Top Camping Tips - North Dakota Camping Gems - North Dakota Tips Weather With the hottest summer month, July, topping out at an average of 83.3 degrees, you'll want to pack a few snugly clothes for night time activities or cool days. January is the coldest month with average temperatures ranging from 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the northeast to 17 degrees in the southwest.  In general, you'll find warmer temperatures in the southern part of the state.

Top 10 Camping Places to Eat in North Dakota Camping Gems - Places to Eat in North Dakota Bismarck East 40 Steakhouse Texas Roadhouse Fargo Old Chicago Pizza & Pasta Isabella HuHot Mongolian Grill Grand Forks The Toasted Frog Green Mill Medora Rough Riders Hotel Minot Homesteaders Restaurant Sterling Darnell's   Top 10 Camping Hidden Gems in North Dakota Camping Gems - North Dakota North Country National Scenic Trail This amazing trail stretches from North Dakota to New York, winding past the best scenic highlights of the norhtern states. You'll follow the shores of Lake Sakakawea and Audubon and see the Garrison Diversion Project canals. Don't miss the Sheyenne River, Fort Totten State Historic Site, Devils Lake, and Fort Ransom State Park. Lewis and Clark Riverboat A fun way to see the Missouri River is on the Lewis and Clark Riverboat, based in Fort Abraham. You can choose from a Sunday Family Cruise, a Monday Pizza Cruise, Evening Dinner Cruise, Excursion Cruise, and Moonlight Cruise, all of which last from one 1/2 hours to two hours. (1700 River Rd, Port of Bismarck, 701-255-4233, reservations recommended) Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site Fort Union Trading Post was the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri from 1828 to 1867. At this post, the Assiniboine, Crow, Cree, Ojibway, Blackfeet, Hidatsa, and other tribes traded buffalo robes and other furs for trade goods such as beads, guns, blankets, knives, cookware, and cloth. Jamestown Reservoir This 2,000-acre lake in the central part of the state has some of the best fishing in North Dakota.  Head there for excellent bass, walleye, crappie, catfish, and panfish fishing.  Also, the nearby town of Jamestown has the "World's Largest Buffalo," a pioneer village, the Stutsman County Museum, the Fort Seward Wagon Train, and the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. Jamestown is the birth place of Peggy Lee and Louis L'Amour. Bagg Bonanza Farm, Mooreton Listed on the National and State Register of Historic Places, this is the last restored bonanza farm in the United States. When the Northern Pacific Railroad began to cross North Dakota, the railroad worked up a plan so their stockholders could buy large tracts of land at about the same rates the government was giving. These farms were huge, some as large as 9,000 acres. At this bonanza farm you'll find the 1870s main house, the foreman's house, the farm office, the horse and mule barn, machine sheds, the bunkhouse, the ice house/butchers shed, the supply shed, blacksmith shop, the dairy barn, granaries, and sheep barn. (8025 169th Ave SE, 701-274-8989) North Dakota State Fair, Minot If you're in North Dakota in late July, you won't want to miss the fun at the state fair! Aside from livestock shows, rides, fair food, and other special events, the North Dakota Fairgrounds site is also home to the Minot Art Gallery and the Pioneer Village and Museum with its collection of restored historic buildings, antique autos, and nostalgic artifacts. Lake Metigoshe State Park, Bottineau If you're ready to go hiking or boating in a gorgeous area, head to Lake Metigoshe.  Set in the Turtle Mountains, this park offers excellent hiking on the Old Oak Trail, winding through aspen groves and lush forests. Fish for northern pike, walleye, and perch. (701-263-4651) North Dakota Railroad Museum, Mandan You'll see early 1900s rolling stock, handmade models, photos, old time tables, uniforms, equipment, and a miniature train that runs on Sundays. (I-94 at exit 152, 701-663-9322) Comstock Historic House Although it's technically across the border in Minnesota, Comstock House lets you see how the people of Fargo used to live. Built over 100 years ago for Solomon G Comstock and his family, you will still find some of the original furnishings in this historic home. (506 8th St. S, Moorhead, 218-233-0848) Rosebud, Valley City If you love antique railroad cars, you won't want to miss seeing the Rosebud, a Northern Pacific Railroad Superintendents Coach dating from 1881. This rare Rail Car is the only one known of its kind to have is artifacts still intact. Rosebud was purchased in February 1932, by John P. Reeve for $550.   