Eastbound Through North Dakota

Seattle to Cleveland, early June. Would appreciate the most scenic route(s) in North Dakota leading to and through Minnesota. I%26#39;m into wildlife watching, also - spotting scope, binos, etc. Eastbound advice on route(s) appreciated.

Eastbound Through North Dakota

well, it depends a little on how... ';loopy'; - for lack of a more sophisticated word - you%26#39;re willing to get...

for starters, if you come through from Montana by Glasgow-Wolf Point-Poplar-Culbertson, or whatever - along Highway 2 up in the northern part of the state, then you could pass through Williston %26amp; cut on down through the state on towards the captial, Bismarck, via New Town - Parshal - go south on 37, turn East on 1804 - Emmet - Garrison (in this area you can see the ';Hot'; %26amp; ';Cold'; water towers in the town of Garrison, though they really aren%26#39;t separated as hot %26amp; cold, but it%26#39;s enough to confuse some people, or you could check out the Garrison Dam, the ';the fifth largest earthen dam in the world';) - then turn on to Highway 83 %26amp; go South - Coleharbor - Washburn (there%26#39;s a Lewis %26amp; Clark Interpretive Center there) - Wilton... once you hit Bismarck, it%26#39;s up to you where you go from there, that particular ';scenic '; route sorta ends there

now for some ';loopier'; routes

you could drive in on Highway 2, same way the aforementioned route began, but before you reach Williston, turn South on Highway 85 down through Alexander, then East towards Watford City, where you turn South again once you get there, still on Highway 85, following that road you%26#39;ll scrape the edges of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, %26amp; possibly catch a glimpse of White Butte, said to be the highest point in North Dakota, just south of Amidon... Highway 85 in a scenic route all the way into South Dakota, but to get back on track to continue traveling East, I suggest turning in that direction once you hit Bowman (if you have time for a stop in that town, ask around about the buring coal vein, maybe you could check that out, some of it%26#39;s said to have been burning for 90+ years), follow Highway 12 a.k.a. the ';Yellowstone Trail'; over %26amp; on through Scranton - Gascoyne - Reeder - Bucyrus - Hettinger (again, if you have time to stop in that town, there%26#39;s a Yellowstone Trail stone marker still around there %26amp; it sits on the corner of Pioneer Square now, Hettinger%26#39;s little downtown area, just a few blocks off Highway 12 which runs straight through town, also ask around the area about the ';Last Great Buffalo Hunts';) - Lemmon (which is just across the border into South Dakota, Lemmon has a Petrified Wood Park, if you feel like checking that out)

however, if you don%26#39;t want to skim the northern edge of South Dakota, after leaving Hettinger continue along Highway 12 until you reach the junction that allows you to turn North on Highway 8, after driving along that for about 26 miles turn northwest towards Regent, then continue North after passing through that town, %26amp; you%26#39;ll be on the ';Enchanted Highway'; - you%26#39;ll get to see a bunch of huge, metal, sculptures ( http://www.enchantedhighway.net/ ) but once you reach Gladstone %26amp; the Interstate 94, once again, you%26#39;re on your own

if you do choose to go on into South Dakota via Lemmon though, continue on along the ';Yellowstone Trail'; %26amp; pass by Keldron, Morristown, Watauga, McIntosh, Walker, eventually reaching McLaughlin, where you can turn North %26amp; back into North Dakota, when the highway stops running North (approx. 6 miles into the state), turn East, but only very briefly until you reach another junction that allows you to turn North again, from there until you reach Mandan (which is just a little west of Bismarck) is another scenic route, at first you%26#39;ll pass by Fort Yates, (if you have time, %26amp; are interested you could ask around about the Sitting Bull burial site, but I myself haven%26#39;t been to it (yet at least), so I can%26#39;t tell you much there), you%26#39;ll go on to pass by Cannon Ball, %26amp; through Fort Rice, %26amp; on to Huff before reaching the Mandan/Bismarck area, %26amp; once again, when you reach that, I don%26#39;t really have any suggestions on where to go from there, though you could spend some time checking out the Missouri River

so as for routes with lots of wildlife, I don%26#39;t have much to say, there%26#39;s loads of pheasants %26amp; deer in North Dakota, %26amp; as for scenic routes in the Eastern part of the state I can%26#39;t think of much to suggest for now either, there%26#39;s probably something to be said for the Devils Lake area in the northwest part of the state or the area in the north-central part, with the International Peace Gardens on the border, the Turtle Mountains to the southeast of that, %26amp; Rugby the geographical center of the continent straight South it, but I don%26#39;t have a route pieced together that passes through those spots...

