Jamestown, North Dakota — 38 Miles of Trails, Fishing & Prairie Adventure

You won’t find a mountain in Jamestown.

We’re okay with that.

What you will find are miles of trails, rolling prairies, water, wildlife and plenty of room to get outside. And when fall settles into North Dakota, it’s hard to think of a better time to do it.

The mornings get cooler. The prairie trades summer green for shades of gold. Trees along the water begin to turn, and suddenly spending an afternoon outside sounds a whole lot better than whatever else you had planned.

Jamestown has more than 38 miles of trails winding around the community, Jamestown Reservoir and Pipestem Lake. Hike them. Run them. Bring the mountain bike. Take the dog. Some are paved and easygoing. Others climb, turn and roll enough to remind you that North Dakota isn’t quite as flat as everyone likes to say.

But the trail is really just the beginning.

Fall is also a good time to grab a fishing rod and find some water. Jamestown Reservoir and Pipestem Lake sit just minutes from town, with opportunities to catch walleye, perch, northern pike and more. You can spend the morning on the trail and the afternoon on the water without making much of a commute.

Prefer four legs to two wheels? There’s room for that, too. Horse trails around the Jamestown area wind through prairie and wooded shoreline, giving riders another way to experience a North Dakota landscape that looks particularly good in the fall.

And keep an eye on the sky while you’re out there.

Jamestown sits in the heart of the Prairie Pothole Region and along the Central Flyway, making this part of North Dakota an important stop for migrating birds. Head north toward Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge and the landscape opens into wetlands and prairie where wildlife watching, photography, hiking and horseback riding all come with a little more elbow room.

That’s one of the nice things about getting outside here.

There isn’t one “right” way to do it.

You can push yourself on a mountain bike, walk beside the reservoir with your dog, spend a quiet morning fishing or simply find a spot where the prairie stretches farther than you expected.

And you usually won’t have to stand in line to enjoy the view.

Jamestown makes it easy to build an outdoor day without turning it into an expedition. The trails, lakes and prairie are close enough to town that you can explore all morning, grab lunch, head back out for the afternoon and still be settled in before the sun goes down.

Just bring your boots, bike, fishing rod or whatever gets you outside.

We’ve got plenty of room for it.