This Ancient Forest In North Dakota Is One Of The Only Of Its Kind In The State

If trees could talk, these would have quite a story to tell. For a state that was known as mostly treeless and still is today, people may not expect there to be large amounts of pine trees out on the plains that have been there for centuries. In fact, those pine forests were at one point named a national forest by Theodore Roosevelt himself. Though sparse, you won’t believe how beautiful these trees can be out in North Dakota.

North Dakota is home to one of the easternmost ponderosa pine forests. At one point, these forests were called the Dakota National Forest - as designated and protected by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.

Ed Suomenin/Flickr

Today, the forest is no longer considered a national forest, but sections of it are still within the Little Missouri National Grassland in Slope County and can be seen there today.

Tim Evason/Flickr

The ponderosa pines fill the valleys and canyons among the badlands. These trees are quite old and have been here since before the first settlers came across the land. They used the trees to construct log buildings and railroad ties back in the early days of North Dakota’s statehood.

Justin Meissen/Flickr

Out of the many ponderosa pines in the grassland, the largest and tallest is a whopping 73 feet tall! The canopy spread of that tree is 26 feet total.

the.waterbird/Flickr

You can visit and see these ancient forests in places like the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Don Barrett/Flickr

You won’t find many natural pine forests anywhere else in North Dakota, so this place is special and simply gorgeous to behold.

Sharon Mollerus/Flickr

You can visit North Dakota’s ponderosa pines in places like the South Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, located near Medora, North Dakota, and in other parts of Slope County.