Lake Metigoshe State Park Master Plan

Challenge

Nestled within North Dakota's scenic Turtle Mountains near the Canadian border, Lake Metigoshe State Park is a major four-season recreation destination. As one of the state's most popular year-round destinations, the park offers a diverse mix of forests, lakes, campgrounds and RV sites, trails, lodging, and outdoor adventures. With nearly 130 campsites along the shoreline and over 13 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, the park has served generations of visitors from around the world.

As visitation and recreational needs evolved, the park's aging infrastructure and outdated master plan made it increasingly difficult to accommodate visitors and guide future improvements. Vehicles, recreational users, and pedestrians frequently shared circulation routes, creating congestion and safety concerns during peak periods. The park entrance lacked the visibility and functionality expected of a major state recreation destination, while campground facilities, lodging accommodations, and gathering spaces no longer aligned with evolving visitor expectations.

North Dakota Parks and Recreation sought a long-term vision that would address these challenges, while protecting the character that makes Lake Metigoshe distinctive. The comprehensive master plan needed to help the department prioritize investments, improve how people move through the park, and position the park to serve visitors for decades to come. 

Solution

Creating a long-term vision for Lake Metigoshe State Park required looking beyond individual improvements to consider how the entire park could function better for visitors and staff. Working with North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department staff, park operations personnel, and other stakeholders, our SEH project team developed a master plan that connects immediate needs with a practical path for future investment. To help inform those priorities, the team conducted on-site inspections of existing buildings and trail bridges, identifying near-term facility needs that could be addressed as part of the park’s broader long-term vision. 

Improving how people move through the park became a key priority. The plan reimagines the entrance as a more welcoming and functional gateway, with recommendations designed to reduce congestion and make arrival easier to navigate. Improved campground circulation, strategically placed roundabouts, and clearer separation between vehicles, pedestrians, and recreational users help address safety and traffic flow during busy periods. New trail connections would also make it easier for visitors to move between activity areas without relying on a vehicle, while preserving the established hiking trail and snowmobile trail systems in place. 

Beyond circulation, the plan identifies opportunities to update the amenities visitors rely on most, including: 

• Modernized campgrounds
• Additional utility-equipped campsites
• Improved day-use facilities
• Better parking and beach access
• Fishing-related enhancements

The park's core campus presented another opportunity to think differently about how existing spaces could serve future visitors. Concepts for updated lodging, gathering spaces, and support facilities provide greater flexibility for youth groups, families, weddings, special events, and other uses. Rather than simply adding development, recommendations were shaped around the park's existing vegetation, topography, wetlands, and other natural features to help protect the setting that makes Lake Metigoshe distinctive. 

Just as important, the master plan gives North Dakota Parks and Recreation flexibility to move forward as funding and priorities allow. Phased development strategies and cost-based prioritization help leaders determine which projects should advance first, pursue funding strategically, and make improvements over time without losing sight of the larger vision. Recent state support for infrastructure improvements at Lake Metigoshe is already helping create opportunities to begin putting that vision into action.

With that roadmap in place, Lake Metigoshe State Park can continue evolving to meet changing recreational needs while preserving the natural character visitors have valued for generations. The result is a clearer path toward a safer, more accessible, and more functional park built to serve North Dakotans well into the future.

Project
Lake Metigoshe State Park Master Plan

Location
Bottineau, North Dakota

Client
North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department

Features

• Comprehensive state park master plan
• Phased implementation strategy and cost estimating
• Entrance and gateway enhancements
• Campground modernization recommendations
• Traffic circulation improvements
• Pedestrian and vehicle separation
• Multiuse trail connections
• Beach and waterfront access improvements
• Fishing amenity enhancements
• Parking improvements
• Lodging and gathering space concepts
• Trail bridge infrastructure recommended improvements

Services

• Master Planning
• Landscape Architecture
• Architecture
• Civil Engineering
• Subconsultant: 106 Group Class I Literature Search: Archaeological and Historical/Architectural