North Dakota destinations, parks and attractions

Are you going on a road trip to North Dakota, looking for tips about the destinations so you and your party can enjoy it, be comfortable and not spend a fortune?

Here are some of the top destinations in North Dakota and tips about visiting them

National parks and monuments in North Dakota

• Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Two States: MT,ND.
  

  Between 1828 and 1867, Fort Union was the most important fur trade post on the Upper Missouri River. Here, the Assiniboine and six other Northern Plains Tribes exchanged buffalo robes and smaller furs for goods from around the world, including cloth, guns, blankets, and beads. A bastion of peaceful coexistence, the post annually traded over 25,000 buffalo robes and $100,000 in merchandise.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Stanton, ND.
  

  Earthlodge people hunted bison and other game, but were in essence farmers living in villages along the Missouri and its tributaries. The site was a major Native American trade center for hundreds of years prior to becoming an important market place for fur traders after 1750.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park maps
  • Schedule Of Events
• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, Sixteen States: IA,ID,IL,IN,KS,KY,MO,MT,NE,ND,OH,OR,PA,SD,WA,WV.
  

  The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is approximately 4,900 miles long, extending from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River, near present day Astoria, Oregon. It follows the historic outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition as well as the preparatory section from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Wood River, Illinois.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• North Country National Scenic Trail, Seven States-New York to North Dakota MI,MN,ND,NY,OH,PA,VT,WI.
  

  Come to the North Country. Trek the hills and valleys. Stand on the shores of lakes and streams from glaciers 10,000 years before. Clear-flowing water, red/gold of autumn, a fairyland of snow, open prairies, and distant horizons paint the land. Historic sites along the way tell how America settled and grew as a nation. From North Dakota to Vermont, adventure is never far away.

  
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Park maps
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora, ND (South Unit). The North Unit is located 15 miles south of Watford City, ND.
  

  When Theodore Roosevelt came to Dakota Territory to hunt bison in 1883, he was a skinny, young, spectacled dude from New York. He could not have imagined how his adventure in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation. The rugged landscape and strenuous life that TR experienced here would help shape a conservation policy that we still benefit from today.

  
  • Info about the park
  • Park event calendar
  • Alerts and Current Conditions
  • Park maps

North Dakota State parks and historic sites

• 1. ADVENTURE

     1. Cross Ranch State Park
     2. Little Missouri State Park
     3. Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area
     4. Sully Creek State Park
     5. Turtle River State Park
  2. HISTORIC

     1. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
     2. Fort Ransom State Park
     3. Icelandic State Park
  3. LAKE

     1. Beaver Lake State Park
     2. Fort Stevenson State Park
     3. Grahams Island State Park
     4. Lake Metigoshe State Park
     5. Lake Sakakawea State Park
     6. Lewis and Clark State Park
  4. PRIMITIVE

     1. Gunlogson State Nature Preserve
     2. Little Metigoshe State Recreation Area
     3. Missouri River State Natural Area
     4. Turtle Mountain State Recreation Area

North Dakota Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

North Dakota's climate has large variances in temperature, both on a seasonal and daily basis. Precipitation ranges from low to moderate, and air flow through the region creates windy conditions. North Dakota is affected by regular changes in atmospheric air masses.

North Dakota Camping tips

There are both state parks and private campgrounds in North Dakota.

Here is the list of state campgrounds with links to their websites:

Beaver Lake State Park
Cross Ranch State Park
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
Fort Ransom State Park
Fort Stevenson State Park
Grahams Island State Park
Icelandic State Park
Lake Sakakawea State Park
Lake Metigoshe State Park
Lewis and Clark State Park
Little Missouri State Park*
Sully Creek State Park*
Turtle River State Park

* Please note Little Missouri State Park and Sully Creek State Park are only open seasonally. 

View the 2021 State Park Guide for more info about each of our destinations!

What to know

- Campsites and seasonal lodging can be booked 95 days in advance from the date you wish to stay.

- Reservations can be made online or by calling the call center (800-807-4723).

- Check-in is at 4:00 pm on the first day of the reservation and checkout is at 3:00 pm on the last day of the reservation.

- Pets are welcome but must stay on a leash. Most parks have off-leash areas or dog parks for your four-legged friends.

- The full list of park fees can be found in the Fees & Facilities Brochure.

- The cancellation policy and reservation information can be found here.