Turtle River State Park
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 – Turtle Talk
Friday, June 20
- 9:30 PM– Meet The Mascot. Join us at the amphitheater to learn about the park’s mascot—the turtle!
Saturday, June 21
- 10 AM - 4 PM – TurtleFest. Contact the park directly for details. 701-594-4445
- 9:30 PM – Turtle Trivia. Meet at the amphitheater to see what you know about turtles.
Sunday, June 22
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Chalet for a guided hike through the park while exploring the diverse habitats in Turtle River.
June 27-29 – Let’s Get Wild about Wildflowers
Friday, June 27
- 9:30 PM – Looking Beyond the Tallgrass. Meet us at the amphitheater to explore the wonders of prairies in North Dakota
Saturday, June 28
- 10 AM– Dakota Explorers: Wildflower Scavenger Hunt. Meet at the Visitor Center for a wild time while learning how to key out and identify wildflowers in Turtle River State Park.
- 9:30 PM – What’s for Dinner? Meet us at the amphitheater for a presentation on edible plants and flowers in North Dakota.
Sunday, June 29
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Chalet for a guided hike through the park and an exploration of native prairie flowering plant species.
July 4-6 – Pioneer Life
Friday, July 4
- 1:00 PM – Bring your lawn chair and join us at the CCC Shelter for the 23rd Annual Dick King Classic Swing Band Concert. Free cake and lemonade.
- 9:30 PM – A Step Back in Time. Meet us at the amphitheater for a presentation of the lifestyles of North Dakota’s Pioneers.
Saturday, July 5
- 10 AM– Dakota Explorers: Pastimes. Meet at the Visitor Center to explore the pastimes of pioneer children.
- 9:30 PM – The Good Ole Days. Meet us at the amphitheater for storytelling as we explore the history of pioneers.
Sunday, July 6
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Chalet for a guided hike through the park.
July 11-13 – Wet & Wild: All About Wetlands
Friday, July 11
- 9:30 PM – Why Are We WILD About WETLANDS? Meet at the amphitheater and learn the important role wetlands play in Turtle River State Park.
Saturday, July 12
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Wet and Wild. Meet at the Visitor Center for a Wetland Eco Adventure.
- 9:30 PM – Splish Splash. Meet us at the amphitheater for an exploration of the water cycle.
Sunday, July 13
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Chalet for a guided hike through the park’s wetlands.
July 18-20 – Tremendous Trees
Friday, July 18
- 9:30 PM – What’s in a Tree Trunk? Meet us at the amphitheater as we discover what inside of a tree trunk.
Saturday, July 19
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers. Meet at the Visitor Center to “Hug a Tree” while learning the basics of tree identification.
- 9:30 PM – The “Root” of Life. Come join the Lorax and our Naturalist as they explore the importance of trees on Earth.
Sunday, July 20
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Woodlands Lodge for a “Fact or Fiction” hike through the park.
July 25-27 – Traces & Tracks
Friday, July 25
- 8:00 PM – BINGO. Join us at the CCC Shelter for a round of Nature Bingo.
Saturday, July 26
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Make Your Mark. Learn how wildlife leaves their footprints behind. Even make your own tracks.
- 9:30 PM – Who’s Coat? Meet us at the amphitheater for an exploration of which coat belongs to which animal and how they are used for survival.
Sunday, July 27
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Woodlands Lodge for a guided track hunt through the park.
August 1-3 – Beaks, Feet and Feathers
Friday, August 1
- 9:30 PM – What Makes a Bird Special? Join us at the amphitheater to explore what makes birds unique.
Saturday, August 2
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Bird Eyes. Meet at the Visitor Center and learn how to be a bird watcher.
- 9:00 PM – Endangered! Meet us at the amphitheater for an exploration of endangered bird species in North Dakota and the United States.
Sunday, August 3
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Chalet for a guided “Birding” hike through the park.
August 8-10 – Beaver’s Bounty
Friday, August 8
- 9:30 PM – Nature’s Engineers. Meet us at the amphitheater and meet our local engineers.
Saturday, August 9
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Become a Beaver. Meet at the Visitor Center and learn all about how to become a beaver.
- 9:30 PM – A Year in the Life of a Beaver. Meet us at the amphitheater for an exploration of the life of a beaver over time.
Sunday, August 10
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Woodlands Lodge for a guided “Beaver” hike through the park.
August 15-17 – Nutty About Nature
Friday, August 15
- 9:30 PM – Nature Pictionary. Meet us at the amphitheater for a nature pictionary and a whole lot of family fun while learning about conservation.
Saturday, August 16
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Let’s Talk Trash. Meet at the Visitor Center to become a nature nut as we explore the impacts trash has on our environment.
- 9:30 PM – Leave No Trace Behind. Meet us at the amphitheater for a presentation of what we can do to protect our parks.
Sunday, August 17
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Woodlands Lodge for a guided “Un-Nature” hike through the park.
August 22-24 – Scaly & Slimy: Amphibians Vs. Reptiles
Friday, August 22
- 8:30 PM – What is it? Meet us at the amphitheater as we explore the different native species of amphibians and reptiles in North Dakota.
Saturday, August 23
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Herpetology. Meet at the Visitor Center learn how to become a Herpetologist.
- 8:30 PM – Amphibians and Reptiles. Meet us at the amphitheater as we explore the differences and similarities between amphibians and reptiles.
Sunday, August 24
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Woodlands Lodge for a guided “scaly & slimy” hike through the park.
August 29-31 – CSI Nature
Friday, August 29
- 8:30 PM – Who Done It? Meet us at the amphitheater as we explore the life cycles in nature and the importance of this delicate balance.
Saturday, August 30
- 10 AM – Dakota Explorers: Nature CSI. Meet at the Visitor Center and become a CSI Agent as we look at different animal crimes.
- 8:30 PM – You Be the Judge. Meet us at the amphitheater as we separate fact from fiction in the animal world.
Sunday, August 31
- 10 AM – Guided Hike. Meet at the Woodlands Lodge for a guided hike looking for crime throughout the park.
Special Events
Special weekend events are held throughout the summer and will be posted here when dates are set.
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, Join a Park Naturalist for a guided hike along segments of Turtle River State Park's trail system. Learn about natural resources contained within the State Park. Meet at the Chalet/Warming house near the sledding hill at 10 a.m.
June 21—TURTLEFEST & VISITOR APPRECIATION DAY. Join the Friends of Turtle River at their annual fundraiser, which will include guided tours, seminars and more. Click here for more information.
July 4, 1-4 p.m.—MUSIC IN THE PARK. 23rd year with Dick King and the Classic Swing Band playing Big Band music at the CCC Memorial Shelter.
