Cross Ranch State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cross Ranch State Park
Missouri River from Cross Ranch State Park
Cross Ranch State Park Location in North Dakota
Location	Oliver County, North Dakota, United States
Nearest city	Washburn, North Dakota
Area	569.07 acres (230.29 ha)
Elevation	1,759 ft (536 m)
Designation	North Dakota state park
Established	1989
Administrator	North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department
Website	Cross Ranch State Park

Cross Ranch State Park is a public recreation area covering 569 acres (230 ha) on the west bank of the Missouri River nine miles (14 km) south of Washburn in Oliver County, North Dakota. The Nature Conservancy's Cross Ranch Nature Preserve, a 6,000-acre (2,400 ha) preserve which features a roaming herd of more than 200 adult bison, lies adjacent to the state park.

History

In the late 1800s, A.G. Gaines, a scout and land agent for the Burlington Northern Railroad, owned an 11,000-acre ranch where the park and preserve now stand. Although the subsequent owners, Bob and Gladys Levis, wished for the land to become a state park, and its purchase was approved by the state legislature in 1979, Bismarck businessman Robert McCarney funded a statewide referral that killed the proposal. The Nature Conservancy purchased the ranch from the Levis in 1982. It then donated land for the state park in 1989, while holding onto 6,000 acres for use as a nature preserve.

Activities and amenities

The state park and nature preserve provide 13 miles (21 km) of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. The park also offers boating, canoeing, cabins, yurts, and campsites.