Illustrated history of Sullys Hill National Game Preserve is a storybook unfolding before your eyes

Where did the summer go? With school starting next week already, this will be the last of the Regional Recreation road trips for the season. If you’re busy getting your kids ready for school, though, you may not have a free weekend before school starts. That’s what makes this trip perfect. It gives you a little time to get the kids settled into the school routine before you get ready to take another little day trip. Plus, it’s practically right in your own backyard!

Sullys Hill National Game Preserve is hosting a special program on Saturday, Sept. 8 with an illustrated history of Sullys Hill. Starting at 1:30 p.m., artist and speaker Steve Stark will creatively render drawings as he shares the historical highlights of Sullys Hill.  

The Friends of Sullys Hill website says, “Like a story book unfolding before your eyes, Steve Stark will tell the story of Sullys Hill from 1904 to present time, while drawing on a thirty-foot roll of paper. You won't want to miss this one!”

Make a reservation for the interpreted wagon rides on Thursday, Sept. 6, starting at 9 a.m. Choose one of the available time slots, 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., or 4 p.m. Register by calling (701) 766-4272. Enjoy a concession lunch either before or after Stark’s presentation and support the mission of the Friends of Sullys Hill. Serving begins at 11 a.m. through 12:15 p.m. and then again after the presentation.

A Monarchs in the Classroom presentation will be held from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Make your way into the classrooms for a variety of family activities, including butterfly crafts and monarch displays.

Enjoy the unique beauty that North Dakota has to offer as summer begins to turn to fall. The overlooks at Sullys Hill offer spectacular views of the fall colors contrasting against the blue lake waters. Hike the trails, walk the native wildflower garden by the visitor center and drive the auto tour and enjoy everything there is to see.

A recent addition to Sullys Hill is the “Let’s Go Outside” backpack program that’s designed to help visitors connect with nature. The backpack themes change every two weeks. Visitors register their name and phone number at the visitor desk and they can borrow the backpacks that contain an activity guide, a journal to record the activity, a list of recommended activities and the materials required to complete the activities. Different themes include birds and migration; insects; wildflowers; pond life; mammals; weather; and animal signs and tracks.

If you haven’t been to Sullys Hill before, the National Game Preserve is a 1,674-acre national wildlife refuge sitting on the south shores of Devils Lake, about 10 miles south of the city of Devils Lake. The refuge was first established in 1904, as a National Park. It was then designated by Congress as a big game preserve in 1914, and later transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1931 to be further set aside as a National Game Preserve and breeding grounds for migratory birds and wildlife. It’s host to a unique community of habitats such as a woodland consisting of oak, ash, basswood, and aspen; and mixed-grass prairie, interspersed with some natural and created wetlands, and is home to a wide assortment of wildlife including migratory birds, bison, elk and prairie dogs.

The Sull’s Hill website boasts about the wildlife that call the game preserve home, including the following:

Bison

Plains bison were reduced from tens of millions to less than 1,000 in the mid-1880s. The Sullys Hill bison herd played an important role in the conservation of plains bison, which played an important role in the conservation of the plains bison. It’s a small herd now, managed for historical and educational value and managed at a population of less than 20 animals to keep the herd size in balance with the available habitat.

Migratory Birds

Up to 270 bird species may use Sullys Hill for both breeding and a stop-over site. The species most frequently detected include the red-eyed vireo, yellow warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern wood peewee, ovenbird and woodpecker.

Elk

Rocky Mountain elk were eliminated from much of their former range due to habitat loss and over-hunting in the early 1900s. In 1917, 15 elk were transported from Yellowstone National Park to Sullys Hill NGP. The elk is the second largest member of the deer family. This elk herd has fewer than 18 animals to ensure sufficient forage and the bull elk can be heard bugling in the fall.

Prairie Dogs

A colony of black-tailed prairie dogs was introduced in 1975 to help educate the public about these unique animals. Prairie dogs live within “towns" consisting of elaborate systems of underground tunnels and dens. They keep a watch out for predators, such as hawks, and let out a warning bark to other members when danger is present.

Enjoy viewing the wildlife by taking the 4-mile wildlife drive that winds through a variety of habitats. Observation points and decks give an opportunity to view and photograph the wildlife and scenery encountered along the way.

Over 2 miles of hiking trails outside the bison and elk enclosure offer numerous opportunities to view and photograph many different bird species. The fully accessible education and visitor center features a full wall of windows and an outside patio to observe the many species frequenting the birding garden.

Park personnel say the fastest growing activity at national wildlife refuges is wildlife photography. Beginning and expert photographers alike are invited to record their outdoor adventures. As a matter of fact, if you’re interested in entering a photography contest that is open to both children and adults, the Friends of Sully’s Hill encourage you to visit the game preserve and submit your photos before Aug. 26.

This year’s contest has a new twist; the photo contest will take place and be judged on the Friends of Sully’s Hill Facebook page. For more information on the photo contest, visit the “Friends of Sully’s Hill” Facebook page or their website at http://www.sullyshill.org.

The visitor hours vary by season but call the visitor center at (701) 766-4272, extension 0 for a recording of their current hours of operation. Generally, the gates open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. In the summer months, the visitor center is open 12 p.m. through 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The auto tour route is open May through September, but the overlook and the Devils Lake vista loop are closed during the winter.

Access to the visitor center parking lot and hiking trails is available year-round with a paved, quarter mile accessible trail providing access to an observation deck overlooking the lake near the visitor center.

Sully’s Hill has several hiking trails with a range of uphill/downhill challenges. Benches along the trails offer points to relax and enjoy the elements of nature. Each of the changing seasons offers new and different things to see and photograph.

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see."

Henry David Thoreau