Across the Missouri River, six miles southwest of Washburn via Hwy-1806, Cross Ranch State Park ($2 per car; 701/794-3731) is set among 560 acres of cottonwood-shaded Missouri River bottomland with numerous hiking trails, canoe rentals, and fine camping, with sites for RVs and tents. There’s also a fully furnished log cabin, in which you can stay for around $35 a night; for details, phone the visitors center, which also has information on the annual Missouri River Bluegrass Festival, held here Labor Day weekend.
Next to the campground, the remains of the pioneer town of Sanger stand as a mute memorial to Great Plains history. Founded in the 1880s, Sanger was the county seat and a major steamboat and railroad town, with a population of some 400 people. By World War II, Sanger had effectively been bypassed by the modern age, and the post office closed down in the mid-1950s; by the 1970s, the last residents had moved out, but a half-dozen buildings still line Main Street, urgently awaiting some visionary effort to preserve and protect them for future generations.
From the state park, enticing trails lead into the Nature Conservancy’s Cross Ranch Nature Preserve (daily dawn–dusk; free; 701/794-8741). One of the richest surviving native Missouri River valley ecosystems, the preserve includes floodplain prairie and riparian forest, plus a resident herd of bison and some undisturbed Native American archaeological sites.
