Turtle Mountain (plateau)

Turtle Mountain, or the Turtle Mountains, is an area in central North America, in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of North Dakota and southwestern portion of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is a plateau 2,000 ft (600 m) above sea level, 300 ft to 400 ft (90 m to 120 m) above the surrounding countryside, extending 20 mi (32 km) from north to south and 40 mi (64 km) from east to west.

It has timber, numerous lakes, and small deposits of low-grade manganese. The Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation is in a valley on the southeastern edge of the plateau, and the International Peace Garden is also located in the region. Woodland overstory species are primarily green ash, quaking aspen, American elm, paper birch, bur oak, and balsam poplar.

One of the most popular and largest lakes in the Turtle Mountains is Lake Metigoshe, which straddles the international border, with about one-eighth of the lake in Canada. The region is home to a provincial park, a state park, two historic sites, and various hunting and fishing opportunities. Nearby is Bottineau Winter Park, a modest alpine ski area with a vertical drop of 250 feet (79 m).

In the late 1890s there was coal mining in the Turtle Mountains near Old Deloraine town site in Manitoba. When higher quality coal was found elsewhere and the Trans-Canada Railway was built, the mines closed and the town moved off the mountain. The old town site is now covered by a man-made lake, made when the Turtle-Head Dam was built.

Communities in the area

• Boissevain, Manitoba
• Deloraine, Manitoba
• Bottineau, North Dakota
• Dunseith, North Dakota

External links

• Bottineau Winter Park - official site