North Dakota Sights

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Garrison Dam

• The Geographical Center of North America in Rugby.

• KVLY-TV Tower 2 miles west of Blanchard, is the tallest radio tower, and formerly the tallest man-made structure on earth at 629 meters, or 2063 feet.

• The State Capitol grounds in Bismarck, which feature the 20 story Capitol, the State Historical Society Museum, and plenty of open park.

• The Enchanted Highway between the Gladstone exit on I-94 and the small town of Regent on the Cannonball River in southwest ND.

• The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail which runs through Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington (state)

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park, (North Unit entrance is by Watford City, South Unit Entrance is by Medora), ☎ 701-623-4466, www.nps.gov/thro. year-round. The park has two units, the North Unit and the South Unit, both distinctly different.
• Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, (1/2 mile north on County Road 37), ☎ 701-745-3300, www.nps.gov/knri. Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., MDT; rest of year, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.. Established as a National Park Service (NPS) site in 1974. This is the only NPS site that preserves and protects the Northern Plains Indian Heritage. The Native Americans have occupied this area for over 11,000 years. There are the remains of three Hidatsa village sites within the park boundaries. The Big Hidatsa site has 110 depressions, the Sakakawea (Awatixa) site has 60 depressions and the Lower Hidatsa site has 40 depressions. This was once a thriving civilization situated along the Knife River. Sakakawea lived at the Awatixa site when she met Lewis and Clark at Fort Mandan. A state of the art museum dedicated to preserving the cluture of the Hidatsa, Mandan and Arikara tribes is located at the visitor center. A 15-minute video about village life can be viewed in the visitor center theater. A full-scale reconstructions of a Hidatsa earthlodge features autthentic furnishings. Programs in the earthlodge are conducted during the summer months. Free.
• Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Near Williston (25 miles southwest on Highway 1804), ☎ 701-572-9083, www.nps.gov/fous. Summer, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., CDT, rest of year, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., CT.. Largest fur trading post on the upper Missouri River from 1828-1867. Trading headquarters with American Indians. Reconstructed Bourgeois House contains museum exhibits. Replica trade goods are available for purchase in the reconstructed Indian Trade House.
• International Peace Garden, Near Dunseith, ☎ 888-432-6733, www.peacegarden.com. 24/7 Depending on what you want to see and do. You may self-register after gate hours.. The International Peace Garden is a 2,339-acre botanical garden commemorating peace between the United States and Canada along the world's longest unfortified border. It blooms with more than 150,000 varieties of flowers and showcases the Peace Chapel. It is also home to the International Music Camp, Friday night concerts in June and July, and interpretive center, floral clock and souvenir shop. RV-friendly campground $10 per vehicle.
• Beaver Lake State Park, Near Napoleon (17 miles south of Napoleon), ☎ 701-452-2752, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Beaver Lake State Park provides an escape from the rigors of everyday life, offering a relaxing atmosphere in a secluded outdoor setting next to lake offering a full array of water recreational activities. The park is located in south central North Dakota on the west shore of Beaver Lake, 17 miles southeast of Napoleon. Comprising 283 acres, the park provides modern and primitive camping opportunities along with three camping cabins for those wanting to get away from it all. $5 daily pass, $25 annual pass, $15 camping full service, $10 camping primitive.
• Cross Ranch State Park, Near Washburn (12 miles south east of Hensler, ND), ☎ 701-794-3731, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Cross Ranch State Park is located along some of the last free-flowing and undeveloped stretches of the Missouri River. A boat ramp and canoe and kayak rentals are available for those wishing to explore this scenic segment of the river, while anglers will find walleye, trout, catfish, salmon, pike and bass in its waters. An extensive trail system can be explored either on foot or on cross-country skis during the winter months. The trails allow access to a 5,000-acre nature preserve with mixed grass prairie, river bottom forests and wood draws. Campers can use either the park's prmitive campground or hike to their camping spot in a backcountry area.The park is also well known for its bluegrass music festival held in June. $5 daily pass, $25 annual pass, $12 camping electrical spot, $10 camping primitive.
• Doyle Memorial State Park, PO Box 128, Wishek, ND, ☎ 701-269-2116. Doyle Memorial Recreation Park is located on Green Lake, seven miles southwest of Wishek. There is great fishing for perch, walleye and northern pike on Green Lake. The park has a fish cleaning station, bathrooms and shower, play ground for kids, and a new boat ramp and dock. $15 for camping with power, $8 for camping without power.
• Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Near Mandan, ☎ 701-667-6340, www.parkrec.nd.gov/parks/flsp.htm. May tours 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Memorial Day- Labor Day, tours 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; September tours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; October 1-11, tours 1-5 p.m.. General George Custer's last home is reconstructed, as are the central barracks, granary, commissary and a stable. Tours take visitors back to 1875, the year before the 7th Cavalry rode to the Little Bighorn. Museum and tour of On-A-Slant Indian Village's five reconstructed earthlodges. $5 per vehicle state park fee; $6 per adult, $4 per student interpretive fee.
