Cross Ranch State Park

Cross Ranch State Park is a public recreation area covering 569 acre on the west bank of the Missouri River 9 mi south of Washburn in Oliver County, North Dakota. The Nature Conservancy's Cross Ranch Nature Preserve, a 6000 acre preserve which features a roaming herd of more than 200 adult bison, lies adjacent to the state park.

History
In the late 1800s, A.G. Gaines, a scout and land agent for the Burlington Northern Railroad, owned an 11,000 acre where the park and preserve now stand. Although the subsequent owners, Bob and Gladys Levis, wished for the land to become a state park, and its purchase was approved by the state legislature in 1979, Bismarck businessman Robert McCarney funded a statewide referral that killed the proposal. The Nature Conservancy purchased the ranch from the Levis in 1982. It then donated land for the state park in 1989, while holding onto 6,000 acres for use as a nature preserve.

Activities and amenities
The state park and nature preserve provide 16 mi of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. The park also offers kayaking, canoeing, cabins, yurts, and campsites.