Our Stories

Team effort to improve NCT within ND’s Lonetree WMA

Recently, a team effort of the North Dakota Game & Fish Department’s Lonetree Office and the North Country Trail Association’s Volunteer Adventure greatly improved the 32 miles of the North Country Trail within Lonetree WMA near Harvey, ND.

Staff of the Game & Fish Dept. mowed a 10-mile section of trail that will be hiked on for the pre-conference  “Wild Dakota Adventure.”  This stretch runs from the Jensen Campground to the Coal Mine Lake Campground and onto Faul Campground.  NCTA volunteers participating in the modified Volunteer Adventure (nobody signed up for the M-F portion) included Brian Pavek (STN chapter), Clyde Anderson, Bobby Koepplin, Kari Sauer, Bob & Janet Patton, and Adam from the SRV Chapter.  Assisting the volunteers were Matt Davis, NCTA’s Regional Trail Coordinator and Scott Peterson of the Game & Fish Dept.  We were able to mow parts of the trail that the G&F folks couldn’t reach with their big tractor and other additional segments of the trail.  We were also able to greatly improve the signing and marking of the trail by installing lots more Carsonite posts and replacing damaged or faded ones.

Currently, the trail is mowed from the Faul Lake Campground (located west of St. Hwy 14) to the eastern trailhead (located about a mile and half west of St. Hwy 3) with the exception of some sections that follow minimum maintenance roads.  For more on the NCT within Lonetree, visit the Wiki Guide page.