• Fort Ransom State Park, (1 mile north of Fort Ransom, ND), ☎ 701-973-4331, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Fort Ransom State Park, which takes its name from an 1860s military fort, is located in the midst of the scenic and heavily wooded Sheyenne River valley. The river provides abundant opportunties for canoeing, fishing and bird watching, while within the park can be found a short segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail. During the summer picnicking and camping are favorite activities, while cross-country skiing is a popular winter sport. A farmstead within the park is the setting for the annual Sodbuster Days celebration, with demonstrations and exhibits of homesteading life. Fort Ransom State Park's natural areas provide an important link in the protection of the remaining Sheyenne River Valley ecosystem. $5 daily pass, $25 annual pass, $15 daily camping full service, $10 daily camping primitive.
• Fort Stevenson State Park, (3 miles south of Garrison), ☎ 701-337-5576, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Fort Stevenson State Park, located on Lake Sakakawea's north shore, was named for the late 1800s for that served as a supply depot for other military posts in the Dakota Territory. Boaters will find excellent facilities, including boat ramp access, marina, fishing boat rental and boat storage. The North Dakota Governor's Cup Walleye Fishing Derby, as weall as a variety of other events is held here annually. Other amenities includ camping and picnicking facilities, sleeping cabins, visitor center, arboretum and hiking trails. $5 daily pass, $25 annual pass, $15 daily camping full service, $10 daily camping primitive..
• Icelandic State Park, (5 miles west of Cavalier on Highway 5), ☎ 701-263-4651, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Situated on Lake Renwick's north shore, Icelandic State Park offers water sports like boating, swimming and fishing. The park also is the site of the Pioneer Heritage Center, which features restored historic buildings providing a glimpse of North Dakota's Homesteading heritage. An early homestead preserves the state's pioneer spirit, while the Gunlogson Nature Preserve, a 200-acre natural wooded area along the Tongue River priovides a sanctuary for plants, birds and wildlife. Nearby attractions include a golf course, Pembina Gorge, Pembina County Historical Museum, Pembina State Museum, snowmobile trail, Frostfire Mountain Ski Resort and Summer Theatre and a state scenic byway. $5 daily pass, $12 annual pass, $15 daily camping full service, $12 daily camping primitive.
• Lake Metigoshe State Park, (16 miles north of Bottineau), ☎ 701-263-4651, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Nestled in the scenic Turtle Mountains along the U.S./Candadian border, Lake Metigoshe is one of the most popular year-round vacation spots in North Dakota. The small lakes within the park provide opportunities for fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming. A multitude of trails attract hikers and mountain bikers. Winter bring snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, sledders and ice fishing enthusiasts. The Lake Metigoshe area was home to several Native American tribes, including the Blackfoot and Hidatsa, and later teh Assiniboine and Chippewa. The lake takes its name from the Chippewa phrase, "metigoche washegum," or clear lake surrounded by oak trees. Of all of North Dakota's state parks, Lake Metigoshe contains the greatest acreage of land remaining in its natural condition. The park's woodlands and wetlands are uncommon finds for visitors accustomed to North Dakota's expansive prairie vistas. Aspen and oak woodlands, as well as wetlands, cover much of the park and provide habitat for a wide variety of plant, animal and bird species seldom seen elsewhere in North Dakota. $5 daily pass, $25 annual pass, $15 daily camping full service, $10 daily camping primitive.
• Lake Sakakawea State Park, (1 mile north of Pick City, ND), ☎ 701-487-3315, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. One the south shore of Lake Sakakawea, adjacent to Garrison Dam, Lake Sakakawea State Park offers a wide range of water-based recreational activities and facilities. The park has a full-service marina including boat rentals, convenience store, fishing guide services, and boat and camper storage. Boat ramps in the park offer deep water access to some of the best fishing on Lake Sakakawea. The park also features modern camping and picnicking facilites. Hikers enjor a segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail. Sleeping cabins are avialble during the summer months. $5 daily pass, $25 annual pass, $15 daily camping full service, $10 daily camping primitive.
• Lewis and Clark State Park, (19 miles southeast on Highway 1804), ☎ 701-859-3071, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Situated on one of the upper bays of Lake Sakakawea, the rugged buttes of the North Dakota Badlands display a towering backdrop to one of the state's best recreation areas. The park is named for the Corps of Discovery explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The expedition camped nearby on April 17, 1805, and an interpretive trail marker has been placed within the park to commemorate their historic journey through North Dakota. Two rare fish species, the pallid sturgeon and the prehistoric-looking paddlefish, can occasionally be found in the lake's western reaches. A self-guided nature trail allows visitors to become acquainted with the natural communities associated with the park, which is home for many wildlife species including white-tailed deer, mule deer, ring-necked pheasant, porcupine, sharp-tailed grouse and chipmunks. $5 admission to park, $8 primitive camping fee, $14 moderate camping fee.
• Little Missouri State Park, (19 miles north of Killdeer), ☎ 701-794-3731, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Little Missouri State Park contains some of the most rugged, picturesque Badlands terrain in North Dakota. Most of the park is accessible only by horseback or hiking. Numerous wildlife species frequent the park, including mule deer, coyote, fox, bobcat and golden eagle. $5 daily entrance pass, $25 annual pass, $12 camping with electrical hookup, $8 camping primitive.
• Sully Creek State Park, (2 miles south of Medora), ☎ 701-623-2024, www.parkrec.nd.gov/Parks/scsp.htm. Sully Creek provides primitive camping and related facilities for trail riding, canoeing or hiking. Located in the heart of the North Dakota Badlands, the area is just minutes away from the historic town of Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
• Turtle River State Park, (22 miles east of Grand Forks, ND on Highway 2), ☎ 701-594-4445, www.parkrec.nd.gov. Year round. Constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the park is located in a beautiful, wooded valley along the meandering Turtle River. $5 daily pass, $25 annual pass, $15 daily camping full services, $10 daily camping primitive.