Cross Ranch State Park sits along the Missouri River in Oliver County, North Dakota, protecting 569 acres of mixed-grass prairie and riparian woodland that look much the same as they did when the Mandan people lived here centuries ago. This is one of the last intact stretches of Missouri River floodplain in the state — no dams, no channelization, just the river bending through cottonwood bottomlands the way it always has.

The park’s trail system winds through native prairie thick with big bluestem and western wheatgrass, dropping into wooded river bottoms where white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and bald eagles are common sights. The Matah Trail follows the riverbank for several miles and offers some of the best birding in central North Dakota, particularly during spring and fall migration. In winter, the same trails welcome cross-country skiers and snowshoers through a landscape that feels genuinely remote.

Hikers will find the terrain gentle but the scenery anything but ordinary — the contrast between open grassland and dense river forest creates views that shift every quarter mile. The adjacent Cross Ranch Nature Preserve, managed by The Nature Conservancy, adds thousands more acres to explore, including a bison range where a free-roaming herd grazes the hills above the Missouri.

The best time to visit is late May through September, when the prairie wildflowers peak and the river corridor is at its most alive. Fall brings golden cottonwoods and fewer crowds, making October another strong choice.

Explore Nearby

• Sheyenne River Valley Scenic Byway — Scenic Byway in North Dakota
• Native American Scenic Byway — Scenic Byway in North Dakota
• Schnell Ranch Recreation Area — Public Land in North Dakota