North Dakota has quietly joined the state park party. Pembina Gorge State Park, the state's 14th, officially opened on June 9, 2026, upgrading what had been the Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area (established 2012) into a full park with a fresh campground in its forested hills. It sits in the state's northeast corner near the small town of Walhalla, only a few miles from the Canadian border.
The draw here is unusual for North Dakota: trees. The Pembina River carved a steep gorge wrapped in roughly 12,500 acres of woodland — the largest continuous forest in the state, and a big reason a place in a state once labelled America's worst for hiking now draws trail reviews calling it a hidden gem worth the drive.
Trails and terrain
There are more than 16 miles of mixed-use trails threading through grassy bluffs, meadows and hardwood stands of bur oak, quaking aspen, green ash, cottonwood and American elm. Hiking, biking, horseback riding and off-highway vehicle driving are all on the table. The Three Sisters Trail is the popular pick, about 1.5 miles hugging the gorge edge, and the two-mile Lady Slipper Loop branches off it as a non-motorized option if you'd rather not share the path with dirt bikes. Trapper's Ridge Trail runs about four miles and links to other rugged routes. Trails can close for weather, so check the park's Facebook page or the OuterSpatial app before you set out.
Where to sleep
The new campground sits on the gorge rim near the river. Rendezvous Loop has 44 RV sites with electric and water hookups, plus a few premium spots with sewer. If you like it rougher, the Longline Loop on the south side offers five walk-in tent sites with a picnic area, vault toilet and a scenic overlook nearby. More is coming: officials plan a comfort station with showers and bathrooms, cabins and a visitor centre.
Why it matters
For campers, this is a genuinely new destination rather than an old park with new signage — the campground infrastructure is fresh and growing. It also works as a cooler-forest counterpoint to North Dakota's usual badlands-and-prairie scenery, and it pairs well with a broader road trip through the state's under-the-radar outdoors, such as Minot's camping scene about 200 miles southwest. Anyone who wants quiet trails, ATV-friendly riding and riverside camping without crowds should have it on the 2026 list.