If you have yet to do a North Dakota road trip, or even just visit the state, you’re not alone. In fact, so many people make North Dakota the last state they visit on their journey to visit all 50, there is actually a club for it; The Best for Last Club. Whether it’s your last state to visit or not, there is so much to see and do in North Dakota. Taking a road trip through North Dakota is the perfect way the see many different aspects of what this state has to offer. I spent a week driving from Fargo to Medora to find the best places to visit and the perfect stops along the way.
The best times to visit North Dakota are late spring and summer, to best take advantage of the beautiful outdoors. Unless you are visiting specifically for winter activities like skiing, snowshoeing or dogsledding, winters in North Dakota can be a bit harsh and driving can be an issue.
June, July and August are busy tourism months, and ultimately the best months to visit. Usually I prefer to avoid tourists as much as possible and travel during shoulder seasons, but summer is really the ideal time to see North Dakota. One of the essential North Dakota experiences, the Medora Musical, takes place from the end of May to early September, so I recommend visiting during that time in particular.
This itinerary covers a 6 day road trip from Fargo to Medora. I found I had just enough time to do everything I wanted to do in those 6 days, but another day or two would have been ideal. The stops and attractions listed are easy to adjust to your own schedule and interests, and I’ve made notes of where I would have liked to spend more or less time.
To kick off my North Dakota road trip I flew into Hector International Airport in Fargo. Hector is an efficient airport to get around; the rental car desks are located in the same area as baggage claim making it super easy to grab your luggage and pick up a car quickly. Driving from the airport to downtown Fargo takes less than 15 minutes.
If you’re anything like me and the first thing you want to do after a long flight is eat, head straight to Kroll’s Diner. Kroll’s is a 50s-style diner serving classic German and American dishes like Fleischkuekle (meat pies), crispy fried chicken and award winning Knoephla (chicken and dumpling) soup. Locals love it so much, they buy it by the bucket-full.
Something I always do when taking a road trip, whether the starting point is home or away, is to make a quick stop at the grocery store for snacks. Hornbacher’s is the major grocery chain in Fargo. It’s a big store and has everything you could need. I usually pick up any drinks, snacks or food that I want to have in the car with me. There is a Hornbacher’s less than a mile away from Kroll’s Diner so I stopped there right after lunch.
After stocking up on snacks, it was time to explore downtown. Fargo is an extremely walkable city, so I parked at my hotel, Hotel Donaldson, before setting out on foot. Although it was too early to check in, the staff was super helpful and stored my luggage so it wasn’t sitting in the car.
I started by paying a visit to the Plains Art Museum. Admission is free, which is a serious bargain, considering there are over 4,000 local, regional, and national works to explore. Exhibits range from the traditional to modern, with everything in between. I spent about an hour wandering the museum, which was plenty of time to see the collection.
Down the street is my favorite coffee shop in town, Twenty Below Coffee. The 3 Bears Miel latte uses locally sourced honey from 3 Bears Honey Company and is the perfect afternoon pick me up. It’s not too sweet, but still has a bright honey flavor. If you’re craving something a little more indulgent, order the Nutella mocha and thank me later.
Just a few blocks away is the historic Fargo Theatre. Since opening in 1926 as an art house cinema and vaudeville theatre, it’s been a hub of the local arts community. Take a peek inside at the fully restored, art deco style interior and be sure to snap a picture of the colorful marquee outside; it’s one of the most photographed spots in the city.
Ready for a little shopping? One of the best spots to pick up souvenirs is Unglued, an Etsy-lovers fantasy shop. Products from over 300 makers are featured in the shop, most of them local. Next door is Stabo Scandinavian Imports. A large portion of the population of North Dakota has Scandinavian ties (the largest Scandinavian festival in North America takes place here) and Stabo reflects that heritage with pottery, clothing, candy and much more.
My favorite place to shop in Fargo, Zandbroz Variety is just a few doors down. They have a little bit of everything from books and socks to home-goods and greeting cards. It’s a big shop with lots of unique items to browse. What sets it apart from other shops though is the special room in the back filled with old books. Books are one of my favorite travel souvenirs (impractical, I know) and I could have easily spent an entire afternoon looking through the shelves.
Two more places to check out: Kittsona is an adorable boutique with curated collections of clothing, locally inspired goods and home decor. Finally, Mint and Basil specializes in kitchenware, home goods, clothing and accessories.
Like I mentioned earlier, I stayed at the Hotel Donaldson and highly recommend it. I can’t imagine going back to Fargo and staying anywhere else. The location is perfect, right downtown and within walking distance of just about everything. Each of the 17 rooms is inspired by a different artist, featuring their work throughout the space. Learning about the artist and checking out their pieces is like staying in a mini museum.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to enjoy all the amenities like the complimentary wine and cheese hour from 5 – 6 p.m. or the rooftop hot tub. Next time. As for food, there is both a full service restaurant and lounge in the building, and also a quaint rooftop bar with a great view of the city.
