Picture perfect
Wolf Creek Recreation area still a great placeBy KIM FUNDINGSLAND, Staff Writer kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com
Article Photos
RIVERDALE There are times when the view is picture postcard perfect and the evenings are marked by friendly conversation around brilliant campfires. Sometimes the only sound waking up a camper in the morning is the gentle lapping of water against the nearby shoreline or the always impressive crow of a rooster pheasant.
Those who make regular use of the Wolf Creek Recreation Area have found many other reasons to return. As camping areas go, Wolf Creek has grown up and grown up well. There's still open, grassy points on which to camp where a cooling breeze off Lake Sakakawea makes for perfect sleeping, but there's also plenty of trees that provide welcome relief from the mid-day sun. Then there's the water in the Wolf Creek arm of Lake Sakakawea that separates the recreation area from Mallard Island to the north.
The Wolf Creek camping sites are situated to take full advantage of the view of the reservoir. Watching the sun rise and set on the region is one of the great benefits derived from overnight camping. Often the winds that may have blown during the day die down toward evening and the lake will lie nearly flat, relecting the last rays of the sun with a glistening sparkle off the water.
"We've got 101 sites out there," said Linda Phelps, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "Camping out there has been really, really down for the past five or six years but this year we've already seen an increase. Of our seven group sites, all but three are reserved for the Fourth of July."
According to Phelps, low water in recent years, a few miles of gravel road and a lack of electrical service preferred by owners of motorhomes and large pull-type campers are possible reasons keeping some campers away. The area does feature numerous water hydrants situated throughout the campground. In addition, several vault toilets are within a few yards of most camping spots. A playground containing a variety a equipment is available to younger campers.
With the rising water in Lake Sakakawea this year, the low water boat ramp at Wolf Creek has been abandoned in favor of a pair of wide concrete ramps that had been out of service for several years. They offer ideal launching sites for boats of all sizes, ample parking and very good protection for loading boats in the event of inclement weather.
For those looking to fish from shore, there is plenty of available shoreline to choose from at Wolf Creek. Boat fishermen can launch into Lake Sakakawea or, depending on weather conditions, drive a few miles to the nearby Tailrace boat ramp and fish on the Missouri River where wind is much less of a factor than on Lake Sakakawea. A fish cleaning station is conventiently located near the entrance of the recreation area.
The Corps of Engineers operates the Wolf Creek Recreation Area, which is located mid-way between Coleharbor and Riverdale. Both individual and group camping sites are available. The cost is $8 per night and stays are limited to a total of 14 days in any 30 day period. A self-deposit system is used to collect fees. A volunteer campground host stays at the recreation area during the camping season and the Corps of Engineers makes routine patrols of the area. The campground is officially open from May 1 to Sept. 30 each year.
Further information on the Wolf Creek Recreation Area can be obtained by calling the Corps of Engineers Riverdale office at 654-7411.
