Missouri River Nature Trail

The Missouri River Nature Trail at Cross Ranch State Park meanders through the heart of the largest remaining natural area along the Missouri River in North Dakota, a 5,000-acre preserve jointly managed by the state park and the adjacent Cross Ranch Nature Preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy. The trail begins near the park's campground and winds through a diverse mosaic of cottonwood bottomlands, upland prairie, and wooded coulees that provides habitat for an exceptional diversity of Great Plains wildlife. The park supports one of the few free-roaming bison herds on publicly accessible land in the state, and encounters are common along this trail.

Interpretive signs placed at key points along the route explain the ecological importance of the Missouri River corridor, the history of the Cross Ranch cattle operation that preceded the park's establishment, and the ongoing conservation partnership between the state and The Nature Conservancy. The cottonwood forest along the river's edge is particularly spectacular in October when golden leaves create a cathedral-like atmosphere along the trail corridor. Bald eagles congregate in the large cottonwoods near the river during fall migration, and white pelicans raft on the river below. Mule deer and wild turkey are year-round residents. The flat terrain and well-maintained path make this the most accessible introduction to the park's remarkable natural character.