Knife River Indian Villages Historic Site Reviews

The Knife River Indian Villages are primarily an archaeological site, and any excavations have been re-covered. Be prepared to look mostly at mounds; however, the walk among the sites is nice. Also, the NPS has recreated an earthen lodge that is well done and gives you an idea of what life was like. The film in the visitor's center is excellent-don't miss it!

This site is off the beaten path, but we feel it was worth the trip. The National Park Rangers were most informative and helpful in explaining the history, the displays, and the layout of the site. It is kid friendly. There is a short video to watch, then one can go in the display room and see examples of Indian lore. Outside there is a mock up of an earthen hut which contains samples of furniture, tools, weapons and such. After leaving the hut one can follow a trail and see where the villages once stood. This site is very quiet and very beautiful.

On its own, the Knife River Indian Villages is not that great. A small museum, one earth lodge you can tour on your own, and a 1 mile trail to where Sacajewea’s village used to be. There isn’t much left except for indentations in the ground. Was disappointed to see that no ranger programs were offered and the rangers were just there - not overly friendly. Since the Lewis & Clark site and Fort Mandan is only 30 minutes away, this wasn’t a total bust. Still, I had hoped for a lot more. Abraham Lincoln State Park in nearby Bismarck has the same stuff but in a nicer location AND with Custer’s cavalry headquarters. This site does have a Junior Ranger program for kids.

Decided to stop here to drag our trip out a bit more. About a half hour north of the interstate. Have never seen these earth mound dwellings before and they were interesting to see. Would be a challenging walk on a gravel path if you had mobility problems. Was free to visit and had a nice reproduction just outside the visitor center.

Once home to hundreds of people, we walked a trail through mounds and depressions that were once earth lodges to the Knife River. Fascinating but a real challenge for the photographer to make images.

I ran across this National Historic Site in a guidebook while looking for places to stop on our long journey across North Dakota this summer. It sounded fascinating and we were not disappointed. The visitor center is small but well designed; the film and exhibits are very well done and informative. Walking into the full size replica of a Hidatsa earth lodge was an unforgettable experience. This is another piece of our history which most of us know all too little about. We were there too early to have our picnic lunch, but the picnic area on this beautiful site was very inviting.

This was just one of several stops we made in North Dakota; it is a state with many more attractions than most people imagine.

Knife River was well worth a visit. The staff was very informative, the video the park service provides is very interesting and filled with facts about the history of the natives of this region along the Northern Missouri River and its tributaries. The visitor center is worth every minute but don't just stop there. The trail which loops through the park was very inspiring. Full of native flora and fauna and only the sound of the wind you can't help but feel relaxed and understand why the early peoples chose this spot along the banks of the Knife River as their summer home. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our time here.

We visited with two teen age sons. Nice exhibits and good interpretation but small. We learned some and boys did as well. Took the trail to river, easy and nice walk. Steps down to river closed due to conditions bur can get close. The earth lodge was outstanding, boys loved it. Very cool to be inside one and it was literally cool as well. Gardens underway, tobacco planted. The restrooms are super clean. The staff very nice. Movie was informative.

Visited here last month while vacationing in North Dakota. We started out in the visitor center seeing the exhibits and watching the film about living in an indian village which is very good. We then went outside the center and saw the recreated earth lodge which was also furnished inside. I really was intrigued with the earth lodge which is roomier inside than it appears outside and also a few degrees cooler. We also took the path to the first Hidatsa village site where remains of the earth mounds can be viewed. The area is pretty and it was a nice walk. You are able to view a mowed field with mounds where the earth lodges once stood. It is rather amazing that these mounds have endured over all these years since I believe the last earthlodges were built in the late 1800's. An earthlodge typically only lasted five to ten years before having to be rebuilt. There are two other village sites we could have walked further to for a visit, but due to time constraints we only walked to the first village which was maybe 1/4 mile from the Visitor Center. You can walk 5+ miles on trails through this National Park site. I found the life of the Hidatsa/Mandan people quite interesting so I bought a book at the Visitor Center regarding Bird Woman's gardening/farming practices and life in the village. It was a fascinating read as Bird Woman was interviewed by an anthropologist in the late 1800's and was noted to be one of the last of native peoples in this area to live in one of these villages before the Indians in her village were placed on the Fort Berthold Reservation. Reading her story later made my visit to Knife River come alive again and enriched my visit. I would recommend Knife River as a very interesting and pretty historical site and a valuable reminder of Indian culture/life in this area of North Dakota. It is free to visit this site.

Like almost all sites looked after by the National Parks Service, this one is well worth a visit. Lots to see in the Visitor Centre (or Center as Americans like to call it!) and the replica earthlodge appears to give an impression of how the local Native Americans used to live.