if, at the last minute, you find yourself really in a rush to get through the state though, Interstate 94 will take you right through it in 9 to 8 hours or less, you%26#39;ll get to see historic Medora, the ';Queen City'; Dickinson, the huge statue of a cow - ';Salem Sue'; alongside a hill by New Salem, the capital Bismarck, the metal crane sculpture at Steele, the field stone fountain (which still has water flowing at it, as far as I know) by Crystal Springs (you might have to go a little out your way to find it - take Exit 221, turn onto ';old'; Highway 10), the bridges of Valley City, %26amp; Fargo the biggest city in the state while there, if you just cross the river %26amp; you%26#39;re already in Moorhead, Minnesota

Eastbound Through North Dakota

Wow!!! Fantastic reply, I hope for your sake you have saved this text for the next poster. :) You were so comprehensive, I looked at your other posts and that, too helped, but wondered if you were new to ND and exploring various regions yourself. Thank you.

The 370 mile trip across North Dakota on Interstate 94 from Beach to Fargo takes only about 5 hours, if you don%26#39;t stop, not 8 or 9. The speed limit is 75. Thought I would clarify.

Also, there isn%26#39;t much scenery in ND aside from the prairie. It is gorgeous, don%26#39;t get me wrong, but surely doesn%26#39;t sustain interest for the duration of the trip. Especially pretty are the sunrises and sunsets as there is not a thing to obstruct your view of the sky. Equally awesome are the stars in the sky, for the same reason, and over the summer I really enjoy driving at night through the state because generally there is plenty of lightning, though not usually anywhere near you. You can see for miles.

Which routes are the most scenic? Well, no matter where you are the scenery isn%26#39;t going to change much. If I was driving across ND I wouldn%26#39;t meander through the state in the fashion as is posted above. As I said the prairie really isn%26#39;t that satisfying for 5 hours, so getting across quickly isn%26#39;t a bad thing. Also, you%26#39;ll have already seen plenty of this across Eastern Montana. That said there are two options for you. Highway 2, (northern route) through Williston, Minot, and Grand Forks, is slower and has more curves. Interstate 94 (southern route), through Medora, Dickinson, Bismarck, Jamestown, and Fargo, is the fastest route through the state.

Aside from the speed limit, each route is comparable. You%26#39;ll likely see deer along either route but not much else. So, as you are a wildlife watcher I would have to recommend taking Interstate 94. Mostly because of the TR National Park. Not only is there plenty of wildlife (deer, antelope, bison, wild horses, prairie dogs) in the park, the Badlands in ND are spectacular. They really are like no other terrain on earth.

Basically, no other highway through North Dakota offers the wonder of the Badlands. If you do decide to take the interstate, make sure you take the loop through the park, you%26#39;ll enjoy it.

yeah, ssolga%26#39;s right, no stops, less time, obviously %26amp; being on the high plains, there being a lot of praire isn%26#39;t much of a surprise, but besides Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the West side of the state, I still think that the Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River area, %26amp; the northern part of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation offer some nice changes in scenery

voyaging, no, I wouldn%26#39;t consider myself new to the state of North Dakota, but there are still pleny of things within the state that I%26#39;d like to see... I ought to correct myself on at least one thing though - the burning coal vein area is North of Bowman, so if you (or anybody) takes that route %26amp; reaches Bowman, he or she has already missed it, there should be a sign along the highway that indicates where to turn off though (%26amp; be prepared for some dirt road there)

I thank you both for your detailed and thoughtful responses. We will consider all the ideas to see where our interests lie. We%26#39;ve often found interesting things to see when off the major roads, so look forward to the trip. But we will keep in mind that we can make up time on the interstate. We are grateful.

I traveled SW North Dakota and I found it to be a nice and very peaceful drive. The badlands near Dickinson are also nice as is Theodore Rosevelt Natl Park. I%26#39;d also recommend the Enchanted Highway - its just off of Hwy 22 between Reeder %26amp; Dickinson. I stayed in a motel like cabin in Hettinger that I highly recommend - I don%26#39;t recall how to contact them - the place is called the Hettinger Hunters Cove. The price was good I was suprised at how nice my cabin was. It even had a full kitchen.

We also drove through central ND and found it to be beautiful (traveled from Bismark down to Ft Yates ND). If you don%26#39;t feel like traveling down I 94 the entire time, you could take that route (I think its Hwy 8, I don%26#39;t recall). The route takes you into northern SD where you will pass through a bufallo ranch that seems to go on for 5 to 10 miles. You can head west at McLaughlin and eventually end up back in ND (via Hettinger, Reeder, Bowman etc...)

