Posted in North Dakota June 20, 2017 by Leah

The Little Known Natural Oasis Hiding In North Dakota That’s Impossible Not To Love

Throughout North Dakota are hidden patches of nature. Among all the farmland, towns, and cities, you can find these spots that are like oases on the prairie. Many of these are preserved by becoming national wildlife refuges. In fact, North Dakota has the most wildlife refuges of any state.

These spots are truly, naturally beautiful, and to top it off they can be fun to visit. This refuge in particular is all of that and more, and you’ll love it.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/

The Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge is located on the river by the same name near Minot, North Dakota.

The beautiful rolling prairie hills surrounding the river are full of native grasses, plants, and - if you come at the right time of the year - wildflowers.

This environment is perfect for butterflies and it is why this is one of only few sites in the entire state that is used for butterfly research.

Much of the area the refuge encompasses is wetlands. These are home to hundreds of species of animals, especially birds. Thousands of migratory birds pass through here during certain times of year.

The entire refuge is over 32,000 acres in size and covers about 35 miles of the stunning Souris River. Many people enjoy fishing, canoeing, and kayaking here. Hunting is also permitted. This place is an outdoorsy person's paradise.

There are also auto tour trails and foot trails in the refuge for visitors to see and experience all that it has to offer.

Birding, photography, and general wildlife viewing are one of the biggest draws to the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge. With the amount of bird and animal species that lives around the water here, it really is a natural oasis.

From the waters of the river to the hilltops of the prairie, this refuge is truly a sight to behold. Summer is a great time to take advantage of it that you won't want to miss.

Follow this link to the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge page for directions and more information about visiting. If you can’t visit this summer, fall is also a great time to head out there when all the birds are coming through.

Discover more natural paradises in North Dakota right here.