Rving in North Dakota

Do you know the 39th state? Technically speaking it’s either North Dakota or South Dakota. When President Harrison signed the statehood bill on November 2, 1889 he didn’t reveal which one he signed first. Whatever it is, North Dakota is a beautiful state with a wonderful western history.

Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, has so much history as does every place that you travel in the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific. You can tour Fort Abraham Lincoln and General George Armstrong Custer’s home and get a feel of what it was like in the 1800’s.  If you ever go RVing in North Dakota, start at the Knife River Indian village that is the home of Sakakawea, a Shoshone Indian girl who served as the interpreter of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805-1806. The expedition traveled from Illinois to the Pacific Ocean and you can still follow the Lewis and Clark Trail today.

In North Dakota you can get a taste of the life of the Northern Plains Indians on the Upper Missouri, or see one of the largest forests of petrified wood in the United States at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Visit Fort Mandan and the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and learn more about the Mandan Indians, who were friendly to the members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and even served as scouts in the U.S. Cavalry. The Mandan Indians helped the soldiers survive the brutal winter of 1804-1805.

You can also visit Lake Sakakawea, a reservoir along the Missouri River basin in Central North Dakota. It is the third largest man-made lake in the United States. If you want to experience some Scandinavian culture visit the city of Minot {rare spelling variation Mintot} located in the north central North Dakota where 40% of the populations are of Scandinavian origin.

You can follow the trail of the 7th Cavalry ridden by General George Armstrong Custer when they went after the Sioux Indians in 1876 before him and his men were completely annihilated. They started from Fort Abraham Lincoln, passing between Sentinel Butte and Beach, North Dakota, continuing to Montana to the banks of the Little Big Horn River where Custer and his men made their last stand.

The North Dakota Red River Valley is not only a valley but an ancient flat glacial lake. This is where the great cities of Fargo, Grand Forks and Winnipeg are located. This is also where you can experience the Wild Wild West rodeos, go on horseback trails and visit wildlife refuge.

Do you want to see art on a 32 mile stretch of open highway? The Enchanted Highway boasts of 7 gigantic metal sculptures with one sculpture listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest metal sculpture in the world.

The Standing Rock Historical Scenic Byway is a 35 mile scenic roadway along Highways 1806 and 24 from the Cannonball River to the South Dakota boundary. The historic eastern return trip of the Lewis and Clark Expedition along the Yellowstone River is also depicted here. Here you can past 12 marvelous scenic and historical places: The Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit, The Chan SanSan Scenic Byway, The Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge Backway, Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway, Killdeer Mountain Four Bears Scenic Byway, The Rendezvous Region Backway, The Turtle Mountain Byway, Standing Rock Historical Scenic Byway, and the Lewis and Clark Scenic Drives, Fort Ransom State Park, Enchanted Highway, and the James River Valley Scenic Byway and Backway.

In North Dakota you will relive the adventures of one of the most successful expeditions in North America as well as commemorate one of the worst Indian battles in the history of the Unites States.

;