Eastern North Dakota is not all a blank prairie. You%26#39;re in farming country again, with wheat, barley, sugarbeets, sunflowers, flax, and potatoes being the main crops.

If you%26#39;re going past Valley City on I-94 (1 hour west of Fargo), and want to spend a day or two, you can go north to Baldhill Dam %26amp; then head south again on the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway, or you can do a self guided tour of some of Valley City%26#39;s dozen plus bridges %26amp; then head south on the Byway skipping the northern 5 miles or so. (pick up info on the Byway %26amp; bridges at the Rosebud Visitor%26#39;s Center)

The two best bridges are the Rainbow Arch Bridge on the Business I-94 loop which is a concrete Marsh Arch Bridge. The original was built in 1925, but was very narrow, deteriorating, and didn%26#39;t meet modern traffic standards. It was re-built in 2004 using the original plans for guidelines %26amp; is the only known functional March Arch bridge built since the 1930%26#39;s. The other is the Hi-Line Bridge which is a steel trestle railroad bridge that spans the valley. It%26#39;s not the highest bridge or the longest bridge, but for combined height %26amp; length it is one of the tops in the nation. I think it%26#39;s 160++ feet tall and about 3/4 mile long.

In downtown Valley City, there%26#39;s the Barnes Co Museum, which is quite large %26amp; comprehensive by %26#39;small town%26#39; standards. There is also the Rosebud Visitor%26#39;s Center where they have a neat old Railway Superintendent%26#39;s Car which has been preserved %26amp; restored. Did you ever watch the old %26#39;Wild, Wild, West%26#39; TV show? Similar to that, not quite as fancy as that one but still luxurious for the times-1870%26#39;s %26amp; 1880%26#39;s. There are gift %26amp; antique stores, a couple quaint restaurants, two supper clubs and a couple Guest Inns if you%26#39;re spending the night. There are a couple fast food places and the truckstop if you%26#39;re in more of a hurry to move on.

If you%26#39;re interested in wildlife, the pelicans feeding at the base of the dam are fun to watch and you can tour the National Fish Hatchery, also north of town. There are a lot of different bird species that can be found in the area if you%26#39;re a birdwatcher, and the fall duck %26amp; pheasant hunting are great. You will most likely see deer somewhere along the way %26amp; may also see fox, jackrabbits, coyotes, squirrels, raccoons, or maybe rarely a porcupine or opossum. Every few years elk, moose, or a mountain lion shows up %26amp; hangs around the area for a while before moving on.

The Scenic Byway takes you south through a couple smaller towns with good restraunts. There is also a loop of the byway which is all gravel roads, but quite interesting, as there are marked historic sites all along the Byway on both the gravel %26amp; paved sections. There%26#39;s a pretty good website that can tell you more about the area %26amp; Byway. www.hellovalley.com

There are also enough geocaches around to keep you busy for a day or so if you%26#39;re into that, and a section of the North Country Trail runs thru the area, if you鈥檙e a hiker.

In Jamestown (home of western writer Louis L%26#39;Amour), the next town west from Valley City, is the %26#39;World%26#39;s Largest Buffalo%26#39; statue and National Buffalo Museum located at the Frontier Village. There is a herd of buffalo which can usually be seen from I-94 since the highway cuts thru their grazing area. Watch for White Cloud as you drive by on I-94 or walk the grounds of the Museum %26amp; Village. She is a rare, true albino white buffalo. Her 5th calf, born this spring is also albino. Her first 4 calves were normal colored.

North of Jamestown you can spend a few hours to most of a day on the 8 miles of trails in the park by the Pipestem Dam %26amp; Reservoir. Fort Seward and the archeological digs are also interesting. Check the local website www.tourjamestown.com for more info.

For overall tourist info on North Dakota, visit the state website at www.discovernd.com.

Wow, the ND forum comes alive eventually!! Great to read.

Voyaging, I just wanted to say as a tourist from Europe we liked our 4 nights stay in the sw corner of ND. Many ancient sites, a great NP and lovely town Medora. We also stayed in Bowman and Hazen and Lake Sakakawea is amazing. Genuine North Dakota. Have a great trip.

Tet

I spent a summer in ND years ago, working on an archaeological project.

A visit to Knife River Indian Villages national monument, www.nps.gov/knri would be an interesting trip.

The best thing about Knife River is it%26#39;s fantastic visitor center and very helpful staff but we didnot see many built up places anymore. Actually it was almost all grass and signs to point out where the cottages had been. But it was a nice early morning walk near Missouri River.

Tet