Adventures in North Dakota
1. FOLLOW THE LEGENDARY ADVENTURE OF LEWIS & CLARK IN NORTH DAKOTA
The real adventure for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began here, in what is now North Dakota. The Lewis & Clark Expedition spent more consecutive days in North Dakota than in any other state. Today, nearly 200 years later, you can experience the same landscape, including the longest unchanged stretch of the Missouri River.
Missouri
River/Lake Sakakawea
See the Missouri River the way Lewis and Clark did. Paddle aboard the
“BirdWoman,” a 26-foot replica voyageur canoe from the fur
trade era. www.birdwoman.com. A section of the great Missouri River has
been dammed, creating a magnificent lake named for Sakakawea, with more
miles of shoreline than California’s.
Fort
Mandan: Lewis and Clark Slept Here
The 1804-05 winter headquarters for the Corps of Discovery was constructed
by the expedition, and named after its American Indian hosts. A full-sized
replica of Fort Mandan stands along the Missouri River near Washburn.
Sakakawea
and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
The Knife River Indian Villages near Stanton, N.D., is where Lewis &
Clark met Sakakawea. Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Indians inhabited the
area until the 19th century.
Lewis
& Clark Interpretive Center
The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center at Washburn is a world-class
facility that focuses on Lewis and Clark’s voyage of discovery from
1804-1806 through this area.
Lewis
& Clark Golf Trail
For a unique twist, golfers can follow the Lewis & Clark Trail through
North Dakota and play 226 holes of golf on 21 courses near the Missouri
River, including two world-class courses.
Treasure
Hunting on the Trail
Geocaches have been placed along the Lewis & Clark Trail in North
Dakota. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt, where players use the
Global Positioning System to find caches of trinkets hidden anywhere on
the planet.
2. OUTDOOR ADVENTURES IN THE BADLANDS
Theodore
Roosevelt National Park
In North Dakota’s rugged badlands, Theodore Roosevelt National Park
has great opportunities for take-your-breath-away hiking, biking and scenic
viewing. The 70,000-acre park and its rugged topography honor Theodore
Roosevelt, who ranched in North Dakota and later established the national
park system. Theodore Roosevelt said, “I never would have been President
if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota.”
Maah
Daah Hey Trail
Dubbed the new Moab of the North, this biking, hiking and horseback riding
trail crosses 100 miles of rugged badlands topography. Maah Daah Hey is
a Mandan name that means “grandfatherly” or “been here
a long time.” In 2001, the International Mountain Biking Association
designated the trail as one of eight national EPIC rides and Sports Illustrated
Women magazine named it one of its Top 18 Hot Spots.
Knife
River Ranch Vacations
Near Golden Valley, N.D., is Knife River Ranch Vacations, an activity-oriented
working ranch vacation. Trail riding, wildlife viewing, hunting and canoeing
are the simpler joys; you can push your limits on one of the challenging
week-long trail rides in country that was described as “hell with
the fires put out.”
3. HERITAGE OUTBOUND: SUMMER OR WINTER CAMPING ON THE MISSOURI
Have
you ever wondered what it was like to be part of the Lewis & Clark
Expedition? Canoeing the Missouri in a birchbark canoe, visiting
Indian villages, sketching flora and fauna on a river sandbar and sleeping
under the stars? Almost 200 years later, you can get a taste of the adventure
yourself. The semi-annual Heritage Outbound: Lewis and Clark Missouri
River Adventures in North Dakota allows visitors to experience the beauty
and excitement Lewis and Clark experienced along the Missouri River.
Summer
adventurers will relive the Lewis and Clark experience at Knife River
Indian Villages National Historic Site, where Lewis and Clark met Sakakawea.
Winter adventurers re-live Lewis and Clark’s 1804-05 winter at Fort
Mandan. Spend one evening around a roaring campfire in an earthlodge,
enjoying a traditional buffalo meal and listening to music and stories
of the Mandan and Hidatsa. 
Winter
or summer, you can sleep under the stars and listen for the hoot of an
owl and the howl of a coyote.
Future Heritage Outbound Lewis and Clark Missouri River Adventures in North Dakota include summer canoe trips August 9-10, 2003, August 14-15, 2004, and August 13-14, 2005, and winter camps January 24-25, 2004 and January 22-23, 2005.
For
more information call 701-328-2799, email Kiri Stone at 