Lake Sakakawea State Park

"Anglers come for the salmon and pike, but land lovers get something even rarer: the western end of the 4,800-mile North Country National Scenic Trail. This trail stretches from Vermont to Lake Sakakawea, and here in Pick City, it unfurls through shortgrass prairie and ash coulees, revealing deer, warblers, and photo-worthy overlooks. If you haven’t hiked here yet, you're in for a surprisingly rich experience. Now, let’s get down to the rocky stuff, aka fossil hunting. Fossil hunting is less Jurassic Park and more meditative treasure hunt. No pickaxes needed. Just a good eye, patience, and maybe a camera. As you hike trails like Shoreline and Overlook, you’ll spot scoria outcrops, those reddish, crackled rocks that look like burnt toast. They're created when underground coal seams catch fire and bake the surrounding clay and sand into clinker-like stone. That’s where the magic hides."