A midwestern state bordering Canada, North Dakota is known for its wide and expansive Great Plains, which was once the home of Native Americans, enterprising pioneers looking for a new life out west, and free-roaming bison. The western part of the state also celebrates its rugged Badlands, which are teeming with a diverse population of mammal, bird, amphibian, and insect species. All throughout the Peace Garden State, you can find small, cozy towns that welcome visitors and new residents. Put these six on your “must-visit” list the next time you are in North Dakota.
Medora
Overlooking the town of Medora, North Dakota, outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The historic town of Medora is special for many reasons, but one of its biggest draws is its location in the beautiful, expansive Badlands. Medora is also the gateway to the southern point of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, making it a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Although it has a quaint, cozy feel, Medora offers all the best big-city amenities, such as unique boutiques, delicious eateries, and top-notch attractions.
Start your visit to Medora with a trip to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where you can hike along miles of rugged Badlands trails and view wildlife such as bison, elk, wild horses, bobcats, and prairie dogs. Western history and culture lovers will enjoy a trip to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame, which tells the exciting stories of the state’s Native Americans, ranchers, homesteaders, pioneers, and cowboys. If you are a golfer, don’t miss the 18-hole Billy Pulpit Golf Course, considered one of the country’s most scenic.
Valley City
A rail bridge over the Sheyenne River in Valley City, North Dakota.
Located near picturesque Lake Ashtabula, pretty Valley City is a tight-knit community that celebrates all that the region has to offer. The cozy town’s claim to fame is its breathtaking 162-foot-tall and 3,860-foot-long Highline Bridge, known as one of the country’s longest and highest bridges. Whether you are just passing through this charming destination or plan on spending a few days or more there, start your exploration at Rosebud Visitors Center to learn about the town’s history and current attractions.
Don’t miss a trip to explore the 30-acre Medicine Wheel Park, home to a medicine wheel solar calendar, a walking trail, a solar system model and five interpretive panels, a blooming garden, and even Indian burial mounds. The Valley City State University Planetarium wows skywatchers with its state-of-the-art science center and 24-foot domed ceiling.
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Walhalla
Downtown Walhalla, North Dakota. Image credit In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Welcoming Walhalla was one of North Dakota’s earliest settlements. It has a rich history, more than its fair share of exciting outdoor recreational opportunities, and a scenic landscape. No matter when you visit this quaint northern town, you will find no shortage of interesting things to do. The town is the ideal backdrop for summer family vacations, romantic weekend trips, and even solo adventures.
Gingras Trading Post State Historic Park pleases history and outdoor lovers alike with its original 1840s house and trading post, owned by a prominent legislator and fur trader. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features authentic fur trade goods sold in the shop. If you want to hike, bike, or ride your ATV while exploring local scenery and wildlife, check out the Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area, which is also home to the Frost Fire Summer Theatre and Frost Fire Ski and Snowboard Area.
Devils Lake
Barren trees in Devil’s Lake in North Dakota.
For a place to get away from it all while surrounded by natural beauty and an abundance of outdoor adventures, look no further than charming and cozy Devils Lake. Named after the body of water it’s situated on, Devils Lake is the ideal destination for fishermen, hikers, boaters, and people who appreciate fresh air and scenic landscapes. It is North Dakota’s largest natural body of water and draws in visitors from all over the Midwest.
Grahams Island State Park is situated on the shores of Devils Lake, and is surrounded by miles of heavily wooded land ideal for hiking and camping. The park is an angler’s paradise and is home to several regional and national fishing tournaments each year. Fort Totten State Historic Site is a treat for history lovers as much of it is still as it stood when it was built in 1867. The site is now home to an interpretive center, a theater, traveling exhibits, and more.
Bottineau
Downtown Bottineau, North Dakota. Image credit In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Known as North Dakota’s “four-season playground,” beautiful Bottineau is located just below the US-Canadian border, at the base of the stunning Turtle Mountains. Bottineau is also home to Pride Dairy, the state’s last family-owed creamery that produces delectable desserts made with local ingredients. The sweet town has a close-knit community that welcomes visitors to explore all that the area has to offer, such as the nearby International Peace Garden.
Just a short drive from Bottineau, Lake Metigoshe State Park is nestled in the Turtle Mountains and is the premier local destination for canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, sledding, snowshoeing, and ice fishing. If you are visiting this cozy town during the snowy winter months and love outdoor adventures, check out Bottineau Winter Park, where you can ski and snowboard. During the warmer months of the year, golfers can head to the Bottineau Country Club Golf Course.
Jamestown
Aerial view of Jamestown in North Dakota.
Set in the heart of North Dakota’s pretty prairie, Jamestown is known for its wide, open grasslands, starry night sky, grazing buffalo, and rugged landscape, which inspired famous local writer Louis L’Amour. The first stop of all Jamestown visitors and an attraction that is hard to miss is the World’s Largest Buffalo Monument.
Another must-see attraction in Jamestown is Frontier Village, which features original, restored buildings filled with antiques, unique gifts, and artifacts. The village is also home to Louis L’Amour’s former writer’s shack, where he penned some of his well-known works, a frontier school, bank, church, and Northern Pacific Railroad depot dating back to 1880. Also, don’t miss a trip to the North American Bison Discovery Center while in town.