Vinyl Taco- Fresh Mexican street food with an extensive tequila menu.
Wurst Bier Hall- Classic German fare with a huge beer selection, many of them local.
Blackbird Woodfired Pizza- Traditional wood-fired pizza with a North Dakota twist. The handmade dough is made using only North Dakota wheat and flour and topped with locally grown produce and herbs.
Wild Terra– A cidery and eatery that focuses on plant based bites like a roasted veggie bowl and BBQ jackfruit sandwich.
As cozy as the bed was at Hotel Donaldson, I got up early to have breakfast and explore downtown Fargo a little bit more. I wanted to check out the Hjemkomst Center, which is actually in Moorhead, Minnesota just over the Red River. This heritage center is home to full scale replica viking ship, and replica Norwegian church. There are a few exhibits to see as well, but overall it was a quick stop. If you have any interest in Norwegian culture or architecture, be sure to stay for a guided tour of the church.
After a short walk back to the car it was finally time to hit the road. The first official stop on my North Dakota road trip was 4e Winery, about 30 minutes from Fargo. 4e crafts wines using grapes and ingredients from the northern prairie. One of the most unique sips on the menu is a wine made from the chokecherry, a dark red berry that is North Dakota’s state fruit.
After leaving the winery I headed to Jamestown to visit Frontier Village. Original buildings from frontier villages were moved together and filled with antiques and artifacts to create a museum that feels like a real-life town. You could easily spend a few hours popping into all the buildings to see everything on display, especially with kids in tow.
The highlight for me was the live bison herd that roams the land next to the village. The herd used to be home to two famous pure white bison, White Cloud and her son Dakota Miracle. Unfortunately they both have passed on but you can see still White Cloud, now mounted and on display at the National Buffalo Museum next door. The museum itself is worthy of a walk-through, it’s small but has lots of artifacts and artwork depicting the history and significance of bison in America. There is an $8 entrance fee for adults, but where else can you see a white buffalo?
Don’t leave without visiting Dakota Thunder, the World’s Largest Buffalo Monument standing 26 feet tall and weighing 60 tons. To find him, just walk through Frontier Village towards the back. He’s a hard to miss North Dakota landmark.
From Jamestown I drove west about 1.5 hours to the capital city of Bismarck. By the time I got into the city it was dinner time, so I stopped at Laughing Sun Brewery before heading to the hotel. The beer menu had a wide variety to sample, and the bartender helped me pick the perfect pint to go with the Carolina pulled pork sandwich.
I stayed at the EverSpring Inn and Suites, located just off the highway. It was a basic, no frills hotel but very clean with a comfy bed. After a long day of traveling and exploring I didn’t even turn on the T.V., just went straight to bed. EverSpring was the perfect place to get a good night’s sleep and start fresh the next day.
Peacock Alley- American grill and bar known for their steaks and burgers. Voted one of the best restaurants in North Dakota by Culture Trip.
Fireflour Pizza- Neapolitan-inspired pizzeria and craft coffee bar
Pirogue Grill- Upscale dining with entrees like sautéed ND bison medallions with bordelaise sauce and grilled wild King salmon with pistachio & pink peppercorn relish.
Day 3 of my North Dakota road trip started out at Terra Nomad for coffee. To be completely honest I didn’t love the latte, but I did have one of the best things I ate on the entire trip; a homemade cornmeal cookie that I would easily go back for. I spent a sometime walking around downtown Bismarck and was surprised by the amount of cool street I saw over just a few blocks.
Properly caffeinated and cookied, I headed to the State Museum at the North Dakota Heritage Center. This is North Dakota’s largest museum and just like the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, it’s completely free. Much of the museum has a North Dakota focus and really gives the visitor an in depth appreciation of everything from area natives, plants, animals and geology.
About a 25 minute drive from the museum is Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, a 977 acre area on the banks of the Missouri river in Mandan. It was originally home to the Mandan Indians and the site of a military garrison in the mid 1800s. The easiest way to navigate the park is to first stop into the Visitor Center for a map (or download one here). From there you can explore old Fort Abraham Lincoln and On- A-Slant Indian village, former home of the Mandans.
Dickinson, the next destination, is about a 1.5 hours drive on Interstate 94. Traveling on I-94 is essential because it gives you the chance to drive along the Enchanted Highway, a 34 mile stretch of road decorated with giant metal sculptures. You will find the first sculpture, “Geese in Flight” at Exit 72 near Gladstone. Take the exit, and head south along 100 1⁄2th Avenue SW. (Signs clearly point the way!) towards the town of Regent. Although this will add some time to your drive to Dickinson, the sculptures are fun to see. There are 7 in total, and if you really like a certain one, stop at the gift shop in Regent to pick up a mini replica.
