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Drive 388.3 miles • 8 hours, 3 minutes

Explorers Lewis and Clark spent more time in North Dakota during their famous expedition than in any other territory. Follow their legendary travels in this trip through Peace Garden State.

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1. Bismarck

Starting Point • History, Nature, Outdoor Recreation

Launched from Missouri in 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, known as the Corps of Discovery Mission, followed the Missouri River, a waterway shared by Native Americans, trappers and traders. Today, visitors to Bismarck can board the Lewis and Clark Riverboat to cruise the capital city. Other top attractions include Gateway to Science Center, Dakota Zoo and North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum. Across the river is Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, named after the original infantry and cavalry post of Lt. Col. George A. Custer, who led his soldiers to disaster during the Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana in 1876.

 

2. Fort Stevenson

79.3 miles, 1 hour, 44 minutes • History, Nature, Outdoor Recreation

Known as the “Walleye Capital” of North Dakota, Fort Stevenson State Park sits on the northern shore of Lake Sakakawea, where anglers can reel in some 35 species of fish. Explore the area through hiking, biking and interpretive trails. Look for black-tail prairie dogs and piping plovers, which are federally protected shorebirds. Fort Stevenson State Park is named after a frontier military fort and an onsite museum exhibits artifacts about its namesake.

 

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3. New Town

78.4 miles, 1 hour, 37 minutes • History, Nature, Outdoor Recreation

New Town’s home is the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, which sits near what locals call the “heart” of Lake Sakakawea. America’s third largest man-made lake offers fishing, boating and many other outdoor activities. Take it all in from Crow Flies High Butte, which promises memorable photographs of the lake and badlands. More views are found on Four Bears Bridge, North Dakota’s longest bridge, spanning nearly a mile. Reunion Bay is where explorers Lewis and Clark reunited during their expedition to find an inland waterway to the Pacific Ocean.

 

4. Fort Union Trading Posts

100.8 miles, 2 hours, 15 minutes • History, Shopping

The name implies a citadel, but Fort Union Trading Post was all about the region’s bustling hide business. Native Americans exchanged buffalo hides, beaver pelts and other skins for calico cloth, guns, cookware and goods from around the world. John Jacob Astor built Fort Union in 1828, and historians say annual trade there reached six-figures. Today, the site is preserved by the National Park Service, and is a reconstruction based upon archaeological evidence. Visitors can travel through time marveling at the historic artifacts and archaeological collections. Check out the book store and do some buying of your own.

 

5. Medora

129.9 miles, 2 hours, 27 minutes • Entertainment, Food, History, Nature, Sports

Medora is tucked away in the North Dakota Badlands. As a gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the charming town is treasured not only for its beautiful landscapes but also for its wildlife, including buffalo, deer, elk and wild horses. For an 18-hole experience that blends fairways with the area’s rugged national beauty, tee off at Bully Pit Golf Course, which winds right through natural surroundings. The Cowboy Hall of Fame, National Historic Register sites, stagecoach rides and Western-themed entertainment provide something for all. A “Cowboy Cookout” may include an entrée of buffalo. Or, try a “Pitchfork Fondue”—beef steaks literally loaded onto pitchforks and “fondued” Western-style.