555 - Missouri River Natural Area and Trailhead

For over 12,000 years, people have depended on the Missouri River, as a place to hunt, gather, or grow food and as a means for transportation and trade. The river, and the surrounding lands, have a storied history. More than ten major groups of Native Americans inhabited the Missouri River Valley, somet leading a nomadic lifestyle while others built villages and farmed the bottomlands. In the 18th century, European fur trappers and traders were drawn to the Missouri River valley and, with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it became a major route for westward expansion of the United States.

The river meanders its way from Three Forks, Montana, through Big Sky Country, into North Dakota, and down the heart of the Great Plains before it reaches the border of Missouri and Illinois, where it joins with the Mississippi River. At over 2,000 miles in length, there are ample opportunities to enjoy the beauty and feel the history of the Mighty Missouri. One of those places is here, in front of you. The Missouri River Natural Area & Trailhead, a 157-acre preserve, is pristine floodplain woodlands. The Cottonwood-Peach-Leaf Willow Floodplain Woodland, found within this natural area is increasingly rare in the state of North Dakota. This riparian woodland, a wooded area directly influenced by permanent water, is dominated by deciduous trees such as: cottonwood, peach-leaf willow, coyote willow, green ash, and buckbrush.

Under the impressive cottonwoods is a habitat that provides protection for a diverse array of birds, mammals, and amphibians. Migrating birds use these cottonwood corridors for both food and shelter. The majestic bald eagle can often be seen perched on a branch of the cottonwoods, overlooking the Missouri River. Look carefully, amongst the trees, and you may even see evidence of a beaver in the gnawed bark of a cottonwood.

The Missouri River Natural Area & Trailhead has been set aside to protect and preserve the area as a natural resource. It is a beautiful setting for hiking, fishing, nature observation and photography, and skiing and snowshoeing. Or relax on the sandy beach and watch the river floor by, imagining all the stories the Mighty Missouri could tell.