Heads up: The time zone will change from Central Standard Time to Mountain Time during this drive!
Arriving in Dickinson my first stop was the Dickinson Museum Center. This is a collection of 4 museums: Badlands Dinosaur Museum, Prairie Outpost Park, Joachim Regional Museum and the Pioneer Machinery Hall. After starting the day at the North Dakota Heritage Center I was a little hesitant to visit more museums, but walking through the Badlands Dinosaur Museum and Joachim Regional Museum didn’t take more than an hour and the displays were unique enough that it made it worth it.
Prairie Outpost Park consists of relocated historic structures and recreated ethnic buildings celebrating the Czech, Scandinavian and Germans and Russian cultures. You must be part of a tour to enter the buildings, so plan ahead if that’s something of interest.
By that point I was definitely tired, so I headed over to Fluffy Fields Vineyard and Winery for a quick dinner before calling it a night. I sampled a couple different wines before settling on a favorite. The bartender was super knowledgeable about each wine and offered suggestions based on what I liked. I don’t usually go for sweet options, but the raspberry wine tasted like a fresh picked summer raspberry. I regret not bringing home a bottle. The menu is small and changes seasonally, many of the fresh vegetables used are grown on site in the gardens.
In Dickinson, I stayed at La Quinta Inn & Suites, right down the street from the Dickinson Museum Center. Just like EverSpring Inn in Bismarck, after a long day of sightseeing this hotel was just a place to rest up for the next day. It had everything I needed; sparkling clean room, comfy bed, and speedy Wifi! There was even a pizza party taking place in the lobby when I got back. The hotel brought in a buffet of (free!) pizza from a local restaurant for all the guests. I don’t know if this is something that happens all the time, but it was a really nice touch!
I left Dickinson early in the morning which was a good thing, because the itinerary for the next 2 days was jam packed. The drive from Dickinson to Medora is quick, less than 40 minutes total. On the way there I stopped at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center, which is basically an introduction to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It has the usual exhibits, information desk and gift shop areas like most visitor centers but there are also hiking trails, beautiful panoramic views into the park and even the possibility of bison wandering by.
Medora is an absolute must-see when visiting North Dakota. It’s incredibly unique not only for the atmosphere and attractions, but in how it ties itself to the history of North Dakota. Medora was even named one of the 15 Best Small Towns by Smithsonian Magazine in 2019. This old west cow town, population 132 (as of 2017), Medora sits on the edge of Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit. I spent two days in Medora, although 3-4 days would have been great to properly explore the park and surrounding areas.
After arriving in Medora and checking into my hotel, I set out to explore the town on foot. There are lots of shops along the main road selling souvenirs, candy and ice cream, as well as cute general stores. To break up the shopping and sweets sampling, the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame is a fun stop. This one-of-a-kind museum is full of Western, Native American and rodeo exhibits depicting the history and culture of North Dakota. The second floor is dedicated to the rodeo and local ranches. Although small, there was a lot to see and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of information and artifacts on display.
A few miles down the road is the Chateau de Mores State Historic Site, home of the Marquis de Mores, the famous French nobleman who founded Medora. The main attraction of the site is the Marquis’s summer home and hunting lodge, built in 1883. The home itself doesn’t seem especially grand compared to today’s standards, but learning about the de Mores family and life on the frontier makes for an interesting visit. I personally appreciated the stories about of Marquis’s wife, Medora (he named the town in her honor), a talented hunter and horseback rider. She was not the type to sit at home while her husband was having all the fun.
Although time didn’t allow the Maah Dahh Hey Trail to be part of my itinerary, I would have loved to hike at least a few miles of it through the North Dakota Badlands. The 144-mile non-motorized single track is one of the top mountain biking trails in the United States according to the International Mountain Biking Association. The trail runs through Medora so hiking or biking a few miles out and returning the same afternoon is doable.
There are a lot of enticing places to eat in Medora, but after a long day I didn’t want to go too far and simply walked downstairs to the hotel restaurant, Theodore’s Dining Room. My waiter recommended the bison osso bucco with roast vegetables and blue cheese mashed potatoes, which I happily agreed too. After giving it a try it was obviously why the restaurant was packed. The bison was fork tender and everything was seasoned perfectly.
My favorite hotel of the entire trip was easily Medora’s Rough Riders Hotel. This historic hotel was built in 1884 and named for the volunteer cavalry unit Roosevelt led in the Spanish-American War. The hotel lobby showcases one of the world’s largest libraries of works by and about Theodore Roosevelt. I never associated western decor with having a luxurious feel, but somehow there was a perfect mix of the two.
