Cross Ranch State Park
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Cross Ranch State Park
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.jpg) Cross Ranch State Park |
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| location | Oliver County in North Dakota (USA) | |
| surface | 238 ha | |
| Geographical location | 47 ° 12 ' N , 101 ° 0' W | |
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| Setup date | 1989 | |
| administration | North Dakota Parks and Recreation Dept. | |
The Cross Ranch State Park is a state park in the US state of North Dakota . The 238 hectare park is located eleven kilometers southwest of Washburn in Oliver County on the Missouri River and, together with the adjacent Cross Ranch Nature Preserve, forms a protected area of great ecological and historical importance.
geography
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In contrast to other state parks in North Dakota, the landscape of the Cross Ranch has remained largely untouched. The park stretches for seven miles along the west bank of the Missouri River on one of the last natural stretches of the river in North Dakota that has not yet been altered by reservoirs and dams. Due to the glaciation in the Ice Ages, the Missouri River carried a lot of sand and debris, which led to the formation of several bank terraces along the river. After the end of the Ice Ages, the Missouri carried significantly less sediments and the river dug itself deeper into the Ice Age sediments, so that today it is around 15 meters lower than the adjacent Ice Age bank terraces.
To the north of the park is part of the 2263 hectare Cross Ranch Nature Preserve, a nature reserve that consists of three non-contiguous parts. The 744 acre northern portion adjoining the state park also includes a stretch of the Missouri River. The other two parts are to the west in the hills above the floodplain of the river, the middle part covers over 930 hectares, the southern part five kilometers further south is over 580 hectares.
Flora and fauna
There are three different ecosystems in the park and in the Nature Preserve. Along the Missouri River extends six square kilometers of alluvial forest , which is the most extensive alluvial forest there is in North Dakota. The alluvial forest consists of Canadian black poplars and willows, which merge into ash-maple , elm and red ash forest on the higher bank terraces . Although the Missouri River is no longer a naturally flowing river due to the dam of Lake Sakakawea , it and its banks in the park still provide habitat for 162 species of birds, including several threatened species such as the American little tern and the yellow-footed plover . As they migrate, whooping cranes and Canada geese rest on the sandbanks in the river, while bald eagles dive in the river for food. The glass ey perch and pike native to the river are popular fishing fish, but the paddle sturgeon is rare . The higher park areas are still covered with natural mixed grass prairie . Birds here include wild turkey , prairie pipit and owl rabbit . In 1986 bison were settled in the central and southern part of the Nature Preserve , which meanwhile form a herd of 150 animals. The third habitat is the canyons in the prairie, which are densely forested with bur oaks , buffaloberries , hawthorn and other shrubs and thus provide shelter and food for numerous animals such as white tailed deer and mule deer , badgers , raccoons and coyotes .
history
In addition to its ecological importance, the park is also of great cultural and historical importance. More than 100 archaeological sites have already been discovered in the area of the park and the Nature Preserve, which belong to the Mandan - Hidatsa culture and to older cultures up to 8,000 years old. In 1879, AD Gaines , an agent for the Northern Pacific Railway , bought 44 square kilometers of land for a ranch . Gaines acquired the right to use the Maltese cross as a brand from Theodore Roosevelt . Bentley was founded nearby at the same time and was renamed Sanger in 1884 and became a flourishing community thanks to its train station and a steamboat connection. However, in 1952 the station was closed and by 1985 the place was completely deserted. Today only a few abandoned buildings remain and Sanger is a ghost town . In 1956, Bob and Gladys Levis bought Gaines Ranch and renamed it Cross Ranch . The Nature Conservancy , a not-for-profit conservation organization, recognized the importance of the riparian forests and unspoiled prairies and acquired the ranch in 1982 to create the Cross Ranch Nature Preserve , North Dakota's first nature reserve. The Nature Conservancy and the Burlington Northern Railroad donated a portion of the land to the state for the construction of a state park, which was established to mark the centenary of the state in 1989. The rest of the ranchland is still owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy. The remains of the ranch, including the Gaines family cemetery, can still be found in the Nature Preserve.
Tourist facilities
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There is a fee to visit the park, but the park area has not been developed much so as not to destroy the nature of the area. The visitor facilities are located in the State Park area, there are no facilities in the Nature Preserve other than hiking trails. In the park is the River People Visitor Center , which provides information on the natural history of the Missouri River. Six hiking trails over 25 kilometers in length lead through the park and the Nature Preserve, 16 kilometers of which are prepared as trails for cross-country skiing in winter. The park has a campground and a boat ramp to the Missouri River. Canoes can be rented in the park and fishing is allowed in the river. The park has hosted the Missouri River Bluegrass Festival , a local country music festival, every June since 1991 .