We spent several hours enjoying this historic site. We began at the visitor center, where there is a small museum and a short film. Outside the center is a short trail featuring a recreated earthen lodge and a viewing spot to see the ruins (mounds) of a Hidatsa village. After the visitor center and checking in with a ranger, we took the northern most trail loop (5 miles) along the Missouri River. This was easy hiking on flat trails that were well groomed and well marked. The river was beautiful and the portion in the woods was spectacularly full of wildlife! We saw a hawk from about 4 feet away, pheasants, deer, and numerous small birds. The forest was alive with the sounds of birds! This loop also has a viewing spot for another Hidatsa village (ruins). The isolation of this area allowed me to truly visualize what it must have been like with thousands of bison and elk grazing. After completing our hike, we returned to the visitor center to have a picnic lunch. There is a lovely picnic area with tables and a place to put trash. Picnic tables are available both out in the open and under a cover. We enjoyed this national park a great deal.

Was impressed by the recreated earth lodge. The site is a great place to stop and stretch your legs with a hike to the grassy depressions by the river. Though there isn't much left to see outside, there are a great many items on display in the visitor center- and you can't argue with the cost to view it all.

This is an archaeological site. There is a trail through the remains of earth lodges. There is also a reconstruction one of the Hidatsa earth lodges to give a better idea of what you are seeing. There is a video in the Visitors Center which tells about the life of the Native Americans who once lived in these villages. There is also a small museum. As Sacajawea lived among the Hidatsa when she met Lewis and Clark, it is good to combine a visit here with visits to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan near Washburn, ND.

We visited on a rainy day which limited our activities. The site is small unless you can hike to the village sites. It is great they are preserved. The movie was very good and the reproduction lodge house near the visitor center is excellent.

About an hour north of Bismarck, this lesser visited NHS offers a fantastic intro video and replica Indian lodge within easy walking distance of the visitor center. It was a cool day so we also took the level trail about a mile past two Indian village sites where humps remain of the lodge locations. Rangers on staff were very helpful and well informed. We combined this visit with a drive a bit further north to Garrison Dam, a true engineering feat managed by Army Corps of Engineers with gorgeous campgrounds and boating opportunities.

This is a very well done park. The film was informative and everything was well presented. The rangers at the visitors center were enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

You can make an easy walk out to see a completely furnished earth lodge as it was at the time. They even burn fires in there from time to time so it has the smell of an earth lodge in use. The walk out is paved and easy to use.

There is a walk out to see the divots in the ground where the lodges used to be. It was a flat walk with a few benches along the way. Mostly in the sun with a bit of shade. It was hard to see the indentations since you were level with them but you could tell they were there.

It would be nice if there was a platform to go up and see from a bit higher.

If you really appreciate the history of Native Americans and of the American westward expansion this place is a must visit. The beside is a simple one filled with information. The Rangers were incredibly helpful and had much information. We did this in conjunction with visiting Fort Mandan and the Lewis and Clark interpretive Center and had a couple of observations that were really eye-opening towards us. Visiting the Earth Lodge here at Knife River you will see an incredible way that people lived on the Plains. And then if you walk into the small rooms in Fort Mandan you will realize that you would much rather live in an earth Lodge any day then in the bedrooms in the fort.

Great trip! We arrived at approximately 9 pm and made our way inside the visitor center. The employee at the front desk was very helpful and gave us a brief overview of the layout of the site. We first watched a short 15 minute documentary about a day in the life of a women who lived in the village hundreds of years ago. Inside the visitor center was also a small room, that contained multiple informational plaques as well as artifacts about the individuals who lived in the village. The plaques were very detailed and provided a great overview of what people living in this village went through on a daily basis. Next, we went outside to tour an actual replica of a village house. I was impressed by the size and structure of the house! We then proceeded to walk down a trail and saw impressions in the soil/grass of old Indian villages. The trail was very easy to walk on, as it was mostly on a flat surface, and was roughly half a mile long. There were informational plaques located alongside the trail that provided more insight on what we were looking at. Unfortunately, part of the trail was closed due to bank erosion.

Tip: I recommend spending 2.5 hours here if you truly want to see everything.

This was the first stop of our 13 National Parks tour from Chicago to Glacier National and back to end June and start July. We concentrated on North Dakota and Montana National Parks properties, getting to them all before we finished our adventures.

I'll admit it, we only came to Knife River Indian Villages so we could say we had been here, done that, and so the kids could earn a Junior Ranger Badge, which they enjoy doing. Our expectations were low, and we didn't do any advance reading on this site, which is not our typical approach when visiting these historic park sites. We were completely thrilled with our stop. What a wonderful surprise just north of Bismarck. Very worth the one hour detour.

