Paddling near Minot, ND

Sitting in Ward County in north-central North Dakota, Minot has the Souris (Mouse) River running directly through town and three national wildlife refuges with designated canoe trails within an hour's drive. The corridor is bordered by the Des Lacs, Upper Souris, and J. Clark Salyer refuges, making it a standout Great Plains wildlife-watching destination. Roughly 70–90 miles south, Lake Sakakawea — the nation's third-largest man-made reservoir at 368,000 acres — opens up big-water paddling.