Turtle River State Park

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Turtle River State Park Constructed in the 1930s by the (CCC), Turtle River is located in a beautiful, wooded valley. In 1935, a CCC transient work camp, SP-5, was built in Larimore.
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Credit for the establishment of Turtle River State Park goes to Russell Reid, superintendent of the State Historical Society of North Dakota from 1930 to 1965. Serving also as secretary of the State Parks Committee and state procurement officer for the Civilian Conservation Corps, Reid helped shape North Dakota's fledgling state park system. Civilian Conservation Corps
Established in 1934, Turtle River State Park was one of a number of new parks built in North Dakota under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "New Deal" programs. Intended to provide economic relief to the nation's unemployed during the Great Depression of the 1930s, work relief programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) were initiated. It initially housed 185 young men, along with their commanding officers. They were assigned to build a new park nearby, originally called Grand Forks State Park. CCC construction projects in the park included bridges, roads, parking areas, foot paths and a number of stone and log buildings, many of which are still in use today. One of their notable achievements was the construction of a fieldstone dam, swimming hole and bathhouse. The bathhouse was later converted into the CCC Memorial Picnic Shelter, and the swimming hole was closed due to public safety concerns. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the men constructed the Woodland Lodge, which was to be used as a combined dining hall, concessions building and caretaker's home. The lodge served as the park's centerpiece until 2000, when it was severely damaged during spring flooding. The building was painstakingly dismantled and reconstructed in 2002 on higher ground. At the old site, you can still see the outline of the foundation and the original fireplace.

Have seed, will travel. Join a dandelion seed as it journeys on the breeze to new places with “The Dandelion Seed” by J...
10/14/2026

Have seed, will travel. Join a dandelion seed as it journeys on the breeze to new places with “The Dandelion Seed” by Joseph Anthony at this week's Nature Storytime- Dandy Day for Dandelions today at 10am .

Have seed, will travel. Join a dandelion seed as it journeys on the breeze to new places with “The Dandelion Seed” by J...
10/13/2026

Have seed, will travel. Join a dandelion seed as it journeys on the breeze to new places with “The Dandelion Seed” by Joseph Anthony at this week's Nature Storytime- Dandy Day for Dandelions tomorrow at 10am .

We would like to say thank you to the over 600 people who attended last night's Fall Luminary Walk! Thank you to everyon...
10/04/2026

We would like to say thank you to the over 600 people who attended last night's Fall Luminary Walk!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to tell our team and volunteers about their experiences. A huge thank you to the park team, and especially the volunteers, who helped out with the trails, over 65lbs of popcorn (seeds) popped, roughly 450 hot cocoas, campfires, traffic control, leaf piles, and so much more. And so much gratitude for the non-volunteer volunteers- those of you who helped clean up materials and trash, picked up the crafts, and just stepped in when you saw the need. We couldn't believe that all we found outside for trash this morning was 2 spoons, 2 cups and a napkin! It is the love and care you all have that makes that possible!

Seeing everyone have fun, visiting with those we could, and seeing how everyone cared for the park reminds us what a wonderful community we have!

THANK YOU!

Photos of the trail and night sky courtesy of the Crisman Family!

Today is the day for the Fall Luminary Walk! Leaves are falling and crunchy, the breeze is cool but not crisp, skies loo...
10/03/2026

Today is the day for the Fall Luminary Walk! Leaves are falling and crunchy, the breeze is cool but not crisp, skies look to be clear for stars- what a perfect night for a hike, hot cocoa, popcorn, and time around the fire with friends! See you at the Woodland Lodge 7-9pm tonight!

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Join us for our Fall Luminary Walk Saturday, October 3rd from 7-9pm at the Woodland Lodge! We will have a lit trail, bonfire outside and inside the Woodland Lodge, and star viewing at the Chalet by the Northern Sky Astronomical Society. Popcorn, hot cocoa, and crafts available in the Woodland Lodge. See you Saturday!

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Join us for our Fall Luminary Walk Saturday, October 3rd from 7-9pm at the...
10/01/2026

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Join us for our Fall Luminary Walk Saturday, October 3rd from 7-9pm at the Woodland Lodge! We will have a lit trail, bonfire outside and inside the Woodland Lodge, and star viewing at the Chalet by the Northern Sky Astronomical Society. Popcorn, hot cocoa, and crafts available in the Woodland Lodge. See you Saturday!

The crunch of leaves, bright colors, and cool evenings are what makes autumn so spectacular. Journey into autumn us in r...
10/01/2026

The crunch of leaves, bright colors, and cool evenings are what makes autumn so spectacular. Journey into autumn us in reading Kenard Pak’s Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn for this week's Nature Storytime- Autumn is Here today at 10am!

The crunch of leaves, bright colors, and cool evenings are what makes autumn so spectacular. Journey into autumn us in r...
09/30/2026

The crunch of leaves, bright colors, and cool evenings are what makes autumn so spectacular. Journey into autumn us in reading Kenard Pak’s Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn for this week's Nature Storytime- Autumn is Here tomorrow at 10am!

Registration closes tonight at 10pm for our Introduction to Tree Pruning Workshop! It is FREE!
09/24/2026

Registration closes tonight at 10pm for our Introduction to Tree Pruning Workshop! It is FREE!

Get ready for fall with our FREE Tree Pruning Workshop this Saturday from 1-3pm! Don't forget to register as class size is limited. Registration closes Thursday, September 24th at 10pm.

For information on registration and the class, click this link Introduction to Tree Pruning Workshop.

Soft eggs or leather eggs? Scaly skin or smooth? With the help of Trish Rabe’s (Dr. Suess’s) “Miles and Miles of Repti...
09/24/2026

Soft eggs or leather eggs? Scaly skin or smooth? With the help of Trish Rabe’s (Dr. Suess’s) “Miles and Miles of Reptiles” we will explore the differences between reptiles and amphibians at today's Nature Storytime- Miles and Miles of Reptiles.

Address

3084 Park Avenue
Arvilla, ND
58214

Telephone

+17017953180

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