Historic Site and Historical Park · NPS · ND
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
Photo: NPS photo, Earthlodge
Alerts and conditions
Overview
Earthlodge people hunted bison and other game, but were in essence farmers living in villages along the Missouri and its tributaries. The site was a major Native American trade center for hundreds of years prior to becoming an important market place for fur traders after 1750.
From the National Park Service
History
The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.
What to see and do
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Craft Demonstrations
- Cultural Demonstrations
- Live Music
- Compass and GPS
- Geocaching
- Fishing
- Freshwater Fishing
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hands-On
- Citizen Science
- Arts and Crafts
- Hiking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
Plan your visit
Hours
Standard Hours: Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is open from sunrise to sunset, every day of the year. Even when visitor center is closed, the park itself remains open.
Getting there
Plane: Closest Commercial Airports are Bismarck (60 miles) Minot (85 miles) Dickinson (102 miles). Hazen, ND (15 miles from site) has an airport for small planes. Car: One-half mile north of Stanton, ND on County Road 37. One hour northwest of Bismarck, ND and one and a half hours southwest of Minot, ND. Public Transportation Charter and tour bus parking available at Visitor Center parking lot.
Visitor centers
Weather
Summers are warm and sunny with temperatures occasionally reaching 100 degrees F and frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are invigorating, with extremely cold temperatures as low as -35 degrees F. High winds and sunny skies are common in winter. Snow is sporadic in the relatively dry climate, but blizzards are common.
Phone: 7017453300
Whose lands these are
These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.
Photos
Pair it with
- Audubon Wetland Management District FWS · 16 miles
- Audubon National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 19 miles
- Lost Lake National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 24 miles
- Lake Nettie National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 25 miles
- Camp Lake National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 37 miles
- Lake Otis National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 39 miles