Bismarck to Williston, North Dakota
To the Yellowstone!

For those following Lewis and Clark, Bismarck—the capital of North Dakota and the state’s second largest city—gives convenient access some of the most significant features along the Trail including Fort Mandan and the Knife River Villages.

Bismarck is home to the most prominent zoo in the state, Dakota Zoo, and the state’s only hands-on science center, Gateway to Science, great for adults and kids alike! Additionally, the newly renovated Heritage River Landing along the Missouri River boasts an interpretive center, restaurant, and launch point for the Lewis and Clark Riverboat, which offers river cruises daily during the summer months. With its location in the center of the state, along with other surrounding sights, such as Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Bismarck makes the perfect jumping off point for your North Dakota adventure.

Standing at Double Ditch Indian Village, you can easily imagine a prosperous and well-fortified Mandan village. For nearly 300 years (approximately AD 1490–1785), this site was the location of a large earth lodge village—one of several villages simultaneously occupied near the mouth of the Heart River. Apparently, the village had to be abandoned after a massive smallpox epidemic that swept the interior of North America circa 1781–1782.

Fortification systems here consisted of a deep moat and a wall of wooden posts that formed a palisade. The raised areas around the village are midden mounds or earthen mounds ranging from one to ten feet high. Excavations showed some mounds to be accumulations of household refuse—animal bones, broken pottery, and ash from hearths—carried and dumped in huge heaps. At least four ditches were built with mounds built atop them—most likely for defensive purposes.

Among the five Knife River Indian Villages, the Expedition constructed Fort Mandan and wintered 1804–1805. Today, two attractions have been constructed to honor that: The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center—a museum, gift shop, and official rest area—and the nearby reconstructed Fort Mandan. Both sites are south of the original fort’s location which is likely under the present Missouri River channel.

At the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, visitors can experience exhibits, period artifacts, and art collections. Interpreters tell stories about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and you can learn about the lives of the Native peoples of the area. It is also an official rest area at the junction of State Highway 200 and US Highway 83/State Highway 1804.

At the reconstructed Fort Mandan, you can imagine the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s small flotilla leaving after spending the winter there:

“Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large perogues. This little fleet altho’ not quite so rispectable as those of Columbus or Capt. Cook were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs; and I dare say with quite as much anxiety for their safety and preservation.”
—Meriwether Lewis, April 7, 1805

What was once the winter home of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 1804–1805 has now been fully reconstructed for visitors to explore. Today the furnished quarters invite sightseers to imagine the lives of the Corps of Discovery struggling to survive the North Dakota winter more than 200 years ago. Also on site is a visitor center, picnic area, and cross-country skiing trails.

In the fully furnished fort, visitors can get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what life was truly like on the Expedition. Exhibits in the Visitor Center tell the story in greater depth, and the children’s play area allows young visitors to discover history with costumes, camp supplies, and more. The museum store offers a great selection of souvenirs, beverages, and snacks.

This Inspiration trip resumes on the western side of the Missouri River, crossing at Stanton. The Mandan—and later Arikara—village Mitu’tahakto’s (pronounced me-toot-a-hank-tosh) and the Fort Clark trading post offers a self-guided tour providing insights to life there from 1822 to 1862. Oral history, the 1834–1839 journal of head trader Francis A. Chardon, and archaeological digs, combine to tell a story of mutual trade and tragedy from the smallpox outbreak of 1837.

The fort is open seasonally, from May to September

At the Knife River Indian Villages, you can walk among the depressions left by the Mandan and Hidatsa families living there at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. You can physically experience the same village where Sacagawea lived with her husband Toussaint Charbonneau. The sensation of an earth lodge village is created as you hike one of the many trails within the park, which has three village remnants.

The visitor center, garden, and earth lodge give an in-depth look at life at these villages which were a focal point of trade and commerce along the Upper Missouri River from the 15th century to the mid-19th century.

The Audubon National Wildlife Refuge—named after 19th-century wildlife painter and naturalist John James Audubon—offers more than 14,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie and wetlands around Lake Audubon. The center exhibits prairie wetland and grassland habitat, migratory birds, night life of the refuge, John James Audubon, and Refuge history.

“An 8-mile gravel auto tour route begins near the visitor center and winds along the scenic south shoreline of Lake Audubon. Highlights include views of the lake, prairie wetlands, grasslands, and opportunities to observe many species of birds, mammals, and plants.”

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/audubon/visit-us

To learn about the connection between John James Audubon and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, visit at our educational website, John James Audubon.

Step back in time at a 50’s style restaurant! Indulge in nostalgia with over 18 flavors of hard ice cream, perfect for any sweet tooth! The extensive menu features daily specials, homemade goods, and weekend steak and seafood specials that will satisfy any craving. Try the Lewis & Clark sundae or the Sakagawea Parfait.

The MHA—Mandan, Hidatsa, Arika—Interpretive Center helps visitors understand and visualize the history and culture of the Mandan, Hidasta, and Arikara people. It tells the story of the Great MHA Nation via living history programs, permanent exhibits, and special events.

Experience the Earth Lodge Village where you can stay the night in an earth lodge, take a trail ride, and hear stories of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara peoples from cultural interpreters.

Williston, the economic center of northwest North Dakota, has recently seen a population boom and consequential investment in its social and public infrastructure, thus making it a perfect stop on your journey along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Visitors will find a young, vibrant area with a revitalized downtown. The region houses multiple museums including Buffalo Trails Museum, Frontier Museum and the Norseman Museum along with other destinations of touristic value. Most notably, just 23 miles outside of town, the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers is home to three remarkable attractions: Fort Buford State Historic Site, Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, and the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center.