Outdoor Fun Around Grand Forks

Whether it’s spring, summer, fall, or winter, Grand Forks, North Dakota, has an exciting range of outdoor activities to keep you entertained. From taking a walk through one of our beautiful parks to our abundant opportunities for kayaking, paddleboarding, and hunting, Grand Forks has it all. Check out these fun outdoor things to do in the local area.

Grand Forks Parks

Turtle River State Park

Turtle River State Park is located just 22 miles west of Grand Forks. It includes 785 acres of wooded parkland, numerous streams, and a walking trail that ends in a waterfall. If you’d like to camp in the park, you can stay in one of the 125 campsites, or rent the woodland lodge or one of the several group cabins.

Larimore Dam Recreation Area

Larimore Dam Recreation Area is only 30 miles west of Grand Forks. Here, you’ll find 144 campsites, basketball courts, a swimming beach, and bike paths. If you want to explore the dam’s outdoor scenery, you can look for the 500 different types of trees found within the park’s 26 acres.

The Greenway

Another must-see for nature lovers is the Greenway, which includes around 2,200 acres of outdoor space along the banks of the Red and Red Lake Rivers. The Greenway is located between Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, making it easy for you to reach, and it’s host to the annual Greenway Ski Day.

Ben Franklin Park

Ben Franklin Park is a great location for sports fans, with its well-kept baseball and softball fields. During the summer months, this park offers tons of fun activities for the kids. In the winter, you can put your skates on and take to the ice at one of its outdoor ice skating rinks.

Circle of Friends Dog Park

Dog owners will be glad to know that Circle of Friends Dog Park offers the opportunity to safely exercise your dog off-leash during the day. All you need to do is make sure your dog is wearing a collar with a current rabies injection tag, and you’re good to go!

Hunting

A short journey out of Grand Forks will bring you to some excellent hunting grounds, no matter what game you’re after. You can hunt in the local area for white-tailed deer, prairie dogs, coyotes, waterfowl, and antelope. North Dakota has lots of public land you can hunt on. Alternatively, if you’re planning on hunting predators like coyotes, you may want to get involved in a state-run program that connects hunters with landowners who need help.

You can find out more about the best hunting opportunities by contacting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department or the Minnesota Fish and Wildlife Division if your inquiry relates to areas on the east side of the Red River.

Cycling

Grand Forks is pretty flat, making it ideal for a bike ride. You have 57 miles of bike trails to choose from, including scenic routes around some of our parks and along the river. For example, you can take the North Star Trail in Turtle River State Park, which is a 10-mile round trip that takes you over hills and across stream crossings and flatlands. 

If you’d prefer to ride along the Red and Red Lake Rivers, check out the bike trails found in the Greenway. In case you have an issue with your bike along the way, you’ll find three bike repair stations that will help you get your bike back on track.

Kayaking and Paddleboarding

The Boathouse on the Red has everything you need to enjoy a day of kayaking or paddleboarding. Located just north of the Sorlie Bridge, The Boathouse on the Red offers rentals for canoes, paddleboards, and kayaks. You can choose to spend just a couple of hours on the water or take the whole day to explore. This is the perfect outdoor activity to do alone or with the whole family.

Cross-Country Skiing and Skating

North Dakota gets cold in the winter, which transforms the outdoors into the perfect terrain for skiing. Many of the walking and biking trails in the state parks around Grand Forks offer great opportunities for cross-country skiing. 

For example, the Bluebird Trail in Icelandic Park, which is just over an hour drive from Grand Forks, is a 0.46-mile route along the banks of the Tongue River that’s perfect for a short cross-country skiing adventure. The 0.75-mile Hillman Trail is well-designed for snowshoeing in the winter. If you feel like a longer trip, take the 1.5-mile Old Settlers Trail, which is groomed for cross-country skiing each winter.

The rivers near Grand Forks typically freeze in the winter, creating a natural ice rink for you to test your ice skating abilities on. Alternatively, many of our state parks feature outdoor ice skating rinks.

Fishing

If you want to try your hand at fishing without having to leave town, try visiting the floating dock located within the Greenway. This is an ideal place to launch a small boat to take you out on the river. You can also take a trip out of town to great fishing sites such as Buffalo River State Park or Icelandic State Park.

Snowmobiling

Grand Forks has a wide selection of trails for snowmobiling when the weather gets cold. If you want to learn a thing or two from the experts, attend the Red River Snowmobile Club, which usually meets on the second and fourth Mondays every month between September and March at the East Grand Forks VFW.

Other Sports

Many of the parks around town have facilities for you to play your favorite sports, whether its hockey, baseball, basketball, or soccer. At Bringewatt Park, you can try your hand at beach volleyball on the sand courts, or watch the local teams battle it out in the beach volleyball league.

Contact Rydell Chevrolet for More Grand Forks Tips

We hope this overview of the outdoor fun you can have in and around Grand Forks has given you some inspiration. Did we miss any of your favorite places or activities? Do you have another recommendation for us? Whether you live here permanently or you’re just visiting, Rydell Chevrolet Buick GMC loves to help people explore the Grand Forks area. Feel free to contact us with any of your recommendations for outdoor fun, as all of our employees love discovering unique things to do in the area.

Tags: Cross-Country Skiing and Skating, Cycling, Fishing, Grand Forks Parks, Hunting, Kayaking and Paddleboarding, Outdoor Sports, Snowmobiling
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