This, THIS is the site of the village where Lewis and Clark found and hired French Trader Charbonneau and his wife Sakakawea (alternatively, and also considered correctly spelled as Sacagewea). Thanks to Ranger Carlson, we learned the correct way to pronounce her name: Sa-COG-e-way-a. I am a big fan of the story of the Corps of Discovery, and was besides myself that our first stop on this 11 day journey was directly tied to one of my favorite American History adventures. We would bump along the Lewis and Clark Trail all the way to Glacier National and back. This unexpected Sacagewea village stop was a great start to our vacation travels.

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site specifically preserves the historic sites of three former village settlements of the Hidatsa, Mandan and Arikara peoples. They inhabited the semi permanent farming / hunting villages in this area for hundreds and hundreds of years before the Corps of Discovery showed up here in 1805. There are two historic village sites within easy walking distance of the Visitors Center, and a third is just up the street with a second parking area. Outside the informative Visitors Center, there is an exquisite replica of an earthen lodge (currently, without the earthen covering as it undergoes repairs) that is well appointed and extremely interesting, especially with a ranger guided tour.

As it was a slow late Thursday June morning when we arrived, we had the distinct pleasure of a personal site tour with Ranger Carlson as our guide. He walked us through the lodge, took us down to the two village sites, showed us some artifacts near one site that Pocket Gophers unfortunately bring to the surface as they make their underground dens, and explained the difference in the sites, the location of other sites, as well as explained the perils of erosion from the river which is seriously threatening these historic Indian Village sites. It was an enthusiastic personal tour for our family, and you just don't get that kind of personalized ranger attention at the big park locations.

The introduction film in the visitor center is excellent, there are some interesting exhibits in the Visitors Center, and the staff was all very friendly and helpful. Yeah, it is an hour, or 63 miles from Bismarck, but if you are passing through, DON'T MISS THIS side trip. It will inform you about the beginning of one of the most iconic American adventures, the native American woman who loomed large in the next two years of the Corps of Discovery's travel, and the villages and peoples she came from. AND, and, the rangers will make sure you can spell and say Sacagewea's name correctly before you leave, TRUST ME!

This was a great start to our summer trip west.

Nice museum and an interesting video about an Hidatsa woman's life. Then, with a ranger, toured the earthen lodge and gardens. Also took a nice hike to the second village area, which shows circles in the earth where many earthen lodges were located.

Drove down especially for a birding event. The ranger did a very good job. Very disappointing we were the only ones there for it. He rearranged his presentation to gear it towards us.

another point on my February ND visit, I find Indian culture fascinating and have visited multiple sites throughout the united states. I make it a point to visit them as I come across them, you should too, their cultures were wonderful

There was no signage at the entrance to the exhibit on the highway by the center. No cost. On the small side. Did have mound lodges to go into. Nice fur exhibits.

My son and I stopped here for a little "field trip". We live about 80 miles away and happened to be in the area. The ranger working was extremely helpful. Started the short film for use, asked if we had any questions and went thru all the animal furs/hides with us. We outside to see the earthen lodge. I do agree it might not be worth the round trip off the interstate, but is a nice place to visit if you are nearby, or are interested in Indian history.

The interpretive center is small and but nice. The up close look at life in a Hidatsa home was very interesting. The rangers were great!

If you are traveling the west, and want to learn the history. This is a good stop. Would be a good place if you have kids. A good museum, and nice trail.

It was interesting to learn the history of these early people. The film was very informative and helped us learn how they survived. Take the short walk to the earth lodge, it is well worth it to see how these structures were constructed. The rangers were friendly and helpful. Well worth seeing once.

Visited a couple weeks ago from Bismarck. Nice little visitor center with a small display of artifacts and information about the villages. Went out hiking on the trails. The trails were well-groomed.

What a fabulous stop! The 15 minute movie was really informative followed by a week presented gallery with supporting material. There wasn’t too much to take in and it was really easy to follow. The earth hut was well done and the person in the information centre really helpful! Unfortunately the snow meant we didn’t take advantage of all the walks , but we enjoyed our winter visit

We had a wonderful visit here, and had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed the explanatory film, then toured the exhibits and took one of the hikes. As we had expected, we stayed over an hour and a half, and it was time well spent. We left with a far better understanding of these villages, and how the people lived.

If you are into history or archaeology, you should enjoy this. Information about the sight is well presented and gives one an idea of what Lewis and Clark may have seen. The only disappointing thing about the sites were that it is almost impossible to see the sites of the various building unless you have an aerial view.

