About Gunlogson State Nature Preserve
Stately bur oak and basswood rise from the shaded forest floor of Gunlogson State Nature Preserve, while alder shrubs thrive in the spring-fed wetlands. The preserve’s lowland woodland, dominated by American elm, basswood, and ironwood, supports a rich understory of beaked hazel, sedges, and forbs. Along the upper margins of the Tongue River Valley, oak woodlands transition into wetland thickets that harbor the highest concentrations of rare species, including watermeal—among the world’s smallest flowering plants—and bishop’s cap, a boreal species found in only a few locations in North Dakota. The spring-fed Tongue River winds through the preserve, sustaining a unique mix of eastern deciduous and boreal aquatic species, many at the edge of their range.
The 200-acre preserve, established in 1963 after G.B. Gunlogson donated his family’s homesteaded land, is North Dakota’s first dedicated state nature preserve. It features three miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails open year-round, allowing access to its diverse habitats—forest, marsh, meadow, upland prairie, springs, and ponds. This area contains a greater variety of native plants, birds, and wildlife than any other single location in the state, serving as a living link between pre-settlement conditions and the present. Notable wildlife includes the pileated woodpecker, which nests in the mature forests.