North Dakota is known for its prairie landscapes. Of the millions upon millions of acres that make up the state, however, most have been transformed in some way for agriculture. Tons of crop fields and livestock grazing grounds cover 90% of the state. That’s over 40 million acres of ranch and farmland. There are very few spots you can visit today that have the true, original prairie hills left preserved, but Davis Ranch is one of them – and you can visit it yourself.
Much of North Dakota was once covered in grassy plains like this. What are now corn and soybean fields were vast, open prairies covered in native grasses and full of roaming bison. Today, there are few places you can find untouched like this.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
Davis Ranch is a nature preserve in the Prairie Pothole region of North Dakota. You can see the pot-marked landscape that earned this name in the satellite image below and where the classic patchwork farm landscape ends.
Google maps
The preserve is very isolated, with only a few tiny towns nearby and some miles to go before you really reach much civilization. The only noises out here are the wind through the grass and the sound of birdsong.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
The hilly landscape was formed by a giant glacial lake thousands of years ago. The lower parts of the hills are often full of water, and you can see the ponds, lakes, and marshes peeking through the hills.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
Visiting Davis Ranch is like taking a step back in time, back to what the pioneers would have seen when first crossing the Dakota Territory. They would have seen quiet ponds, huge expanses of grass, and plenty of opportunity.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
You can check out the preserve for yourself as long as you make your impact as small as possible to preserve this place. It is open year-round for hiking, birdwatching and wildlife viewing, and more. Remember that there are no facilities here so you will need to come prepared with water and your own equipment.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
With over 7,000 acres of beautiful, natural, and untouched prairie to explore, the Davis Ranch is a hidden gem of North Dakota that’ll continue to preserve this part of the state’s history.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
You can learn more about Davis Ranch and how to visit it yourself by visiting this website. Catch a glimpse back to the days when the pioneers were first trekking across the prairie by taking a look at these historic photographs in North Dakota.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
Google maps
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