Bismarck, North Dakota to Williston, North Dakota
(251 miles)
 

Traveling west from Bismarck to Williston offers an unforgettable journey along the Sakakawea Trail, a scenic route that follows the shores of Lake Sakakawea along Highways 1804 and 1806. This trail loops through the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, weaving together natural beauty, Indigenous culture, and historic landmarks tied to the Corps of Discovery.

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POINTS OF INTEREST

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📍Stanton, North Dakota
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.
 

📍New Town, North Dakota
The Three Affiliated Tribes Museum offers a powerful window into the early life and culture of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations. Displays, artifacts, and photographs tell the story of the tribes whose ancestral homelands played a central role in Lewis and Clark’s journey.

Just outside of  New Town
Reunion Bay, the expedition's separated parties rejoined on August 12, 1806 after weeks of exploring separate return routes. Captain Lewis had explored the Maria’s River, while Captain Clark traveled the Jefferson and Yellowstone Rivers. Their reunion here marked one of the final chapters in the Corps' epic adventure.

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📍 Williston, North Dakota
Yellowstone and Missouri River Confluence Interpretive Center
Stand where the Corps arrived on April 26, 1805, and celebrated with fiddle music from Pierre Cruzatte, whiskey, and a buffalo feast.
📖 Captain Lewis wrote of this joyful moment:

“Having arrived at this long wished for spot, and in order to add in some measure to the general pleasure which seemed to pervade our little community, we ordered a dram to be issued to each person.”

 

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, located where Lewis and Clark once envisioned a future hub for trade. In 1829, this vision became reality when Fort Union was constructed near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. It soon grew into the most significant fur-trading post in the Upper Missouri region. The reconstructed fort now houses a visitor center in the historic Bourgeois House, providing an immersive look at early frontier life and diplomacy between cultures.

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​An Unforgettable Misfire Near Williston, ND
Just outside Williston lies the site of one of the more infamous—and unintentionally humorous—moments of the expedition. On August 11, 1806, while out elk hunting, Private Pierre Cruzatte mistook movement in the brush for game and accidentally shot Captain Lewis... in the rear. Fortunately, the injury wasn’t serious, but it certainly made for an awkward and memorable chapter in the Corps’ return journey!

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Ready to go? Book your reservations below!

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