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General Park Information

Park System

Bismarck Parks and Recreation District owns and manages more than 3,400 acres of park land, almost 100 parks and facilities, and more than 80 miles of trails.

  • Hours are posted in parks and on park pages.
  • Seasonal park restrooms generally open in mid-May and close in mid-October, depending on the weather.

Helpful to Know

Metal Detecting on BPRD Property

You can use a metal detector in most BPRD parks if you follow these rules:

  1. Respect the Park: Don’t damage or destroy park facilities, natural features, or historical or archeological resources. If you find something that looks important or historic, you cannot remove it from the park. Report the find to park staff right away by calling 701-222-6464. That area will be closed.
  2. Dig Carefully: Only use small tools like ice picks, screwdrivers, or probes that are no wider than 2 inches. You can also use sand scoops, but they must be no wider than 6 inches and no longer than 8 inches, with holes at least one-half inch wide. Only use these scoops on sand. Any hole you dig must be no deeper than 6 inches, and you must fill it back in and make it look like it did before.
  3. Clean Up Trash: If you find trash or litter, throw it away properly.
  4. Be Respectful: Be polite and considerate of other people in the park enjoying recreational activities. Keep your metal detector quiet so other park users cannot hear it.

Metal detecting is not allowed on the following BPRD owned and operated property:

  1. Athletic fields (soccer, softball, baseball, lacrosse, etc.)
  2. Bismarck Municipal Ballpark
  3. Chief Looking’s Village
  4. Eagles Park
  5. East Sibley Nature Park
  6. General Sibley Park & Campground
  7. Pebble Creek Golf Course, Fore Seasons Center, and Sheila Schafer Junior Links
  8. Pet cemeteries at McDowell Dam Recreation Area and Pioneer Park
  9. Riverwood Golf Course
  10. Tom O’Leary Golf Course

Safety Tips

Bismarck’s population is growing, and so are safety and security concerns. Bismarck Parks and Recreation District addresses this issue by reviewing emergency procedures annually, installing security cameras, establishing secured entry points, training staff regularly, completing security audits, providing front desk security training, and reviewing staffing levels and adjusting as needed.

Bismarck Police Department patrols riverfront trails and parks, providing a safer environment for park and trail users.

Walking Alone in a Park

  • Walk with a purpose, hold your head up straight, and look where you are going.
  • Keep your hands free and ready to react to danger.
  • Don’t talk on your cell phone or wear headphones.
  • Check your car when approaching it: look on both sides and the backseat.
  • Check the vehicles close by: who is inside and what are they doing?
  • Get in your car, lock the doors, and drive away.

Conservation & Forestry

Bismarck Parks and Recreation District provides and protects wooded buffer zones in ecologically sensitive areas and supports community gardens and orchards, tree-planting activities, and an arboretum. BPRD has embraced integrated pest management and is engaged in prairie restoration, xeriscape design, and invasive species removal, as well as planting native grasses, flowers, and trees. Downed trees are repurposed for wood mulch.

BPRD practices efficient water use, utilizing untreated water and minimizing gallons used through computer-aided, zone-specific irrigation systems. The city’s tall grass and weeds ordinance allows for grass over eight inches in undevelopable areas. This allows BPRD to maintain undeveloped park land in a more natural state and use less fuel, staff, and equipment hours for maintenance.

Recycling containers are side by side with trash containers in several facilities.

The City of Bismarck Forestry Division manages trees on city and park district properties, along with organizing Bismarck’s annual Arbor Day event in May. Contact them at 701-355-1700, option 3, or visit the Forestry Division website for more information. Learn about “Champion” Trees and the History and Stories of Bismarck’s Trees.