We have a goal to visit all the National Parks and we homeschool so we engage in the Junior Ranger program when visiting every site. We had such a great time hunting through the visitors center to answer the questions, visiting the earth lodge (WOW), watching the movie and talking with the park ranger. It was a very hot day and since we had lot of little legs with us we only hiked a small portion of the trail. If we were in the area I would visit again and do the entire hike as long as it's not 96 degrees.

Visiting national parks and monuments along I-90. This is a good stop where the kids can run and stretch their legs. They've done an excellent reproduction of traditional housing.

The Indian villages are long gone, but you can still see the circular depressions where their earth lodges stood. There also is a reconstruction of a traditional lodge and garden. In the visitor center you can watch a film and see artifacts.

We have taken many people to this site. There is a wonderful video of the history of the Indians along the Knife River. An Indian mound lodge you can go into is worth the visit. And you can walk to sites where you can see the impressions of the original lodges. And it is free! This was once a great trading nation of the Knife River flint, pieces which can be found in cultures across much of North America. Children and adults alike will enjoy this site.

We originally went to Knife River to see the re-created earth lodges - which were awesome - but we learned so much more. I don't always recommend the movies at National Park visitor centers, but I would not miss this one. The story of Buffalo Bird Woman's memories added texture to the site. The ranger we met had a great depth of knowledge and had time to talk. The lodge itself is amazing. The Hidatsa and Mandan people provide a whole different view of Native American life on the plains. Don't miss this one!

This Historic Site has a beautiful visitor center with displays and an interesting video. Outside the building is an earth lodge with furnishings inside and a garden outside. There is a trail that allows you to see the location of three villages. It is easy to see where the lodges stood. There are a number of informational plaques along the trail. This is a really interesting site. We went out of our way to visit this park. It was worth the effort.

We started by watching the video on the visitors center. This took about 15 minutes and gave a good foundation for what we would see outside. Took another 15 minutes to walk outside to see the lodge and other village artifacts. I think there were other trails to walk but we didn't have the time. We came back into the visitors center in time for a talk by the park staff on the attire the tribe wore. This also took about 15 minutes.

They do a very good job with a movie and a great deal of information. You step into a reconstructed earthlodge and imagine the lives of the Hidatsa Indians. You can stroll through the village where Sakakawea, the invaluable interpreter for Lewis & Clark in the winter of 1804.

There is no reconstructed village to see, no costumed living history. But the large dents in the ground that you might just drive past without noticing are actually the remains of whole villages. Mandan and Hidatsa lived in earth lodges shaped like overturned bowls, with a sunken floor. Even more exciting, one of these dimples in the earth was once the home of Charbonneau and Sacagwea (spelled Sakakawea here). For a Lewis and Clark nerd, it was a priceless moment as we hiked to the village and tried to imagine it as it appeared then, with kids running between the closely-packed lodges, teens sitting on the roofs, and women tending their gardens.
The harmoniously designed Visitor Center is small, but has some good exhibits - a bull boat, the cross-section of a cache (kind of a cellar), some toys. Outside is a life-sized earth lodge to visit. Impressive!. But the unique feature was a short film about the lives of these people, narrated in the words of Buffalo Bird Woman, whose interviews gave fascinating details about the old way of life. The small gift shop sells some of her books.
If your time allows only one stop, make it the reconstructed Fort Mandan. If you have another hour or two, go to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive center. But if you want the full L & C experience, be sure to stop by this site for something you won't see anywhere else.

A bit out of the way but worth a stop if you are in the area. Ranger was very knowledgeable. We learned more about tribal history, trading patterns and daily life than at other sites. Easy one mile walk to get an idea of the size and layout of the villages. Allow about 1- 1 1/2 hours. Not many meal choices in the area; we went back to Washburn Dakota Family restaurant.

Knife River Indian Villages Historic Site is about an hour drive north of Bismarck, North Dakota, and well worth the trip. We drove through beautiful countryside, following the signs from the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn to the Knife River Indian Villages near Stanton. The small visitors' center is chock full of fascinating exhibits, and the earth lodge set up outside contains artifacts of daily life for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikaran people back in the early 1800's. A short walk takes you to the site of the village where most historians agree that Sakakawea lived at the time that Lewis and Clark came through in 1804. Moving! You can still see the round depressions in the meadow where the earth lodges were built and rebuilt during the hundreds of years that the villages were inhabited. We also enjoyed the pleasant covered picnic area on the grounds.

It is a bit out of the way but the movie is very good and then you can take a short 1.5 mile round trip hike out to the sites. There is a structure right outside the visitor's center that is nice to view. The hike is quiet and peaceful and a stretch goes right down to the river. Out of the way but nice if you have the time. Park ranger very helpful!