No matter where you are traveling in expansive North Dakota, from the Badlands to the open prairie, you will find a warm and welcoming town you can call home for a night, a few days, or even forever. These cozy communities are filled with one-of-a-kind historic sites and attractions, scenic beauty you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and a strong sense of community.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum declared a statewide fire emergency as wildfires killed one person and triggered numerous evacuations.
The state’s forest service is fighting multiple fires mainly in the western half of the state, according to the National Interagency Fire Center‘s infrared map. Those fires include:
The Bear Den Fire, which started Saturday morning, has burned an estimated 10,000 acres near the Fort Berthold Reservation as of Sunday afternoon.
The Elkhorn Fire, which started Saturday evening, has burned an estimated 10,000 acres south of Watford City.
The Sprint Creek Fire, which started Saturday afternoon, has burned an estimated 5,000 acres south of Watford City.
Credit: North Dakota Governor’s Office
NIFC’s map indicated numerous other hotspots throughout the state Sunday afternoon, but these have not yet been named or confirmed as active wildfires.
“Several large wildfires were being fought in western North Dakota this evening including near Grassy Butte, near Johnson’s corner along Highway 73 and near Mandaree,” Burgum said late Saturday night. “Evacuation orders were issued in multiple areas and temporary shelters were opened for those displaced.”
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The Williams County Sheriff’s Office reported 26-year-old Johannes Nicolaas Van Eeden of South Africa died of fire-related injuries in the Ray area, according to the Bismarck Tribune. The local paper said South Africans often come to the state to work as farmhands. Another unidentified individual was taken to a local medical facility with critical injuries.
The National Weather Service’s Bismarck Office issued a Red Flag Warning, High Wind Warning, and Wind Advisory for much of the state Saturday, when the state’s biggest fires started. Fire conditions were worsened by Extreme to Moderate Drought intensity in the state’s western half, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Critical fire conditions have since subsided.
“Widespread high winds impacted the region yesterday with multiple sites seeing wind gusts above 75 mph. Luckily winds will remain light through this week,” the office tweeted Sunday.
Credit: North Dakota Governor’s Office
The North Dakota Forest Service previously deployed multiple engines and crews to the fires, along with two North Dakota National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and more than two dozen National Guard firefighters, Burgum said. Two heavy air tankers from Montana also dumped fire retardant while bulldozers and motor graders cut fire lines near the community of Mandaree.
The pause in fire-spreading weather will help firefighters get a foothold on the wildfires, according to USFS Dakota Prairie Grasslands.
“On the east side of the fire, near the Little Missouri River, the North Dakota National Guard is utilizing a helicopter to perform water drops to help contain the fire,” forest service officials said Sunday. “Local, state, and federal resources are working together performing suppression activities around the perimeter of the fire. Additionally, two hand crews are en route to the incident.”
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FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – It is sweet, sweet revenge in 2024 for the North Dakota State Bison. A year after UND blew out NDSU in Grand Forks, the Bison do the same to the Fighting Hawks in Fargo, winning 41-17 Saturday.
The rivalry win is a meaningful one for North Dakota St., but it came at a cost in the second half, when star QB Cam Miller suffered an ankle injury and left the game in the third quarter.
Head Coach Tim Polasek said postgame Miller was not severely injured.
“It’s a just an ankle,” Polasek said. “We’ll know more later. He could’ve come back and he would’ve went into the game and played.”
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Aside from the injury, Miller had a milestone day, scoring his 100th career touchdown in the second quarter, then tallying his 42nd career rushing touchdown in the third quarter, breaking Bison legend Easton Stick’s MVFC record for rush TDs by a QB.
”Everything this kid’s going to get, in my opinion, is because he stayed here and played in a system that’s his,” Polasek said. “The system is now his.
“What another great story to deflect the portal. Just stay and be coached and work and finish what you start. I’m so freaking happy for that guy, he means everything to me.”
As for UND, it was obviously a rough day with the 24-point loss, but for the Fighting Hawks, it’s onward to a bye week and a matchup with Northern Iowa Oct. 19.
”How we respond to this is really important,” UND Head Coach Bubba Schweigert said. “We talk to our guys about, we go through events, and our response is our thing that we can control, and we’ve got to do a good job of how we respond to this.”
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As North Dakota begins a bye week, North Dakota St. heads to Carbondale Oct. 12 for their next contest, a 2:00 p.m. battle with Southern Illinois.
WILLIAMS COUNTY, N.D. (KFYR) – The Williams County Sheriff’s Office says there are two large, active fires in the Ray area as of 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
They say one fire began northwest of Ray and the other began south of Highway 2 near the area of 102nd Road NW and 62nd Street NW. The fires are traveling southeast and are burning south of Highway 2 as of Saturday evening.
As of 9 p.m. Saturday, Highway 2 is closed from County Road 9 (133rd Avenue NW) eastbound to 105th Avenue NW. Westbound Highway 2 traffic is recommended to travel north on Highway 40, past Tioga, then west on Highway 50.
They say traffic is still able to travel from Highway 2 south on Highway 85 to get to Williston.
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There is not currently an evacuation order in place, but if you require assistance, or there is an emergency, Williams County Sheriff’s Office says to dial 911.
Many local and regional firefighters are actively responding.
Your News Leader will continue to provide updates as we learn more.Highway 2 road closure(ND Roads)
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