Bismarck Parks and Recreation District serves residents and visitors in the City of Bismarck and Burleigh County. Bismarck, the state capital, is located along the banks of the Missouri River in the heart of North Dakota.
Provide the highest quality public parks, programs, facilities, and leisure services.
Collaborate with the community to provide residents and visitors the highest quality park, program, facility, and event experiences.
Provide affordable, accessible, and sustainable public park and recreation services.
Accountability, Collaboration, Community, Inclusion, Integrity, Professionalism
BPRD was established in 1927 and is governed by five publicly elected park commissioners. BPRD owns and manages more than 3,400 acres of park land and more than 85 miles of recreational trails. Its diverse facilities and programs – from horse arenas to hockey rinks, from public art to pollinator gardens, from soccer fields to splash pads – offer recreation opportunities for residents and visitors year-round.
More than 280 partnerships are a cornerstone of BPRD’s park and recreation services. These relationships have leveraged public and private resources, both funding and volunteer time, making possible significantly more offerings to support healthy, active lifestyles for the community than would be possible alone.
Staff professionalism and commitment to best practices is evident at BPRD. In 2008, BPRD became the first – and is still the only – accredited parks and recreation agency in North Dakota. BPRD was reaccredited in 2013, 2018, and 2023. BPRD is also a 1993 and 2017 Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management recipient and a six-time Gold Medal Award finalist.
For almost 100 years, BPRD’s unique relationships, community support, leadership, and shared resources have had a positive impact on the quality of life in Bismarck. BPRD is proud of its staff, appreciative of a supportive elected board and community, and always strives to meet the highest professional standards.