It is an archeological site and they do a really great job of giving the history. Close to the building is a reconstructed mound dwelling and garden. Site is well marked as you travel.

There is a walking path down to the dig sites that is great for stretching your legs.

Staff are very helpful in getting you to your next destination. They recommend and hand out ND maps as navigation satellite connections are unreliable throughout the state.

Nice place to go for some history of North Dakota tribes and trade lines. Built replica of a earth lodge at the beginning of the trail to go see the original sight of many more of these.

This is a nice historic site, with a good movie available. There's a small museum, an earth-lodge with appropriate replicas inside it, and a nice garden. Walk to the first abandoned village from the visitor center, After that you can continue or skip the second village (unless you MUST see the remains of Sakakawea's village- basically indentations in the ground). Access to the Knife River is blocked. Overall, vey good but not great.

We had a long day of traveling and made it to this NHS shortly before they were scheduled to close. The NPS Rangers were very friendly and kept the Visitor Center open past closing to accommodate us.

There is a small museum in the Visitor Center with some interesting exhibits along with a small bookstore.

Just outside the Visitor Center, there are some historic sites and a short hiking trail.

For those who collect NPS Passport Stamps, there are a couple located at the NPS Ranger information desk in the Visitor Center.

This location is also part of the Lewis & Clark Trail.

Knife River Indian Villages NHS marks the village where Sacagawea lived before she went with Lewis and Clark on their exciting journey. The visitor's center has many displays on how native americans lived years ago in this area of North Dakota. Right outside the center is a replica of an earthlodge, with a lot of the same artifacts you would have seen in them over a century ago. From the earthlodge, there is a hiking trail that goes through two village sites before coming to the Knife River. The brochure has a small map that shows directions to another village site. Overall, a very fascinating learning experience in a beautiful area of North Dakota.

This place is great! The guides were REALLY knowledgeable and best of all it was free. Part of the local history you just cannot miss.

If you’re in the Stanton ND vicinity, the Knife River NPS site is a must see. Wonderfully kept grounds and very educative material. There’s also some great, long hiking trails throughout the site.

This place was so great! It's really cool that they have a video with information they gathered from one of the last living people that lived in the "old ways". The fact that she shared the culture and ways of life was really special. I enjoyed going into the earthlodge and reading the guide that helps you imagine what it would be like living there in those days. The weather was great and the trail was a nice stroll. I'd say it was well worth the hour long drive from Bismarck.

This National Historical Park does not have a huge "wow" factor so prepare yourself (or children) for an interesting visit to an earthlodge (very well done) and a pleasant walk along the river. As always, the national park interpretive rangers are excellent. However, the locations where the Native Americans lived do not contain ruins; all that remains are depressions in the earth where they built their community of homes. Use your imagination and your visit will inspire. Wait to be entertained and you might be disappointed. It is a great stop if you are in the area.

We had already seen and appreciated the earth lodges at Ft Abraham Lincoln State Park in Bismarck. If you are coming to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn, though, the short trip to Stanton to the Knife River Indian Villages is worth it. This earth lodge is laid out so well, and the brochure that describes it is excellent! The museum and video were ok, but the ranger was very helpful. We also liked the short hike out to see the depressions in the grass where old earth lodges had stood. It was an interesting look at an earlier native way of life.

Knife River Indian Village National Historic Site in Stanton, ND. No fee site. Small, but very good museum. Excellent example of earth lodge and the ranger explanations are valuable. There is a Junior Ranger program. One ranger taught our grandchildren sign language that some Indians used. Very worthwhile stop along our Lewis and Clark journey.

Nice drive getting there from Bismarck with gorgeous farm land all around the immediate vicinity. The ranger was very knowledgeable and quite helpful with this site and traveling around North Dakota. The replica of the earthen lodge was interesting. Much bigger than I thought it was going to be. They had a cellar inside dug into the ground which I thought neat. Overall quite interesting on how they lived. There is a small but nice gallery inside the visitor center. There is no admission fee, but donations are welcome and deserved. Also, a donation might get you a few more pamphlets from behind the desk. (smiling here)

This is close to Garrison Dam in Garrison, ND and the Audubon National Wildlife Refuge in Coleharbor which has a fantastic 10 mile auto tour you can drive. You could very easily start out from Bismarck around 7 a.m. and drive up to the Louis and Clark Center (located on the turn to Knife River) then to KRIV, then to Audubon and finally to Garrison Dam AND be back to Bismarck by evening for dinner.

