Dunn County Highpoint Trip Report

Date: May 8, 2006
Author: Bob Schwab

I think that maybe the approach from the Veigels gate isn’t the best way to get this one. I learned from a rancher that Larry Lundberg controls access up this road (701 863-6939) and I received permission to go up from the north side. Once you get on top of the mountain where the two radio towers are, the road deteriorates rapidly. I headed south on really bad tracks to an east-west fence line.

I parked here and walked about six more miles along cow paths and old tracks that stay up high on the open ridge. I visited BM Killdeer and all 11 contours. Two of these contours have radio towers, and there is an access road that comes up from the south which had fresh tire tracks! On the way out, I saw a single posting with the name of a rancher Craig Dvirnak (701 863-6730).

I called Mrs. Dvirnak and learned that there is indeed better access to these areas from the south. My advice is to call the Dvirnaks and get permission to visit via the southern access road.

On a side note, I have been in contact with Dave Doyle (NOAA) about the erroneous BM elevation reported for BM Killdeer in the data sheets (it was off by 280 feet!). He has assured me that the error will soon be corrected to 3,284 feet.