Great Northern Route 1: North Dakota

Great Northern Route 1: North Dakota
Trip Summary

Number of stops: 8

Total distance:

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The Lewis & Clark Expedition disproved the existence of an easy, river-based Northwest Passage through the middle latitudes of North America. In the decades to follow, the Oregon Trail, the Pony Express, and various stagecoach routes allowed for difficult, dangerous, and time consuming travel by land across the continent. Not until after the Civil War was safe, reliable, quick, and relatively inexpensive transcontinental travel available in the form of railroads. The first route through the central part of the country ran well south of the northern area near the Canadian border. Once the final spike was hammered down in the Cascade Range near Scenic, Washington on January 6, 1893, the dream of James J. Hill, “The Empire Builder,” was realized with completion of the Great Northern Railway. The Mississippi River at the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota was now effectively united with the Pacific coast at Everett and Seattle, Washington via the most northerly American rail route. A man-made Northwest Passage was now a reality.

While generally north of the route Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery took, the Great Northern tracks were occasionally in proximity and served as a convenient means for early travelers to visit locations associated with the pioneering 1803-06 Expedition. In 1925 and 1926, the Great Northern Railway conducted tours that unveiled several monuments to commemorate important people, places and events along the route. Follow along as we visit them in this centennial era.

Starting from Bismarck, ND, this itinerary will guide you by car to several Lewis & Clark Expedition sites before seeing the easternmost Great Northern monument. Use the companion Great Northern Route: Montana itinerary to continue west into Big Sky country to follow the tracks beside US Highway 2, the Hi-Line, and visit more monuments and sites.

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Stop 1: North Dakota Heritage Center

Start your trip with an overview of North Dakota history from prehistoric times into the present. The museum features an especially good display of dinosaur bones. Just behind the museum stands a sculpture of Sacagawea and her little boy, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (Pompy). The state capitol building is also nearby.

Stop 1

1006 E Boulevard Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501, USA

North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum

North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND, USA

Magic Photo Art

Magic Photo Art, North 5th Street, Bismarck, ND, USA

Bismarck Art Alley

117 N 5th St, Bismarck, ND 58501, USA

City of Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck, ND, USA

On-A-Slant Village

Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Fort Lincoln Road, Mandan, ND, USA

Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park

Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Fort Lincoln Road, Mandan, ND, USA

Double Ditch Indian Village

Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site, North Dakota 1804, Bismarck, ND, USA

Places to Visit (Sorted by Distance)

North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum
North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum

North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND, USA

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Magic Photo Art
Magic Photo Art

Magic Photo Art, North 5th Street, Bismarck, ND, USA

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Bismarck Art Alley
Bismarck Art Alley

117 N 5th St, Bismarck, ND 58501, USA

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City of Bismarck, North Dakota
City of Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck, ND, USA

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On-A-Slant Village
On-A-Slant Village

Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Fort Lincoln Road, Mandan, ND, USA

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Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park

Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Fort Lincoln Road, Mandan, ND, USA

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Double Ditch Indian Village
Double Ditch Indian Village

Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site, North Dakota 1804, Bismarck, ND, USA

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Stop 2: Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

Discover Lewis & Clark Expedition era artifacts and displays. View the evocative artwork of Karl Bodmer, George Catlin, and Michael Haynes. Learn about the Expedition's stay at nearby Fort Mandan.

Stop 2

2576 8th St SW, Washburn, ND 58577, USA

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (North Dakota)

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, 8th Street Southwest, Washburn, North Dakota, USA

Washburn

Washburn, North Dakota, USA

Places to Visit (Sorted by Distance)

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (North Dakota)
Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (North Dakota)

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, 8th Street Southwest, Washburn, North Dakota, USA

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Washburn
Washburn

Washburn, North Dakota, USA

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Stop 3: Fort Mandan State Historic Site

Visit a full-size replica of Fort Mandan, where the Expedition wintered in 1804-05. Paddling from here in April 1805, Lewis & Clark and the members of the Corps of Discovery were the first Euro-Americans to scientifically explore and map the Missouri River upriver. Thanks to information gathered from friendly tribes in the area, they had a good idea of what they would encounter.