Best stop of all on our journey across North Dakota. My 8-yr-old grandson was asked by a kindly park ranger named Ella if he would like to become a Jr Park Ranger. He was hooked. The assignment was to identify and answer questions about exhibits inside and outside the visitor center. He learned. We learned. A ranger pin and badge were his reward. A short film introduces the history of the Hidatsa Indian villages that thrived here during the 16th and 17th centuries. The exhibits are outstanding and beautifully displayed with well written explanations. Did I mention the reconstucted earthlodge? It was a great experience.

Outstanding park exhibit. Earthlodge reconstruction we could walk into and see how the Hidasta lived. The 15 minute film was very informative and narrated by an old woman who was the last Hidasta alive who lived by the traditional ways.

We decided to check out this historic site on our way to Theodore Roosevelt Park and I'm glad we stopped. We watched the movie, which provided a good overview before visiting the museum artifacts. The recreation earth house is very interesting and helps you to imagine the homes when you walk to the river and view their imprints in the earth. The walk isnt far and is worth doing. There are educational signs along the way. Hearing a coyote chorus nearby made it even more fun. I had heard little of the Three Affiliated Tribes or their history. The rangers were knowledgable and helpful and there is a small collection of books for purchase. I'm glad places like this exist to remind us of the historical existence of other tribes in the U.S.

This is not the most exciting of National Park sites but if you are in the area it is worth a visit because the museum is so well done. We spent about an hour at the main location, looking at the exhibits of Native American artifacts in the visitor center museum, looking inside the replica earthlodge, and walking the trail to the river and back. Along the trail you can see depressions in the ground where lodges existed in villages 200 years ago when Sakakawea lived here. Then we drove 3 miles up the road to the Big Hidatsa Village site which has its own small parking area and a trail to where you can see the depressions where this village used to be. We spent about 15 minutes there. We Southerners were excited to see a pheasant on the field next to this parking area.

We went on a Saturday afternoon couple hours before closing. It was a great experience because it was not a packed touristy attraction so we were the only ones there until a couple came 5 minutes after us. We had the small little theater to ourselves and watched the 13 minutes movie about the recollections of one of the ladies who grew up and lived there. The earthlodge was beautiful inside and the trail to the river was good as well. I guess it really
Comes down to who you go with and when you go as the nice weather and cool breeze also added to the good experience we had there.

This was recommended to us by a friend. We were very happy we added it to our visit. The site was interesting and we had complete solitude for a few minutes on the trail, hearing only the wind and nature's critters. The staff was friendly and helpful and all the exhibits well done. Highly recommend!

Located about an hour’s drive northwest of Bismarck, not close to much of anything else, visiting the Knife River Indian Villages will require a detour for most travelers but we found the site to be surprisingly good and worth the detour.

The park preserves the site of several earthen lodge Indian villages that were a major site of Native American trade for hundreds of years before becoming an important fur trade center around 1750. This is also where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804-1805 and where the 16 or 17-year old Sacagawea joined the expedition.

While we chose not to walk the trail to the remains of the villages due to the cold, wind-driven, downpour during the time of our visit (as the rangers explained, wind stands for We’re In North Dakota), we found the park film very interesting and the museum was excellent with many informative displays, hands-on items to engage kids and an exceptional collection of beaded moccasins, vests, sashes and other related items.

Despite the downpour, we did venture the short distance from the visitor center to the recreated earthen lodge which is filled with items that would have been part of the Mandan and Hidatsa villager’s everyday life; one gets the sense that the lodges would have been quite comfortable even during a harsh North Dakota winter.

The National Park Site here was interesting. The rangers were very knowledgeable and gave us detailed information about Sacajawea and her role helping Lewis and Clark. You can physically see the depressions of the Indian villages along the river in the park. The trail along the campsites and back along the river is a nice hike if you are traveling through and want to stretch your legs. Just outside the visitor center is a replica of one of the Indian lodges that can be entered and viewed. A National Park pass or entrance fee is required.

This NHS is in a quiet setting along the river. Very informative regarding native american village life.

We got there 45 minutes before closing. It was definitely not enough time to read and see it all. It can be done but I wish we had more time because it was a very interesting look into the past.

The site is a bit out of the way but definitely worth the trip. Staff very accommodating. Interesting and educational site for the tribes that lived here. There is a nice hands on area for kids - especially nice to be able to touch and feel some of the furs.

This National Park Service site is somewhat under-utilized, but well worth the diversion off I-94. I have taken college student groups here maybe a dozen times, always with good orientation and hospitality offered by NPS staff, and enthusiastic reactions elicited from the students. Here's my main message: take the hike out onto the village sites, which you can roam at will, and take the riverside loop, too, where you can see whatever artifacts the current year's erosion has exposed. A fascinating hike and a great (low-impact) opportunity to stretch your legs.

