5 Elements of an Outdoor Adventure Community

I hope this post finds you all doing well! Hopefully, you had a great week, crushed all your weekly goals, and told at least one friend about Achieve Your Adventure! If this is your first visit to the website – Awesome, welcome! If you are reading this as a return visitor, I am super pumped to have you back! I can only assume that you liked the first post, Building Community, believe in the message, and you are back to learn more about how we can build an inclusive outdoor adventure community in Bismarck utilizing some of the elements that currently exist in our awesome city!

Last week’s post was all about building an adventurous community that we are excited to be a part of. We learned that millennials may move to the city for a job, but it is not the job that keeps them but rather the culture and lifestyle that the city offers. So, what does it take to cultivate an outdoor adventure lifestyle in Bismarck Mandan?

People –

It almost goes without saying that it takes people to build a community. People are the lifeblood but not just any person or group of people can make a community. To build a community of adventure, we need people that are caring, passionate, and hard-working. People that help those that are struggling and care about the people around them. They care about and take care of the community in which they live and work. They care about the earth, knowing that they only have one chance to get it right and that they want to leave it better than they found it. They are passionate for their craft and eager to share their knowledge with those around them. They set goals to better themselves – sometimes goals that stretch far outside their comfort zones. They know that growth only happens when we are uncomfortable and perhaps, uncertain of the potential outcome. With everything we have achieved and with everything, we are striving for can only be done with hard work and dedication!

Outdoor Activities –

To build a community of adventure, we must have relatively easy access to a plethora of outdoor activities. Depending on the season, those of us in Bismarck-Mandan can enjoy many of our favorite activities, such as trail running, mountain biking, paddle sports, hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing. Your favorite tract of public hunting land or fishing hole can be found within a couple minute drive outside the city and if your passion is downhill skiing or snowboarding, you can get your fix at the local hill in Huff, North Dakota.

Trail Network –

The paved, mixed-use, trail system maintained by the Parks and Rec act like superhighways for walkers, runners, bikers, and skaters in Bismarck-Mandan. This vast network of paved trails can take you to almost any part of our community. You can normally find a trail in your neighborhood and use it head to your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or microbrewery, or use it to link up with your favorite dirt trail loop! The numerous dirt trails in town add just a bit more adventure in your rides and runs with twists and turns, as well as steep drops and challenging climbs! Surely, you can find a trail that will get your heart pumping and your legs burning!

Public access to natural areas –

If access to numerous outdoor activities is needed to cultivate an inclusive adventure community then it is critical that there is public land available to partake in these activities! Luckily, in addition to the vast trail network described above, the Bismarck-Mandan area is home to a number of dirt trails, local and state parks, and recreation areas along the river. Access to the mighty Missouri River provides ample opportunity to the most avid fishermen and recreational boaters, while the beaches provide a good spot to relax on a hot summer day.

Places to gather –

Sometimes we pursue our outdoor adventures in a group and sometimes we go it alone, but it is always nice to have a local meeting spot to gather with friends, sip on your favorite beverage and tell stories of the day. Bismarck-Mandan has a great variety of local coffee shops and restaurants to relax and recharge after the day’s activities. If a post-run beer is what you crave, you’re in luck as there is a great selection of local microbreweries to pick from, with a couple more in the works! The breweries in town offer a great, relaxed environment to taste the work of the local brewers, listen to local musicians and view the work of many of the talented local artists! If people are the lifeblood to our outdoor adventure community, then the local coffee shops, restaurants, and microbreweries are the heart that pulls us all together!

What is your favorite part about Bismarck-Mandan? How can we build an outdoor adventure community utilizing the elements that already exist? What, if anything, are we missing?

 Born in the Mind. Achieved in the Backcountry.

Achieve Your Adventure