Butte Saint Paul State Recreation Area

Butte Saint Paul
State Recreation Area
Butte Saint Paul State Recreation Area is located in North Dakota
Butte Saint Paul State Recreation Area
Butte Saint Paul State Recreation Area
Location in North Dakota
LocationBottineau County, North Dakota, United States
Nearest cityDunseith, North Dakota
Coordinates48°51′06″N 100°11′45″W / 48.85167°N 100.19583°W / 48.85167; -100.19583[1]
Area51.23 acres (20.73 ha)[2]
Elevation2,280 ft (690 m)[1]
EstablishedJune 28, 1933[3]
Administered byNorth Dakota Parks and Recreation Department
DesignationNorth Dakota state park
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Butte Saint Paul State Recreation Area is a public recreation area located seven miles (11 km) northwest of Dunseith in Bottineau County, North Dakota. The state park unit encompasses 580-foot (180 m) Butte Saint Paul. A 12-foot (3.7 m) stone cairn and commemorative plaque sit atop the peak.[3][4] A circular trail to the top of the peak allows hikers to take in expansive views of the surrounding Turtle Mountain region.[5]

History

In January 1850, Jesuit missionary Georges-Antoine Belcourt and a small traveling party survived a blizzard by digging into the snow atop the peak. Belcourt erected a wooden cross on the summit and christened the peak Butte Saint Paul, as that day was the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle. The remains of the cross were rediscovered in the 1930s and were commemorated with a stone cairn and the declaration of a 10-acre (4.0 ha) state park.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Butte Saint Paul". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "State Parks Data Table". North Dakota Geographic Information Systems. December 26, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Butte Saint Paul State Recreation Area". North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  4. ^ "Butte Saint Paul". Peakery. Apperies, LLC. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Butte Saint Paul". Hiking Project. Adventure Projects, Inc. Retrieved May 15, 2020.