On the Lewis & Clark Trail the Knife River Indian Villages is a nice historical stop. The Visitor Center is very informative and the history of how the flint blades were traded is fascinating. There was so much more commerce pre-european landing than we were taught in school.

My Tip: Take the trail down to the river by the Village Mounds. If you listen and close your eyes, you can hear the laughter of the village around you.

After visiting the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center , the visit here put things into better perspective. The Mandans were an agricultural tribe. An example of their summer home has been recreated outside on the grounds, and there is an active archaeological dig in the area.

Great site, nice visitor center. We enjoyed the outdoor exhibits. The walk down to river was a nice walk. Jot strenuous.. A great way to see the land. Our two teenagers learned a lot. Not a really long drive off interstate.

Stopped to our third ND NPS site today. This was my least favorite of the three but it could have been the muggy weather that deterred me. We hiked out to one of the villages but didn't go to the rest because it seemed too muggy to go to any others that would look pretty much the same. We did enjoy the reconstructed Earthlodge. I'm glad I visited once, but once in my life is probably enough.

The center has a great deal of information about the tribes living along the knife river and the Lewis and Clark expedition. The indoor exhibits were very informative, and outside they have an authentic lodge as well as a garden showing the crops the indians raised. All in all it was very interesting.

My husband and I were on a road trip and this was a stop between locations. This was a very good stop. The visitor center was very good and the rangers were very helpful. There is only one earthlodge but it's set up as to show how the lodge was used. There was a trail down to the river to show the mounds where other lodges once stood. Well worth the stop.

This gives a great display of the history of Fort Berthold and the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribes. The staff are wonderful and willing to talk. Just imagining the people at the Big Hidatsa village before small pox gives great pause for thought. You really don't understand the history of the area until you have visited the villages. It is the perfect complement to visiting the reconstructed earthlodge village near Four Bears (New Town) on the reservation.

We enjoyed watching the interpretive movie in the visitor's center, exploring the earthlodge, and hiking a portion of the trail system. The park was a bit bigger than we expected coming in and we didn't plan for spending enough time. I'd say 1.5-2 hours would give you the chance to hike all the way to the river and fully explore the museum exhibits.

A great place to see what the life was like for the early Plains Indians. Always wondered how they tolerated the horribly cold winters and this park really helps to explain it. The interpretive center and the nice path to the original site are so interesting but the dwelling is the highlight.

Very nice visitor center with exhibits, along with the wonderful example of a Mound house. There is also a short trail and a nice garden.

We stopped here on the way to Theodore Roosevelt NP. Wow! The ranger-led interpretative discussions were amazing. Very interesting dome shaped earth dwellings and culture of the Native Americans. A second ranger-led discussion unfolded how just about every part of the bison was instrumental to everyday life of the Mandan community. If you are in the area, you should make a stop. I was very impressed with the information learned.

the visit to the Knife River Indian Site was an excellent chance to experience a mound house and understand the Hidatsa as they were 200 years ago before they were swept away by the white mans disease and expansion
it is stunning to think that little 12 year old Sacajawea was snatched from her family 600 miles away at the Missouri headwaters and brought here by these Hidatsa warriors to meet Lewis & Clark and play her part in our history
what historical tapestry this presents,...not to be missed

Middle of nowhere. Average in our opinion. Could imagine how the various indians lived around this area. Maybe we just needed to be better informed about the history to appreciate this site...

This was one of my favorite stops in North Dakota. The park rangers were very informative and helpful. The exhibits were fantastic. But the ultimate was the earthlodge that the park service reconstructed on the site and how they meticulously decorated the inside with items the Indians used during that time. Fascinating to walk down to the Knife River on the grounds and pass by the impressions in the ground where the original earthlodges were located back in the 1800's. Highly recommend!

We did not have time to watch the video, but did visit the earth lodge reproduction. It was very interesting to actually be able to go inside the replica and imagine what life may have been like for a family in one of these villages. The park has other things of interest that can be visited if you have more time than we did.

This is a very cool place worth both visiting and preserving. You get a chance to see a culture that lived in the area for over 300 years. This includes their ingenuity on housing, agriculture, trade, and travel. I think NPS did a particularly good job with recreating one of their outdoor huts. Really brings things to life. Both of the rangers there were very friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely worth a visit if anywhere in the Dakotas region.

We thought there would be a cool Indian village but we were so wrong. They had one replica of a Indian house to look at and a very tiny museum. All they have is land they said Indians used to be on. Nothing to see.

This was a fun visit. It was cold the day we visited but we still did the short hike. The visitor center has a museum and short film to watch. The rangers were very helpful with information.

