Red River Recreation Area

Friday August 29, 2025

We are finally on our way. It took 6 days to get the RV repaired, most of that time was waiting for parts to arrive from Chicago. It only took maybe 2 hours to actually diagnose and repair the rig but two days to find the parts and three days for them to arrive.

Approximately 50 miles east of Minot, deep in corn, sunflower and canola bean country, about 1/3 of a mile up on a little hill stands an old chruch. The scene is striking as the chuch is the only building in site. It is the Norway Lutheran Church built in 1886. What a beautiful site with it’s tall steeple standing majestically up on that hill.

The first town we come to is Devil’s Lake (7300 souls). It lies on the east shore of……. Devil’s Lake. I assume that the lake was named first. The present site of Devils Lake is the largest natural lake in North Dakota.and was, historically, a territory of the Dakota people. However, the Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Cut-Head bands of the Dakotas were relocated to the Spirit Lake Reservation as a result of the 1867 treaty between the United States and the Dakota that established a reservation for those who had not been forcibly relocated to Crow Creek Reservation in what is now South Dakota. 

The name “Devils Lake” is a calque of the Dakota phrase mni wak’áŋ(literally translating to spirit water), which is also reflected in the names of the Spirit Lake Tribe and the nearby town of Minnewaukan. The reservation is located on the south shore of Spirit (Devil’s) Lake. The lake is a terminal lake meaning it has no outlet so elevated lake levels can present problems with flooding in town.

Grand Forks North Dakota

We pass by Lakota and Michigan as both towns are now bypassed by US 2. We come into the city of Grand Forks (59166 souls). The city is the third largest in the state. I lies at the confluence of the Red River and the Red Lake River thus the name Grand Forks. It is home of North Dakota University. Across the Red River from Grand Forks North Dakota is East Grand Forks Minnesota and that’s where we’ll be staying.

In 1997 these two towns flooded. This was the largest evacuation in the United States since the evacuation of residents in Atlanta, Georgia during the Civil War. Water reached areas more than two miles (3 km) inland from the Red River, requiring evacuation of all of East Grand Forks and 75% of Grand Forks. Flood waters reached 49 feet. All of East Grand Forks and 75% of Grand Forks was evacuated. Everything in East Grand Forks was lost to the flood and was rebuilt- except for the low lying homes along the river. They were demolished. A levee was built and everything between the levee and the river was converted into the Red River Recreation Area. In place of the homes that were displaced lies an RV Park. The original streets still exist so the park is unusual in appearance- but it works.

Our site is located on the far- west of the park. Between us and the river is a combination walking/bicycling path. The sites are spacious and popular with those who are visiting Grand Forks/ East Grand Forks area. This recreation area is one of the our favorites to visit.

We’ll push on deeper into Minnisota in the next few days. See you there!