Stop 3

838 28th Ave SW, Washburn, ND 58577, USA

Fort Mandan

Fort Mandan State Historic Site, 28th Avenue Southwest, Washburn, ND, USA

Places to Visit (Sorted by Distance)

Fort Mandan
Fort Mandan

Fort Mandan State Historic Site, 28th Avenue Southwest, Washburn, ND, USA

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Stop 4: Knife River Village National Historic Site

Learn about the culture and traditions of the Native American tribes near whom Lewis & Clark and their men wintered. It was in this vicinity among the Hidatsa tribe where the captains hired Toussaint Charbonneau, gaining in the bargain his wife Sacagawea and their baby boy, Jean Baptiste.

Stop 4

564 39 1/2 Ave SW, Stanton, ND 58571, USA

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, County Road 37, Stanton, ND, USA

Fort Clark State Historic Site

7P3F+7V Stanton, North Dakota, USA

Places to Visit (Sorted by Distance)

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, County Road 37, Stanton, ND, USA

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Fort Clark State Historic Site
Fort Clark State Historic Site

7P3F+7V Stanton, North Dakota, USA

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Stop 5: David Thompson Monument

See your first Great Northern monument. While Clark was the primary mapmaker on the Expedition, a cartographer in the employ of British fur trading interests was making maps of comparable quality of the northerly latitudes. David Thompson worked first for the Hudson's Bay Co. before joining the North West Co. He would travel some 50,000 miles in his pursuits, often accompanied by his metis wife Charlotte Small, with whom he shared thirteen children and a marriage lasting 57 years.

The David Thompson Monument was dedicated on July 17, 1925. The railway president, Ralph Budd, persuaded the local authorities to change the name of the nearest town, Falsen, to Verendrye, a French explorer and fur trader who first came through the area in 1738. Why not name it Thompson? Another town in North Dakota already claimed the name.

Budd donated the land on which the monument sat to the State of North Dakota, whose governor was on hand to accept it. Canadian historian Lawrence Burpee gave a talk about Verendrye and T. C. Elliott, a Walla Walla, Washington historian whose first name was Thompson, delivered a speech on his favorite subject. During interludes between talks, the Great Northern Songsters sang the North Dakota state song, Oh Canada, and America, while the Star Spangled Banner played by the Great Northern Employees' Band ended the festivities.


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Stop 6: Three Affiliated Tribes Museum

New Town, North Dakota is the modern-day home of the Three Affiliated Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribes. Museum displays explain and preserve their heritage and culture. Stop by the nearby MHA Interpretive Center and unwind at the 4 Bears Casino and Lodge, also in the vicinity.

Stop 6

302 Frontage Rd, New Town, ND 58763, USA

Three Affiliated Tribes Museum

Three Affiliated Tribes Museum, Frontage Road, New Town, ND, USA

MHA Nation: Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation – Three Affiliated Tribes

302 Frontage Rd, New Town, ND 58763

Northern Plains National Heritage Area

1700 River Road, Bismarck, ND, USA

Places to Visit (Sorted by Distance)

Three Affiliated Tribes Museum
Three Affiliated Tribes Museum

Three Affiliated Tribes Museum, Frontage Road, New Town, ND, USA

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MHA Nation: Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation – Three Affiliated Tribes
MHA Nation: Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation – Three Affiliated Tribes

302 Frontage Rd, New Town, ND 58763

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Northern Plains National Heritage Area
Northern Plains National Heritage Area

1700 River Road, Bismarck, ND, USA

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Stop 7: Lewis & Clark State Park

Relax along the shores of the Missouri River's Lake Sakakawea (the North Dakota spelling of the name of the young woman accompanying the Expedition). Lodging, camping and a marina with rental equipment are available.


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Stop 8: Missouri River near Williston

Spend the night in Williston, which offers numerous opportunities for accommodations, food and drink, and entertainment.

Stop 8

22 E Broadway, Williston, ND 58801, USA

Williston

Williston, ND, USA

Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center

15349 39th Lane Northwest, Williston, ND 58801, USA

Places to Visit (Sorted by Distance)

Williston
Williston

Williston, ND, USA

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Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center
Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center

15349 39th Lane Northwest, Williston, ND 58801, USA

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