North Dakota on I-94: from Fargo to the badlands

Route description

Leave Fargo west on I-94, which crosses the flat bed of former glacial Lake Agassiz before rolling into farmland. At Valley City, about an hour out, you can detour to see the Hi-Line railroad bridge, one of the longest and highest in the country. Jamestown, 150 km from Fargo, is the home of the National Buffalo Museum and the big concrete buffalo above the highway.

Continue west on I-94 to Bismarck, the state capital, on the Missouri River. The capitol tower has an observation deck, and the North Dakota Heritage Center next door covers everything from dinosaurs to the Mandan and Hidatsa people. For history, cross the river to Mandan and visit Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, where Custer’s house and an earth lodge village have been rebuilt.

For the Knife River Indian Villages, drive about 100 km north of Bismarck on US-83 and ND-200A to Stanton. Here you can see the remains of Hidatsa villages and walk into a reconstructed earth lodge. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the reconstructed Fort Mandan near Washburn are on the way and make a good combined stop.

From Stanton, take ND-200 west and ND-49 south back to I-94, then continue west to Medora, the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Fuel is available in most towns along I-94. Winter can bring blizzards and road closures, so this is best from May to October. Medora has a summer musical and is the start of the scenic drive into the park’s South Unit.