Most North Dakotans Have Never Tried This Activity at Lake Sakakawea State Park

What’s the last new thing you tried in North Dakota? I bet you’ve pedaled the Maah Daah Hey Trail or explored the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center on a snowy afternoon. Maybe you’ve reeled in walleye on Devils Lake. But have you gone fossil hunting?

And not just anywhere, y'all... I'm talking about Lake Sakakawea State Park near Pick City. Tucked along the southern shore of one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the country, this North Dakota State Park offers more than just lake views and fishing tales. Picture miles of rugged shoreline, prairie grasses waving like they’re trying to flag you down, and quiet trails that double as time machines. There’s a swim beach, campgrounds beneath shady trees, and a full-service marina where windsurfers and sailboats lean into North Dakota’s famously steady gusts.

Anglers come for the salmon and pike, but land lovers get something even rarer: the western end of the 4,700-mile North Country National Scenic Trail. This trail stretches from Vermont to Lake Sakakawea, and here in Pick City, it unfurls through shortgrass prairie and ash coulees, revealing deer, warblers, and photo-worthy overlooks. If you haven’t hiked here yet, you're in for a surprisingly rich experience.

Now, let’s get down to the rocky stuff, aka fossil hunting. Fossil hunting at this state park is less Jurassic Park and more meditative treasure hunt. No pickaxes needed—just a good eye, patience, and maybe a camera. As you hike trails like Shoreline and Overlook, you’ll spot scoria outcrops, those reddish, crackled rocks that look like burnt toast. They're created when underground coal seams catch fire and bake the surrounding clay and sand into clinker-like stone. That’s where the magic hides.

This baked, brittle stone often preserves fascinating remnants from the past: leaf imprints, shells, pieces of petrified wood, even the molds of ancient turtles and freshwater snails. Fossils in this part of the state date back to the Paleocene and Late Cretaceous periods. Imagine ancient swamps, meandering rivers, and prehistoric reptiles wandering the exact ground you’re standing on.

You won’t be able to take your fossil finds home (state park rules protect these ancient artifacts), but you can take pictures, make rubbings, and soak up the bragging rights. The joy is in the hunt. And knowing that the rock you’re touching is 60 million years old? That’s a kind of thrill that sticks with you.

Scoria is a fossil hunter’s dream. Its vibrant red layers make contrasting fossils easy to spot. Dark impressions of shells, fossilized branches, and even the occasional bone fragment pop out visually. The Shoreline Trail, which skirts the lake's edge, is your best bet for spotting these ancient souvenirs. Along the way, you might also spy warblers flitting through buffaloberry bushes or pelicans coasting just offshore. It’s the kind of day where you return to your car with dirt under your nails, a camera roll full of wonders, and a smile that doesn’t quit.

So here’s your next North Dakota weekend plan in short order: visit Pick City, pack your fossil hunting boots, and a sense of wonder. Bring snacks. Bring your camera. And bring your curiosity… there’s a whole world buried just beneath the surface.

When you're done fossil hunting, enjoy the park's other amenities, including its campsites and cabins, fishing spots, boat and kayak rentals, hiking trails, sand volleyball courts, swim beach, playgrounds, and more. It's a great family-friendly attraction all year-round. You might have to pay small entrance fees; check the park site for details.