Top 10 Camping Places to Go in North Dakota Camping Gems - Places to Go in North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt National Park The colorful Little Missouri River Badlands provides the scenic backdrop to the park which memorializes the 26th president for his enduring contributions to the conservation of our nation's resources. The park is home to a variety of prairie plants and animals including bison, elk and feral (wild) horses. Enjoy biking, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, bird watching, and wintertime skiing in this glorious landscape. Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Washburn Between May 1804 and September 1806, 32 men, one woman, and a baby traveled from the plains of the Midwest to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They called themselves the Corps of Discovery. You can hike along their exact route at the Fort Mandan Visitors Center. Bismarck Heritage Center You'll see fossils, Native American artifacts and photos, exhibits depicting frontier life, a 10,000 year old reconstructed mastodon, the Naze House which shows what life was like in North Dakota in 600 B.C., and displays on military history, steamboats, homesteads, and the Dirty Thirties. (612 E Boulevard Ave, 701-328-2666) Double-Ditch Indian Village Site, Bismarck See the remains of a Mandan Indian earth lodge village, which was inhabited from around 1600-1780. Here you'll find the earth lodge depressions of 43 homes, a number of cache pit depressions enclosed on three sides by a fortification ditch, and a great view of the Missouri River. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Mandan You'll see the last home of General George and Libbie Custer, the Commissary Store, the Central Barracks, the Blockhouses, the Cemetery, Park Museum, the Granary, and On-a-Slant Mandan Village. At many of these sites you will be entertained and educated by re-enactors acting as tour guides. ( I-94 exits 155 and 153, 701-667-6340) Bonanzaville, Fargo Here you'll find a recreated Pioneer Village scattered over 15 acres. As you travel the village's streets you'll see antique cars, tractors, airplanes, Native American artifacts, a church, and bonanza farm homes. (1351 West Main, West Fargo, 701-282-2822) Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site Step into a reconstructed earthlodge and imagine boiling buffalo meat in a clay pot or pounding corn with a mortar and pestle. View the artistry of everyday and ceremonial clothing, bags, and implements. Listen to memories of traditional Hidatsa Indian life, then walk to Sakakawea Village site, where earthlodge depressions hint of life in a vibrant village, alive with games, ceremonies, and trade. Maah Daah Hey Trail Set in the beautiful, rugged Theodore Roosevelt National Park, this 96-mile trail is open for biking, hiking, and horseback riding. The trail starts at Sully Creek State Park and heads north into the Little Missouri National Grassland. (Forest Service, 701-225-5151; North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, 701-328-5357) Fort Mandan, Washburn Lewis and Clark had their headquarters here during the winter of 1804-05 (the original site is now under the Missouri River). This is where Lewis and Clark met Sakakawea, the Indian woman who would be essential to the expedition. Minot The strong Scandinavian heritage of Minot makes this a fun travel stop.  If you are feeling adventurous, try some of the local Scandinavian food like lutefish and yummy lefse. Touring downtown shops will give you a chance to pick up some Scandinavian type sweaters, troll statues, and brightly painted wooden horse figures.   Top 10 Camping Activities in North Dakota Camping Gems - Things to Do in North Dakota Watch for bison, antelope, and wildflowers at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Explore a Mandan Indian earth lodge village at the Double-Ditch Indian Village Site. Hike along the scenic Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. Step back in time at the recreated Pioneer Village of Bonanzaville. Tour the past at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. Go mountain biking, hiking, or horseback riding on the Maah Daah Hey Trail. See giant pumpkins, livestock shows, and more at the North Dakota State Fair. Fish for walleye and bass at the Jamestown Reservoir. Discover the beauty of Lake Sakakawea on the North Country National Scenic Trail. Take a riverboat ride on the rolling Missouri River.