Why Your Family Needs to Visit North Dakota

Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by North Dakota Tourism. However, all opinions are my own!

As part of our upcoming 2017 30-day road trip this summer, our family will be stopping (or I should say traveling) through North Dakota for 1-week to soak up as much adventure as we possibly can! North Dakota offers so much for any kind of family adventure whether your family is into outdoor activities, nightlife, swimming, or simply relaxing!

Our family loves to camp, explore, hike, and visit historical sites. North Dakota has been on our bucket list for some time now and we can’t wait to start our adventure.

Our main stops will include following the Lewis and Clark Trail (along with stopping at all the historical sites along the way), a stay at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Fort Abraham Lincoln Custer House & Commissary Bookstore, Fort Buford State Historic Site, Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan, Frontier Village and World’s Largest Buffalo, Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site, as well as several other stops. In fact, there is so much to do that we may need to extend for an additional week!

Below, I have sorted things to do into group types. Understand that this is not a complete list as North Dakota really offers a lot to do. I would highly suggest visiting their website for a more complete listing of activities.

Sightseeing & Historical Sites

World’s Largest Buffalo at Jamestown.

Follow the Lewis and Clark Trail – Did you know that the Lewis and Clark Trail runs along the Missouri River from South Dakota through North Dakota to Montana? Along the trail in North Dakota you will find the Sitting Bull Burial Site, Sitting Bull Visitor’s Center, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, North Dakota State Capitol of Bismarck, Fort Mandan, Fort Union Post National Historic Site, and several other historical landmarks.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park – While it has many of the amenities found in more popular national parks, it doesn’t have the crowd factor! This is a major plus for us because I like to get “lost” in nature which is hard to do when you are surrounded by crowds of people or waiting in long lines. Plus, I need my passport stamp!

Frontier Village and World’s Largest Buffalo – A recreated prairie town that houses the world’s largest buffalo monument! That alone for me is worth the visit, but also houses original buildings from the frontier villages of North Dakota. Oh, and shops full of handmade items. I hope my husband remembers to bring his wallet!

Scenic Bridges Tour – This is a must for me! I love bridges, not your run of the mill modern day concrete each one looks the same bridges, but the unique, the old, the beautiful! Valley City which was founded in 1872, developed a tour to showcase all their unique and beautiful bridges!

Big Mound Battlefield State Historic Site – The site overlooks the Battle of Big Mound which was the first major battle fought in Dakota Territory by General Henry H. Sibley’s Minnesota volunteers.

Bismarck-Deadwood Stage Trail – We love visiting old stage trails and can’t wait to check this one out, even if it is just a historical marker! The stagecoach ran from 1877 to 1880 and was also a supply line that ran between Bismarck and the Black Hills gold town of Deadwood in Dakota Territory. All that remains is a historical marker that tells the history of the stage trail.

Fairview Bridge and Cartwright Tunnel – While it is closed to vehicle traffic, it was turned into a 1,320 feet walkway that stretches across the Yellowstone River.

Outdoors & Camping

Hiking in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Watford City.

North Dakota offers so many opportunities and places to camp, swim, fish, hike, and bike it would be impossible to list them all here. However, here are a couple of the places we plan to check out during our road trip (that are not listed above):

The Pembina Gorge
Beaver Lake State Park
Fort Ransom State Park
Tetrault Woods State Forest
White Cloud Trail

Check out all camping and outdoor areas on the North Dakota Tourism Website.

Until Next Time

Don’t forget to check back after the summer to see where we ventured to in North Dakota! You know that I will have a ton of pictures and experiences to share!