There is a great video that dramatizes the life of a 19th century Hidatsa woman, based on her own words as recorded by an interviewer when she was old. Together with a reconstructed earth lodge, it really makes the archeological sites come alive. The walk to the village sites is level and well paved and takes you through a lovely patch of restored prairie, with a thriving field of big bluestem grass. The artifacts and exhibits in the museum are also well worth examining.

It’s free, educational, interesting, and very well done. The intro movie and small museum is a great start. They did a great job recreating the hut. The hiking trail is a great length.

This is one of those historic sites that you have to be looking for or indicates that you are somewhat lost.

This site has a reconstructed earth lodge that is very interesting. I was able to visit it, yet didn't visit the rest of the site because of the rain. However, the remaining parts of the site are the foundational locations of earlier villages in this location.

The visitors' center was nice and the park rangers on duty were welcoming and willing to discuss anything having to do with the site. Since I was the only one their that morning, one of them gave me a tour of the earth lodge.

My spouse and I love history and visiting historical places. We started in Washburn, N Dakota at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and then drove over to Stanton to see Knife River. This area was once one of the largest trading centers in North America. Learning more about the Hidatsa and Mandan people is great. The visitor center is very nice. We watched a film at the visitor center and looked at all the exhibits. They have a reconstructed earth lodge so you can see how they lived. We walked a bit to see the depressions that the earth lodge’s left. We learned that the Hidatsa had winter homes and then summer homes down by the river. It is a beautiful area. We were staying in Bismarck and the drive north to this area was very scenic. If you are driving on I 94, this area is about a hour north. We have driven across the state before several times, but this time we made a point to stop here. There is a picnic area by the visitor center.

Interactive displays, video of Indian culture that lived on this land, replica earth lodge and garden, picnic area, pathways to view river and wildlife. Staff extremely helpful. Enjoyed spending time seeing and feeling history become alive for me.

The lodge alone makes this National Park site worth a visit. I arrived just as they opened, and no one was there but me. Nice to have such a park all to myself! Rangers were very nice, and very informative. Took a short walk around the grounds, went inside the Earth Lodge, and OMG...what a wonderful insight to the way Native Americans lived then. Just fascinating!

This national park property likes the wow factor but is well worth a visit anyway,
Here a tribe lived in earthen huts with one nicely recreated.
Pull back the buffalo hide hanging over the entrance and step inside- actually quite cozy
View the movie and exhibits at the ranger station

My daughter had been studying the life of Sacagawea. We couldn't resist the chance to see the place, near the confluence of the Knife and Missouri Rivers, where Sacagawea first met Lewis & Clark. They have a wonderful visitors center, built similar to a Hidatsa lodge, with plenty of artifacts and historical information. Outside, you can enter an actual earthen lodge and walk the trails to the locations of 2 Indian villages.

This is a really educational place to visit. It is always a good idea to learn new things in particular how all Indigenous and Native people lived, ate and survived particularly in harsh conditions. The information service is very well presented with lots of books, gifts and t shirts and you can wander around the area to suit yourself.

There is really no need to write a review.
If you are even considering a visit here, simply read the review titles. That should be all you need to know to make that decision. As usual the rangers are very knowledgeable and want to share it with you.
As with other reviewers we found Knife River Villages to be fascinating. It shows the more than unique structures from that era and time.
And yes, like many National Parks it is away from most everything. That is very good thing. If it was near “somewhere” developers would want to put mini-golf and go-cart tracks and condos near it.
Thank goodness it is a bit remote. Actually, thank goodness most National Parks are remote, otherwise…
Knife River Villages is a peek into history and the people that inhabited our country in the past.

Knife River Indian Villages Historic Site is out from Stanton, northwest of Bismarck. We saw a film in the Visitor Center snd then headed outside to see the earth lodge. You can go inside this large earth lodge. We had seen other earth lodges inside museums; this one was real and outside. Children would enjoy seeing this. We walked around the loop trail that took us down by the river. Various area were marked off for archaelogical digs. You could see the different layers of the soil in the side of the hill by the river. There is no fee, but they take donations.

I have been to the villages several times and each time I see something new. The visitor center near Stanton is excellent with a recreated dwelling that feels like you are back in time. The other villages along highway 1804 are also worth visiting, no visitor center but a self guided tour. Don't miss these as they overlook the Missouri river, if you close your eyes you its like you are there 100 yrs ago.

Interesting, historically -relevant place. So much to learn! We enjoyed the 15-minute movie in the Visitor Center & felt a spiritual connection knowing we were on the actual site of ancestral villages. The earth lodge reconstruction was particularly impressive.

Stopped here as a part of our ND trip. While an interesting NPS, with very helpful rangers - by itself I would call this only an average site. Not a lot to see outside the park building. The better, and related, site the the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center which is nearby