Most People Have No Idea This Unique Park In North Dakota Exists
Would you ever expect to see pelicans in North Dakota? I always pictured them on the coasts, near the ocean, and before I heard of this place I had only ever seen them on a few visits to the ocean. For a limited time each year, however, there is a place here that has them – a LOT of them.
This unique wildlife refuge in particular is very unusual, but also fascinating and full of natural beauty. The Chase Lake Wildlife Refuge near Medina, ND is relatively unknown to everyone else in the rest of the country. How many people would expect that one of the largest nesting populations of pelicans was in the most landlocked state in the country and not on one of the coasts? Well, it’s here, and it’s beautiful:
This is the kind of shot you'd expect to see on a post card from a coastal state, but it was actually taken right here in North Dakota, on Chase Lake near Medina.
This refuge was established in 1908 by Theodore Roosevelt. At the time, only about 50 pelicans were found here. Not many years before that, the number was up to 500. The former president realized that this was an important breeding ground that needed to be protected, and the population of pelicans has since flourished thanks to the efforts of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The islands vary in unique shapes and sizes, and depending on the water levels each year, disappear and reappear.
These pelicans migrate to North Dakota during the summer to nest and lay their eggs. During the winter, they usually fly south to states along the Gulf Coast. Some pelicans that have been banded here have been found in states like Florida and Louisiana. Some have also been found in California.
Tons of young pelicans are raised here every year.
The pelicans begin to arrive in North Dakota in mid-April, and generally stay till August. The lake is highly alkaline and there are little to no fish species supported in it, so the birds rely on the high population of tiger salamanders as their diet. Some also travel up to 100 miles to feeding grounds.
The highly diverse ecosystem allows for other birds such as herons, ibises, geese, terns, California gulls, and more. Many mammals can be spotted here as well. Deer, badgers, coyote, and a plethora of other animals call Chase Lake home. There aren't many other places where you can see this many kinds of species all together.
There is no other place quite like it, and it is incredible to see.
You can visit Chase Lake and see all of this wildlife for yourself. It is very popular with wildlife photographers for obvious reasons! You don’t need any special equipment besides a phone or simple digital camera to snap your own fantastic shots at Chase Lake. You do need a permit to view the pelicans that you can receive from the refuge. More information on how to do that can be found here.
For all of you deer hunters out there, they do open for deer hunting after the migratory birds have gone for the season.
Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
