Hiking Trails Around Grafton, ND

Walking or biking in beautiful natural settings is an enjoyable way to spend a sunny day. These activities aren’t only pleasurable, but they also provide a variety of health and fitness benefits. There are many walking and bike trails in the beautiful areas around Grafton, North Dakota. If you’re looking for new paths to explore, here are highlights of a few of the area’s best local trails.

Turtle River State Park

Turtle River State Park is in Arvilla, North Dakota, about 45 minutes south of Grafton. The park is in a beautiful wooded valley with many rolling hills. It features over 12 miles of well-maintained trails that thread through the forest and hills and along the Turtle River. Turtle River State Park is perfect for biking and hiking in the summer and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing over the winter. There are plenty of other seasonal recreational activities to enjoy there as well, such as camping and fly-fishing in the warmer seasons and sledding once the snow falls.

Turtle River State Park has secluded campsites, picnic areas, an amphitheater, and a playground for the younger kids. The park features over 10 different trails for hiking or mountain biking, including some that travel through wooded and hilly areas and other flat trails that meander gently alongside the river. 

Two of the longer trails there are Raven Ravine and The Hollows. Raven Ravine is a 2.46-mile wooded trail along the river that features a spectacular photo opportunity at the water crossing on the northern end of the trail. It connects to the campground, amphitheater, and playground, and has an elevation gain of 89 feet. The Hollows trail is 1.74 miles long and runs from the park’s visitor center to the Hillside picnic area. It also provides trail access to the Hollow’s Bridge picnic area and parking lot. This trail winds through the hills and alongside the river.

Greenway of Greater Grand Forks

The Greenway of Great Grand Forks is a trail system of paved paths along the Red River and Red Lake River between Grand Forks, North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Minnesota. The Greenway also provides access to over 20 miles of asphalt trails, as well as the 100-mile Rural Bicycle Loop. The Greenway’s main loop is an 8.8-mile trail with an elevation gain of 187 feet. The trail links the two cities and states over a pair of bridges designated for nonmotorized use only.

In addition to the trails, the Greenway has several parks, a campground on the Minnesota side, golf and disc courses, shore fishing sites, and boat ramps available on both rivers. Local shops offer rentals of bikes, kayaks, and other recreational equipment. Winter activities such as cross-country skiing and sledding and ice skating are also available on the Greenway.

Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area

If you’re looking for a vast natural area with landscapes ranging from cliffs and valleys to flat prairies, wetlands, and forests, the 2,800 acres of the Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area has it all. There are 6.5 miles of hiking trails plus over 20 miles of multipurpose trails suitable for hiking, mountain biking, or off-highway vehicle use. Other recreational activities are available, such as horseback riding or kayaking, including kayak rentals. The area has an elevation of 1,381 feet above sea level.

Lady Slipper Loop and the Lady Slipper Extension are non-motorized trails ideal for hikers and cyclists that total about 6 miles of trails. The multiuse Three Sisters Trail adds over 20 more miles of paths to explore and allows the use of motorized dirt bikes, side-by-sides, and four-wheelers.

Pipestem Creek Trail

You can travel to Jamestown for several great trails near Pipestem Dam and Pipestem Lake. Pipestem Creek Trail is a challenging but thrilling mountain bike trail. There’s a less difficult 3-mile outer loop suitable for biking or hiking, while the entire 8-mile trail features mowed trails in open grassy areas as well as rocky dirt trails through hilly woods with steep climbs and descents. There’s a total elevation gain of 1,273 feet on the trails.

Although Pipestem Creek Trail is in Jamestown, nearly 3 hours from Grafton, there are three other excellent nearby trails in Jamestown to check out. The North Ridge Trail, Splitrock Trail, and Overlook Trail are all fantastic bike trails. It would make a wonderful weekend getaway to visit all the trails and camp nearby. There are two good camping options in Jamestown, Lakeside Campground or Pelican Point Landing and Campground. The camping areas offer a wide array of activities including boating, kayaking, and fishing. There’s so much to do in Jamestown, it’s worth the trip for avid mountain bikers or nature enthusiasts.

Lake Bronson State Park

You can get from Grafton to Lake Bronsxzon State Park in Minnesota in about an hour’s drive. This park has some great trails, including a 7-mile mowed trail to hike or bike that runs all the way around Lake Bronson. Although the path is named Around the Lake Trail, it’s rather misleading since Lake Bronson is actually a reservoir. In addition to the Around the Lake Trail, there are also other trails to explore, including 5 miles of paved bike trails and 14 miles of relatively flat trails through the prairie and along the lake.

Lake Bronson State Park has the largest observation tower in the state’s park system where you can oversee the prairie and forests. The park offers horseback riding, fishing, swimming, and boating, so there are plenty of additional recreational activities to engage in. There’s also camping so you can easily make Lake Bronson State Parke an enjoyable overnight getaway. The park is a Geocaching checkpoint and you can borrow free GPS units at the park office. The approximate elevation of Lake Bronson State Park is 1,001 feet above sea level.

Hiking or bicycling are great ways to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature while you condition your heart and body. We hope this list helps your family find some new favorite trails. We invite you to share your favorite hiking and biking stories with us at Rydell Chevrolet Buick GMC, and let us know about your favorite trails.

Tags: Grafton, Nature, Trails
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