping Trivia. Are you an avid camper? Brush up on your outdoor skills and find out just how much you know by playing at the amphitheater.
Saturday, August 23
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Orienteering. Joins us at the amphitheater to learn some basic compass skills. Test your newly acquired skills on our compass course.
- 8 PM – Campfire Fun. Everyone loves a campfire. Stop by and enjoy some of our campfire treats at the amphitheater. We’ll also be making fire-starters to assist you in starting your own campfire fun.
Sunday, August 24
- 10 AM – Canoeing. What’s camping at Lake Metigoshe State Park without a canoe trip? Meet at the amphitheater for a School Section Lake Adventure on the water. Canoeing equipment is provided. Participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.
August 29-31 – The Lake Metigoshe State Park Finale
Friday, August 29
- 8 PM - Wump World. The Wumps were so happy until some newcomers visited. Find out who the Wumps are and the impact their newcomers had by meeting us at the amphitheater and joining in!
Saturday, August 30
- 10AM – Art in the Park. It’s that time again…there will be fun filled craft stations set up at the playground near the amphitheater. Participate in all of the activities and enjoy a free hot dog!
- 9 PM – Metigoshe Night Hike. We’ll be turning off the flashlights and exploring the park at dark. Join us on our annual end of the year night hike tradition by meeting us at the Warming House.
Sunday, August 31
- 10 AM, 3 PM or 7 PM Shore to Have Fun Canoeing. Meet at the Warming House to head out and explore School Section Lake from a canoe. Everyone is “shore” to have fun! Equipment is provided. Participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.
