Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

Stanton, North Dakota | Living History on the Lewis and Clark Trail

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Step into the heart of Northern Plains culture at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, where the land still echoes with the lives of the Hidatsa and Mandan people. Once home to 3,000–5,000 residents, these thriving agricultural villages were pivotal centers of trade and culture—and played a vital role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

It was here, in the fall of 1804, that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark enlisted Sakakawea and her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, to serve as interpreters and guides. This powerful moment in American history began in a place where centuries of Native tradition had already taken root.

Earthlodges: Ingenious Homes of the Plains

The villages are best known for their earthlodges—sturdy, semi-subterranean dwellings built to withstand harsh Plains weather and defend against enemies. Round in shape and covered in earth for insulation, each lodge sheltered several families. Sleeping areas lined the interior walls, and a central fire pit provided warmth and a place for cooking beneath a smoke hole in the ceiling.

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📖 Captain Clark’s journal, October 27, 1804, describes them:

"... the houses are round and very large containing several families, as also their horses which is tied on one side of the entrance."

Visitors can explore a full-scale reconstructed earthlodge at the site’s museum to get a true sense of life inside one of these remarkable homes.

Cache Pits: Life Below the Surface

Cache pits were crucial to survival on the Plains, functioning as underground food storage units. Dug inside or near family lodges, these bell-shaped pits protected a household’s entire winter supply of dried foods.

Women led the construction of cache pits—digging by hand and lining the floors with grass mats and animal skin. Smaller pits used fitted hide covers, while larger ones sometimes reused materials like bull boat skins.

What was stored in the cache?

• Strings of dried corn carefully laid in a circular pattern

• Shelled corn poured between layers

• Dried squash, coiled and stacked

• Beans stored in hide bags
  These methods ensured food stayed dry, protected, and accessible even in extreme conditions.

Museum & Walking Trail

At the Visitor Center, you’ll find:

• Engaging exhibits on Hidatsa and Mandan culture

• Historic artifacts, crafts, and an orientation film

• A reconstructed earthlodge you can walk through

Outside, a 1.5-mile self-guided walking trail winds through the ancient village sites. Along the way, you’ll see remains of earthlodges, cache pits, fortification ditches, and travois trails—still clearly visible on the prairie landscape.

📍 Plan Your Visit

• Location: 564 County Road 37, Stanton, ND 58571

• Admission: Free

• Hours: Open year-round (Visitor Center hours vary by season
   

This unforgettable site preserves not only a critical chapter of the Lewis and Clark story, but the rich, ongoing legacy of the Indigenous peoples who lived—and still live—along the Upper Missouri.