About Chahinkapa Park
Chahinkapa Park is nestled at the heart of the Wahpeton/Breckenridge communities. Border cities located in North Dakota and Minnesota respectively. Also notably this location is where 3 rivers meet. The Red River of the North – formed by the confluence of the Otter Tail and Bois de Sioux rivers
Park Classification
Chahinkapa park is a city park. It is owned and maintained by the City of Wahpeton, in Richland county.
Location
Chahinkapa Park is located at 85 Rj Hughes Dr, Wahpeton, ND 58075
This park borders the Red River, which establishes a border between the state of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Parking
There are gravel lots near the north baseball diamonds, and near the Bios De Sioux Golf Course Club House with plenty of space to park.
There are also large paved lots for parking near the southern baseball field, at the zoo in the center of the park, and a big lot that is shared by the basketball courts and the Chahinkapa Swimming Pool.
Parking Cost
Parking is free in all areas of the park except for the small campground outside the zoo.
Overnight Parking
We did not find any signs saying “no overnight parking”. However, there were signs saying the park closed at 10 pm.
Park Essentials
We define park essentials as trash disposal, running water, restrooms and access to power outlets.
Trash
There are plenty of trash cans in all areas of the park, both indoor within facilities and outdoor near basketball courts, playgrounds and picnic areas. They appear orderly and well maintained.
Water
The red river is a natural source of water running along the east side of the park.
There are water fountains near the playground restrooms, and in the Bios De Sioux Clubhouse.
Restrooms
There are 4 indoor restrooms with plumbing near the south ball field, in the pool, outside the zoo (near campground) in the Bios De Sioux Clubhouse and near the playground.
Power
There are charging ports near the basketball courts, by the gazebo next to the playground and on the outside many of the various buildings throughout the park.
Cell Signal
My verizon hotspot showed 2 bars of cell signal and no 4G LTE throughout Chahinkapa Park. Loading speeds for webpages were very slow throughout the park. Locals have noted this spot as a transition point between cell towers, making data loading slow, voice calls however seemed fine.
Chahinkapa Park Features
Now let’s make a complete list of all the features and attractions available at the park. Starting with the most popular.
Trails
There are paved paths that sprawl around 3 miles, winding it’s way through the park, allowing cyclists, walkers, golf carts and even EMVs to view all the amenities the park has to offer in an easy to traverse loop.
Check out this link for a trail map.
There is a gravel trail that is gated that leads to the archery range. The sign says you need an archery range membership, but I’ve been here dozens of times and never ran into any issues and never had a pass. Plus I’m only walking the trail, I’m not using the archery range and I take care to pick up any trash I see when walking.
Zoo
The Chahinkapa Zoo is a very robust zoo for a small town. Last time I was there they had a pair of young tigers. An orangutan, bears, alligator and white rhinos.
Golf Course
The Bois de Sioux Golf Course is where you can grab some food from the grille room or sign up for 18 holes of golf. Their menu is great if you like bar food. Burgers and wings kind of deal. They also have some salads and good appetizers.
Swimming Pool
The Chahinkapa Park Swimming Pool consists of a large open swimming area, a kiddie pool, a diving area with a high dive and a water slide.
Playgrounds
There is one main playground area with plenty of jungle gyms and picnics tables, shaded areas for a fun family outing.
Campground
The Chahinkapa Zoo Campground is a small campground, it’s right in the middle of the park, which makes it sort of unique and particularly good if you’re planning to go to the Zoo.
Baseball field
Three baseball diamond, two softball fields and one main baseball field. All areas are well maintained.
Football Field
The football field is in great condition. It is at the south end of the park. There is also a gravel running track that circles the football field.
Basketball Court
What was formerly a hockey rink, is a basketball court in summertime. 6 baskets in total.
Tennis Court
Two tennis courts in a shaded area on the south end of the park.
Skatepark
The skatepark borders the swimming pool and the playground. It features a small halfpipe and a quarter pipe and some other ramps and rails.
Sculpture Garden
The sculpture garden is just south of the campground, while walking through you are able to see in to the Zoo’s White Rhino exhibit.
Duck Ponds
Catch the sunset while facing west and watch the geese play along the banks of a pair of small ponds in the middle of Chahinkapa Park.
Archery Range
The archery range is tucked all the way up at the north end of the park if you drive past the clubhouse for the golfcourse you’ll see signs for it. Awesome gravel trail to get to the archery range.
Conclusion
Ultimately Chahinkapa Park is a great choice for families looking for outdoor activities with a variety of options. You can’t go wrong with all the options available to you at Chahinkapa Park.