West Ashtabula Crossing

West Ashtabula Crossing Campground is located on 23 developed acres adjacent to Lake Ashtabula in eastern North Dakota. It is very popular and fills up on most weekends. Lake Ashtabula was created by the construction of the Baldhill Dam on the Sheyenne River in 1944, in one of the most scenic river valleys in the region. Summer activities include fishing, boating, swimming and picnicking, while ice fishing and cross-country skiing are popular during winter months. The campground has 38 campsites, 26 of which offer electric hookups, plus a boat launch, dump station, fishing pier, fish cleaning station and picnic shelter. A swimming beach, playground and restaurant are less than one mile away, and the nearest town is Valley City, 15 miles south. The name "Ashtabula" is a Native American word meaning "Fish River," which suits the lake's fish population; popular species include walleye, northern pike, white bass, yellow perch and black bullhead. With seven boat ramps, three accessible fishing piers and four automated fish cleaning stations, the lake is very convenient for anglers. Nearly 3,000 acres of land around the lake is managed as wildlife habitat by the Corps of Engineers and open to the public for wildlife viewing, birding, hiking and hunting. Campers can also reach the 63-mile Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway nearby and access the North Country National Scenic Trail from the campground. The campground is on a wooded hillside offering shade for most sites, amidst the 'prairie potholes' region of glacially-carved lakes. Spring and fall bring bountiful views of migratory water birds, including the unique white pelican, which can be seen in large flocks during summer. The lake region also provides habitat for white-tailed deer, sharptail grouse, wild turkey and gray partridge.