Traveling in North Dakota

[bmcdonald]

Wondering if anyone traveled in North Dakota last spring/summer/fall and if so, did you have problems finding a places to stay because of the oil fracking workers having all occupied?

[RAS43]

Saw a story recently on television about the downturn in oil production/drilling and there was an interview with a salvage yard owner in the Williston area who told about all the RV's being dumped in his yard by workers leaving the area. The video showed probably 100+ in one area of his yard. Sounds like a big exodus.

[hotpepperkid]

Two years ago we were across ND and stayed in Medora the camp ground there was full on the week end but during the week had lots of spaces. The place we stayed in Bismarck had lot of spaces

[louiskathy]

The roads running along the Missouri River are 1804 and 1806... named for the year that the Lewis and Clark expedition made the trip up and the trip back.

If you go through the town of Linton, ND on hwy 83... make sure you stop on Main Street and get some goodies from the Model Bakery. Linton's "down town" is two blocks long. The Model Bakery is on main...north of the 4 way stop on Main street (not to be confused with the 4 way stop out on hwy 83). If you don't know what German Kuchen is, you are in for a treat. Plus the best home made goodies... date cookies if you are lucky.

Bismarck... Kroll's Diner has German cooking on the menu. Bonanza in Mandan has the best Knephla soup.

ok ok... there's more to ND than the food...
Fort Lincoln and the Mandan Village is on the west side of the Missouri River.

Medora - has the evening outdoor show and I highly recommend the Pitch Fork (steak) fondue before the show.

Walleye.... I'm lucky to have nephews willing to catch it, clean it, fry it and hand it to me on a plate... and lots of it.

Oh, you asked about camping... Many of the small towns have small city parks that have electric / water hookups. Linton, Hazelton are both on hwy 83 and both have $10 / night overnight sites. Some of the camp grounds along the Missouri River ... Beaver Bay south west of Linton were flooded out a couple of years back but I think they rebuilt. You should check that ahead of going. There are a few State Parks close to Bismarck that have hookups but they also have 10pm curfews where the gates are closed til morning. A lot of those river campgrounds have Cotton Wood trees and if they are shedding their seeds... it's a mess to deal with. Floats like fine cotton and clings to screens and vents and socks and shoes and pants....

Google the Enchanted Highway... and if you have time, take a side trip to look at them.

(oh, and the north unit of T.R. National Park has more wild life than the southern unit.)

JMHO

[bmcdonald]

Thank you all for the great info again. Would be later this summer before deciding to go into North Dakota so will for sure watch the price of oil on how the state will be affected then. Love the Lewis/Clark Trail also which we have followed thru the area..

[Searching_Ut]

I just drove up to Watford city last weekend to pick up the Son in Law's fifth wheel and move him down to Wyoming. He's been working the oil fields up there for 4 plus years now. Last year it was almost impossible to get a motel room in the area, now it's easy. Folks are rapidly leaving the area, but there are still a lot of RV mancamps. There were also a couple fields full of trailers and fifth wheels that have been dumped.

As for the trip, not recommended for a weekend. 930 miles to get up there on Friday, 650 towing to get to Wyoming on Saturday, the 350 to get back to Utah on Sunday. Would have been tough with good roads, but unfortunately, the weather was pretty rough with a lot of roads getting closed. In fact, we saw a lot more snowmobiles on the road through Island park and west Yellowstone on the way up there than we did cars. In North Dakota it was lots of tanker trucks, covered in mud like you wouldn't believe.

[Lynnmor]

Ran Route 2 from Havre, MT to Mackinac bridge in Michigan last summer. No problems, glad I did it. Around Williston, ND, there was plenty of activity and I planned to stay quite a distance on either side. While the fracking industry is in a severe recession, I still would not plan on a campground near there. I saw makeshift campgrounds and temporary housing everywhere.

Read up on Lewis & Clark before you go if you have an interest in history. You will find signs about L & C all along the way. I actually traveled pretty much on L & C's path all the way from Oregon.

[TyroneandGladys]

From a oil field brat if oil is below $100 a barrel you are good to go if above probably not.

[bmcdonald]

Thanks, few yrs ago we were thinking going across on Hwy2 and everyone kept saying the oil workers had all taken up and trucks hauling running all over not to travel it. Kind of figured with oil falling so many folks are laid off and left.. bad situation for them.

[Old-Biscuit]

Due to lower oil prices oil field is going 'bust' meaning layoffs are just starting, costs are coming down and then it spirals downward.

Grew up in oil country (WY/UT) and have seen/been thru many booms/busts.

With barrel of oil going for $37 'bust' is just around the corner

[2oldman]

That may have been true last summer, but I doubt it now.