Lostwood Wilderness

Approximately 10,000 years ago, as the glaciers receded from North Dakota, a ridge of rock and soil was deposited along what is now the Missouri River. As the ice melted from within this formation, a landscape of rolling hills and wetlands developed, known as the Missouri Coteau. The Lostwood Wilderness lies in the Missouri Coteau and is dominated by northern mixed grass prairie. Over 100 species of grasses can be found here and numerous species of wildflowers brighten the landscape from April through August. Lostwood is home to an abundance of breeding waterfowl as well as many grassland-dependent songbirds, including Baird's, Le Conte's, grasshopper, and savannah sparrows, and Sprague's pipit. The climate is typical of the Northern Great Plains, with annual precipitation ranging from 12 to 17 inches. May and June typically receive the most moisture, with the remaining summer months hot and dry. It is not uncommon to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and 20 to 30 degrees below zero in winter. With few natural land barriers the wind moves freely across the Plains, often at 5 to 20 mph and sometimes 25 to 35. The highest point in the Wilderness is 2,470 feet. The Lostwood Wilderness, as well as the Refuge in which it sits, protects some of the best native prairie in North Dakota. It lies in the northern section of the Refuge and is open year-round to hiking, photography, bird watching, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.