Cowboy Cafe – Classic breakfast and lunch dishes, but the standouts are the homemade kuchen and caramel rolls. Cash Only.
Boots Bar and Grill – Western themed restaurant fit for a cowboy. Try a traditional beef burger or mix it up with an elk or bison burger.
My final day in north dakota was easily my favorite. The morning and afternoon were spent hiking in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park is dividing into three separate units, the North Unit, South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. The most popular area, the South Unit is the one located next to Medora. This part of the park is easy to visit. There is a 36 mile scenic mile paved driving loop going through the park, with trailheads and lookout points located along the way. To just drive the loop takes about 1.5 hours. I stopped a few times to follow the trails and hike a little way into the badlands. For specific trail information, stop at the visitor’s center on the way into the park or click here.
Driving through the park I stopped multiple times to watch prairie dogs run around and pop in and out of their small dirt mounds. If you have never seen a prairie dog before (I hadn’t) they aren’t dogs at all but more like squirrels without the long bushy tails. There were lots of babies running around as well that were just adorable, so I probably spent way too much time watching them!
That evening’s dinner was a classic North Dakota Experience at Pitchfork Steak Fondue. Steaks are literally speared onto pitchforks and plunged into vats of hot oil in an open air kitchen, while guests looks on. The entire scene is dramatic in itself but add in the gorgeous backdrop of the North Dakota Badlands and you have something extra special. Along with the steaks a full buffet of sides is available with options like fresh fruit, salad, coleslaw, vegetables, baked beans, garlic toast and baked potatoes. There are brownies and cinnamon sugar doughnuts for dessert, beverages and a cash bar.
This is down home, cowboy style cooking, not a gourmet restaurant. I have seen mixed reviews of the dinner, but I honestly thought everything tasted great. Everyone gets a ribeye steak, cooked to order to the same medium temperature. Going in with that expectation, rather than hoping for a rare filet mignon with béarnaise sauce will make the experience much better. The location, the scenery, and the atmosphere, combined with the food is what it’s really all about, and why people come back year after year.
After dinner the majority of the crowd goes next door to the Medora Musical . The musical is Broadway style show celebrating pioneer and cowboy history. Even if this type of show isn’t your usual go-to it’s a must see. Dancers and musicians from all over the country make up the cast, and the script changes every year. Everything is 100% family friendly and there is even a portion where kids in the audience are invited on stage. As a 30 something woman without children I didn’t think this was something I would particularly enjoy, but I was pleasantly surprised. The show was entertaining and held my attention. Will I go back every year like many families? Probably not. Would I recommend it to anyone traveling in North Dakota? Definitely.
I woke up extra early on day 6 for the 2.5 hours drive back to Bismarck to catch a mid-morning flight home. I planned on grabbing breakfast at the airport without realizing how small it was. There are only 2 small cafes that offer coffee, sandwiches, salads and basic breakfast items. If you have time, try to stop somewhere before hand.
If that sounds overwhelming, this would be a great part of the itinerary to add an extra day. Staying another day in Medora would be the perfect opportunity to explore more of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Afterwards, you could drive to Bismarck in the evening and stay overnight near the airport.
This post was sponsored by North Dakota Tourism. As always, all opinions are my own.
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Super useful. Thanks for sharing!
Great article - thanks for the tips! My family is planning a Great Plains coronaroadtrip so assuming the parks open up (hopefully!) we'll visit TRNP! If you need tips on Asia, we lived there for 20 years and went all over!
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Scott
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I'm sad to say that I am one of those that have never visited North Dakota. We love road trips! We actually do the same as you where we stop at a grocery store first for snacks.
I had absolutely no idea that there was so much to do in North Dakota. Like most people, I was kind of leaving it to the end of my 50 states, but now I think I'll make more of an effort to go sooner! Bookmarked your post for future reference!
I love to do road trips and therefore love to go for this North Dakota road trip. Thanks for sharing a wonderful itinerary with all detailed tips. Fargo looks like a beautiful town. Your photo of Theodore Roosevelt National Park has sold me out for this road trip.
You had a jam packed trip! I love seeing prairie dogs. They are so cute. Fun that you got to see the babies too. I visited North Dakota for the first time this past summer. It's really a beautiful state. I was surprised by all of the sunflowers. They were so pretty that I got distracted photographing them.
This is just such a great part of USA! I only ever been to the west coast but I should really explore more! Thanks for this article :)
I love the wildlife -- especially the buffalo! I've lived in South Dakota and saw herds of buffalo. I've never been to North Dakota, but it looks enjoyable.
This is my go-to-guide for visiting North Dakota and looks like such a fun road trip. A perfect mix of everything from history to culture to outdoor activities. Theodore Roosevelt National Park seems to be a great place for hiking so it's right up my alley!