February is Winter Recreation Month and the perfect time to get out and experience North Dakota’s crowd-free winter activities and unique lodging! Adventure-seekers and cozy-escape enthusiasts will find a winter wonderland throughout the state.

If you’re looking for exciting new ways to experience the beautiful winter landscape and nature North Dakota has to offer, take a family trip to the great outdoors. Give cross-country skiing or fat-tire biking a try on groomed trails at North Dakota’s state parks. Snowmobilers can have some fun exploring more than 2,800 miles of marked trails throughout the state.

Winter is also a great time to marvel at the wildlife and inspiring scenery pleasingly covered in snow. With 63 national wildlife refuges (more than any other state) and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you’re sure to catch a glimpse of bison, elk, deer, antelope and other native species that tend to be more active this time of year.

If a cozy cabin sounds enticing, One Majestic Place tucked in the hills near Mountain can fulfill this wish with an indoor jacuzzi and all the amenities. Try something new and sleep under the stars at the Pretty Point Yurt at Cross Ranch State Park or Slemmen Lodge at Lake Metigoshe State Park.

Love is also in the air in February, and you and that special someone can treat yourselves to something authentic from the hearth at Rosewild. Then, find a luxury sleep at the boutique Jasper Hotel in Fargo or an upscale lodge experience at the Coteau des Prairies Lodge near Havana.

Speaking of escapes, North Dakota has a number of escape rooms that are fun for the entire family. Find the clues to solve puzzles and free your group from Escape Point in Minot, Puzzled Escapes in Fargo, Buffalo City Escapes in Jamestown and the Grand Forks Escape Room.

The Olympic Winter Games begin this month and North Dakota has its own unique twist to some of the traditional sports. Slide the “rock” at the curling rink on the rooftop at 701 Eateries in Fargo or try crokicurl, an outdoor winter game that combines curling and the Canadian board game of crokinole, in downtown Minot. Give axe throwing a try, a game with Olympic aspirations that can be played at Laughing Sun Brewing in Bismarck, Downtown Axe in Grand Forks, Northern Axe in Fargo and many more.

There is so much to do this time of year, so don’t miss out. Start planning your next adventure by visiting www.NDtourism.com.