North Dakota

Jim Shoe wrote:
Best bet is to stay on or south of I-94. North of there is Williston, ND where the big oil boom is or was, but I've heard that gas prices have declined enough to make getting oil out of oil shale too expensive. A few years ago, tanker trucks on I-94 were numerous and farmers around Williston were renting out spots in their fields to the temporary oil workers.
IF gas prices are falling, it hasn't happened around me.

The oil boom is still going strong. Thousands of rail cars a DAY leave that area for points east. New rigs are going up all the time. New exploration is ongoing. Traffic can be heavy by North Dakota standards but by most places is light.

My real question is; Why North Dakota? Frankly the surrounding states of South Dakota, Montana and even Minnesota are far more scenic and have much more to offer. But There is some stuff to see. Theodore Roosevelt Natl Park probably being the best known and the best. I find the Medora Musical a bit hokey. Bismark has just recently opened a new Cultual Heritage Center Museum that is said to be stunning.

I stayed at the Dakota Magic Casino RV Park in Hankinson ND (eastern ND at the SD border) - $10/nite full hookups, pull thrus. Then I stayed at Spirit Lake Casino on the south side of Devils Lake (US2). $23/nite electric backins. They also have full hookup sites in their RV park for add'l charge. Then I stayed at the Downstream COE at the Garrison Dam - $9/nite with old fart pass. Really nice park with electric hookups. Near Knife River Indian Indian Village (worthwhile). Also at Downstream COE is the US National Fish Hatchery - self guided tour - biggest fish hatchery I've been to. Then I stayed at Fort Abraham Licoln SP just south of Mandan. $30/nite. Nice park but, IMO, not as nice as the Downstream COE. Lastly, I stayed at Red Trail CG in Medora - an OK park but nothing special. I did also look at Medora RV park and the Buffalo Gap Ranch RV Park before going to Red Trail. Medora RV was not as nice IMO. Buffalo Gap (the private park vs the NP dry cg at the same exit (18)) is less expensive and more 'primitive' but has a feature that could be cool if horses are your thing in that the RV spots back up to the corrals. This was over the past 3 weeks of May. Am now back up to US2 in MT and heading west.

Best bet is to stay on or south of I-94. North of there is Williston, ND where the big oil boom is or was, but I've heard that gas prices have declined enough to make getting oil out of oil shale too expensive. A few years ago, tanker trucks on I-94 were numerous and farmers around Williston were renting out spots in their fields to the temporary oil workers.
IF gas prices are falling, it hasn't happened around me.

That's where we stayed...North Park in Dickinson. We stayed several days, and it was fine. As CloudDriver said, lots of oil workers, but they separated them from the travelers, and they were neat and clean.

Coming home from Yellowstone over the 4th of July weekend last year we spent a night at North park Campground in Dickinson ND. Big quiet campground that appeared to be mainly used at the time by oilfield workers and families. Not at all bad for an overnight.

If you're heading west, include Fort Union at the mouth of the Yellowstone River, close to the ND/MT border. It has a lot of history from the fur trading days of the early 1800's and has an excellent interpretative program and host.

Loved Ft. Lincoln SP in Mandan (Bismarck). Very nice park with history, as mentioned. Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora was worth driving through. We stayed in Dickinson, ND. Can't remember the name. I think the park in Medora was full. That would be easier as you're right there.

you can look up The enchanted highway on the way from Bismarck to Medora.

Be sure to take in the Pitch Fork Fondue at Medora. They serve it just before the show. You can get tickets ahead of time in town.

The Bonanza buffet (in Mandan) serves Knoeple soup on the buffet... that's a German dumpling soup. It's quite good.

If you drive through Linton ND *on hwy 83 about 30 miles from the SD state line... there's a bakery in Linton ... called the Model bakery. Still makes everything the same way they did back in the 60's. Their Kuchen is out of this world. I completely filled my freezer with it before I left there last time. It's a German custard pie but the crust is more like a sweet bread than a pie crust. My fav is rhubarb but the cherry is incredible too. Hubby likes prune. they also make a wedding kuchen but that is a lot different than the custard kind. I can eat one of those by myself, easy.

You don't have to take hwy 83 to Interstate to get to Bismarck... from Linton you can take a paved road west and get on hwy 1804 and go north along the river road to Bismarck. It's quite beautiful.

Bismarck has a German's from Russia heritage site where you can find information in very little time if you have just a few key bits of information. I found the passenger list from 1865 where my great grandfather came over to the USA bringing his family to America. My grandfather was 3 years old. They have a wealth of books there to look through and/or purchase about the struggles of the early settlers. There are several area cook books for sale - mostly published by area church's whose members have contributed recipes.

We've been across ND twice on I94 and can add a bit to the above good suggestions.

There is a nice Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn north of Bismark. A couple of miles away is a reconstruction of Fort Mandan, where L&C spent the winter of 1804/1805. A few miles north of Bismark is the site of the Double Ditch Indian Village on a bluff above one of the few remaining free flowing portions of the Missouri River. Not much there except for mounds and depressions, but we really enjoyed walking around and reading the interpretive signs.

If you are coming across Montana on I94, I highly recommend a stop at Pompeys Pillar National Monument. It's easy off/easy on from I94. A very nice Visitor Center there and in addition to Clark's signature, great 360 degree views from the top of the pillar.

I can tell you what we did on a very brief visit to North Dakota. We came up from the South--South Dakota; arrived at Medora and drove through Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit). This seemed to be a good way to see that national park. Spent the night in Medora at a commercial campground, not the best by any means, but ok for overnight. Drove on next day to Bismark area, spent two nights at Fort Lincoln State Park at Mandan. Drove around to the Lewis and Clark sites and the Knife River Village. Enjoyed the state park and the historical sites. From Mandan, out of North Dakota through Fargo into Minnesota.

I know this was a very brief visit, but it was part of a much longer trip and it fulfilled our desire to include North Dakota on our travel map.

I'm sure others will be able to report on a much more adequate visit to one of the last visited states on many RVers map. For us it was just right.