Get out and discover the beauty of southwestern North Dakota

AMIDON, N.D. — Let’s face it, most of North Dakota’s historic sites aren’t on the way to anywhere special. They are their own destination. While that makes them less frequently visited, it means a journey to these sites is a monumental event. Since moving back to North Dakota 13 years ago, I have been on a mission to visit North Dakota’s historic sites.

After having thoroughly enjoyed experiences such as camping in Icelandic State Park, hiking the Pembina Gorge, biking the Mah Dah Hey trail, camping in the Turtle Mountains, hiking to North Dakota’s lone natural spring in the Sheyenne Grasslands, visiting the Reagan Minuteman Missile site, and many more, this summer I set my sights on southwest North Dakota.

Sorely neglected by tourists, the region west of Bismarck, and south of I-94, is a beautiful place of small towns, cattle ranches, expansive grasslands and rolling hills. It is also the ancestral home of North Dakota’s original inhabitants. On this trip my family and I were headed to two historic sites in that part of the state – Medicine Rock and White Butte.

Journeying west from Fargo, our journey broke south at Salem, site of “Salem Sue,” the largest Holstein cow in the world. Our first stop was Medicine Rock State Historical Site south of Elgin. Prior to visiting Medicine Rock, I consulted the state historical society in order to get guidance on how to respect this sacred site. Located along the north fork of the Cannonball River, Medicine Rock is one of six American Indian rock art sites in North Dakota. About 30 feet in diameter, the rock itself contains detailed pictures, called glyphs, of animals and sights seen in the region in the past. Among the images are a rider on horseback, turtles, bighorn sheep and a bear paw. These are fascinating clues to the region’s ecological past.

The Mandan and Hidatsa Indians consider the Medicine Rock to be an oracle. On a regular basis, elders would come to the rock to perform ceremonies, in anticipation of receiving revelation of things to come, such as expectations of a good hunt that season. For individuals wanting to ponder the history of our land, and acknowledge that people had lived here for many generations prior to the arrival of European immigrants, Medicine Rock is a good place to do it.

On day two we drove west, gradually transitioning from rolling grasslands to rocky buttes. Our destination was White Butte, the highest point in North Dakota at 3,506 feet. The trail was shorter and more gradual than anticipated, which allowed for more time to scout around. The weather was perfect and the breeze on top of the butte was restorative.

We took our lunch sitting on a rocky outcropping, feeling the summer breeze dry our sweat. Watching birds glide through the sky, buffeted up by warm summer updrafts was tranquil.

Why did I feel such pride sitting on North Dakota’s highest point? It might be my irritation at being treated as a flyover state, where our beauty and our people are easily ignored. It could also be the underdog effect where we in North Dakota often feel the need to defend or justify ourselves. But this pride actually comes from a deeper and truer source, the sense that this is home. This is where I live, it is part of who I am, and I am proud of it. I don’t need to justify living in North Dakota, and I don’t need to persuade others that they should too, I can just live my best life in this beautiful place I call home.

Some people erroneously think that North Dakota is all flat. But those people have probably not traveled west of Valley City. Many parts of North Dakota have beautiful terrain and breathtaking views, the southwest part of the state being among the best. I have visited many of North Dakota’s most historic and beautiful sites, and there are many more to see. Did you know that North Dakota is home to North America’s first Muslim Mosque? A trip to Ross, where it is located, is surely in my future.

To learn about North Dakota’s best outdoor sites, visit ndtourism.com or parkrec.nd/hiking.

Mark Strand, Fargo, is a professor in the Pharmacy Practice and Public Health Departments at North Dakota State University.