Places to Visit in North Dakota

1. See the historic sites in Bismarck

Bismarck was originally settled along the east bank of the Missouri River in 1872 by European immigrants and is consequently full of historic sites for you to explore. A prominent city landmark is the North Dakota State Capitol, a 21-storey building surrounded by parks and interpretive walking trails where you can learn about the origins of the city.

Top visitor attractions for history buffs include Buckstop Junction Historic Town, the Camp Hancock Historic Site, and Chief Looking’s Village Historic Site. Art lovers can explore the Bismarck Arts and Galleries Association and admire the crafts at the Bismarck Urban Harvest (Tuesdays). Children will enjoy the Gateway to Science interactive science center and the North Dakota Zoo, while Beaver Lake State Park offers a wide variety of outdoor activities.

2. Visit unique museums in Fargo

Fargo is North Dakota’s most populous city and visitors will find a wide variety of activities including several good museums, interesting historic sites, and plenty of outdoor recreation. One of the foremost city attractions is the Plains Art Museum, housed in the historic International Harvester Warehouse.

Once you have admired some of the 3,000 works in the permanent collection, you can learn about local history at Bonanzaville USA and explore the Fargo Air Museum. Younger visitors will love the Red River Zoo. The whole family can go hiking, cycling, and picnicking in Lindenwood Park. Round off your busy day at the Fargo Theatre or the Fargo-Moorhead Opera.

Things to do:
- Admire folk art at Plains Art Museum
- See historic aircraft at the Fargo Air Museum
- Watch a performance at the Fargo Theatre

3. Go hiking in Grand Forks

Grand Forks is located along the west bank of the Red River in North Dakota’s Red River Valley and dates back to 1870. You can learn about the history of Grand Forks on a tour of the Myra Museum and Grand Forks Historical Society and at the Heritage Village in East Grand Forks. Both the visual and performing arts are thriving in Grand Forks – indulge your senses at Browning Arts, the Empire Arts Center, Burtness Theatre, and the Chester Fritz Auditorium.

For a change from arts and culture, you can take on some of the 43 miles of hiking, biking, and skating trails in the Greater Grand Forks area, watch basketball, volleyball or soccer at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, or go canoeing and kayaking on the Red River. Grand Forks Map

4. Step back in time in Medora

Visiting the historic town of Medora is a little like stepping back in time to the 1880s, when the town was established along the North Pacific Railway by the French nobleman Marquis de Mores. Today, visitors can find out all about those exciting times on an escorted walking tour of historic Medora.

The town boasts several historic sites to visit, including Chateau de Mores, the Harold Schafer Heritage Center, the Von Hoffman House, and the Billings Country Courthouse Museum. Outdoors the fun continues in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where you can take a scenic Badlands drive or go camping and hiking, while the legendary Maah Daah Hey Trail attracts hikers, bikers, and horseback riders from near and far. Medora Map

5. Go on a scenic drive in Valley City

Valley City was founded in 1874 around the banks of the winding Sheyenne River in the scenic Sheyenne River Valley. You can discover the highlights of the valley by taking a drive along the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway (at its best in fall), which follows Native American foot paths and ancient pioneer wagon trails and will lead you past 27 interpretive sites along the river.

Hikers and bikers may prefer to explore along the North Country National Scenic Trail, which parallels the byway. Valley City is often called “the city of bridges” due to the 11 historic bridges across the Sheyenne River – you can visit them all on the Historic Bridges Tour. The area around Valley City offers a wide variety of outdoor activities, including fishing, hiking, birding, and boating in summer and snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice skating, and snowshoeing in winter.

6. Go kayaking in Walhalla

The historic town of Walhalla is located along the Pembina River in the Rendezvous Region of North Dakota, not far from the Canadian border. The town offers visitors a pleasant mix of historic and outdoor activities, with an emphasis on getting back to nature and appreciating the beauty of the Pembina Gorge and the surrounding landscape.

Water sports enthusiasts can take their pick of activities on the Pembina River, including canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and water skiing. You can go hiking, biking, and horseback riding in the Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area or the Tetrault Woods State Forest in summer or head to the Frost Fire Lodge and Ski Area in winter for great skiing, tubing, snowboarding, and more.

7. Enjoy wildlife watching in Jamestown

Located in the heart of the North Dakota prairie, the historic town of Jamestown offers outdoor enthusiasts a great choice of summer and winter activities. Before you take on the great outdoors you can spend a few hours learning the history of the town on the Jamestown Talking Trail – a cellphone-guided walk through the most prominent historic sites in the city, including the National Buffalo Museum, Frontier Village, and the St. James Basilica.

Outdoor activities you can try include fishing (21 stocked dams in the area), hiking and biking along a variety of trails for all fitness levels, birding and wildlife watching, swimming, and horseback riding in summer. In winter the fun continues with cross-country skiing, sledding, skating, and snowmobiling.

8. Learn about nature in Garrison

The small town of Garrison is located along the western shore of picturesque Lake Sakakawea and beckons visitors with the promise of outstanding fishing and a host of other outdoor activities for all ages. History buffs can visit the Fort Stevenson Guardhouse Interpretive Center, the Heritage Park and Museum (by appointment only), the North Dakota Firefighters’ Museum & Hall of Fame, and the North Dakota Fishing Museum & Hall of Fame.

Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon offer numerous launch sites for boating and angling and you can hire equipment from the Fort Stevenson State Park concession. You can go hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing at Fort Stevenson State Park and visit the Audubon National Wildlife Refuge to learn all about nature and the environment.

9. Enjoy the scenery in Lisbon

The quaint small town of Lisbon is located along the 63-mile Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway, surrounded by breathtaking North Dakota scenery. Although the emphasis is squarely on enjoying outdoor pursuits, there are a few attractions for history lovers, including the Ransom County Courthouse and the historic Lisbon Opera House.

Nature lovers can go camping, hiking, biking, boating, and fishing at Dead Colt Creek and Fort Ransom State Park. The Sheyenne National Grasslands protects the last remaining remnants of tallgrass prairie in the country and is good for wildlife observation. In winter the emphasis shifts to snow sports. Lisbon Map

10. Take a tour of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located where the Great Plains meet the North Dakota Badlands. This national treasure is home to a wide variety of wildlife and offers endless opportunities for outdoor fun. The park is far too big to explore in a day, so most visitors bring a tent or RV to one of the three campgrounds so that they can fully enjoy the facilities.

Activities to try include hiking along a variety of trails suitable for all ability levels, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and wildlife viewing. You can join a ranger-led program at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, visit historic sites such as the Maltese Cross Cabin, where Roosevelt slept, and visit the Painted Canyon Visitor Center to admire some of the best views of the North Dakota Badlands.