Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

Took the family for a visit ... we'd never been to North Dakota but we're pleasantly surprised at the green rolling hills. I guess, being from Wyoming, I'd assumed it would look more like my state. This park was great. It had some nice walking paths and a replica Native American house. Sorry, I forgot to take photos of the house.

A delight to visit. Very informative and great displays. The ranger on duty was very helpful with my questions. Her knowledge was like an encycloepedia. The trails with information boards were well thought out. Pets are welcome outside and on trails. They had shaded picnic areas and very modern designed restrooms.

The Knife River Indian Villages is a fantastic historical site well worth the drive and visit. The visitor center has a very informative interpretive display. Outdoors is the walkway that takes the visitor to a reconstructed village home and garden. The interior is set up to provide insight as to how an extended family lived inside the space. Be sure to take the path beyond where the circular impressions are still visible from the large village. It is absolutely amazing to imagine the large community that lived here above the river valley. Plan extra time to drive past the visitor center to the Hidatsu Village, located several miles furthrr down the road.

The visitor center was closed when I arrived, but I enjoyed the walk behind the visitor center. It’s about a third of a mile long one way. You walk all the way to the river. There’s some very neat archaeological sites that they have Plex with information along the way. The Indian home itself that they have near the interpretive center although I couldn’t look inside was absolutely stunning in construction. You could spend 15 minutes here or you could spend an hour here but either way it was worth my time.

Visitor center has nice exhibits. Film (13 minutes) was very good. There is one earth lodge that you can go in. It is full of artifacts. There is a trail 0.7 mile one way; however, there is not too much to see. You can make out some impressions in the earth where earth lodges would have been.

The resident kitties were super cute and friendly. We learned a lot about earth lodges and how they’re made, etc. I love that you all are keeping your history alive, especially in today’s world where they’re trying to change/erase history!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site in Stanton, ND is a gem—especially for anyone interested in Native American history and culture. From the moment you enter the visitor center, you’re immersed in the world of the Hidatsa. The museum exhibits are thoughtfully curated and include a moving 15-minute film narrated in the voice of Buffalo Bird Woman (Waheenee), offering firsthand insight into her life and Hidatsa culture  The reconstructed earth lodge is impressive, giving a real sense of how families lived. Walking the Village Trail, you’ll see the remains of the Awatixa Xi’e and Sakakawea (Awatixa) villages—sites where life once flourished and where Sacagawea lived before joining Lewis & Clark  Across the park, earthen depressions mark where Hawi­t­sa villages once stood. These were significant trade and agricultural hubs, maintained by generations of Hidatsa women like Buffalo Bird Woman—who managed gardens producing corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers—central staples known as the “Three Sisters”  One of the highlights is learning about Buffalo Bird Woman’s legacy. Born around 1839 at Knife River, she later preserved the traditional farming methods of her people through detailed interviews captured by anthropologist Gilbert Wilson. Her work, “Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden: Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians,” remains a vital record of Indigenous lifeways  Tips for visitors: • Watch the orientation film first—it frames everything with her personal stories. • Explore the garden area near the earth lodge to see crops planted just as she described. • Take the Visitor Center to Hidatsa Village trails (1.3 mi Village Trail or longer North Forest and Two Rivers Trails) for scenic, historic walking paths  Overall, the site offers a rare opportunity to step into the past through the lens of a remarkable Hidatsa woman whose stories still resonate today. Highly recommend for families, history lovers, and anyone hoping to understand Indigenous perspectives from the inside.

This was awesome!!! Great video and very cool museum. The mound lodge was amazing, cool, and my family loved it. They have a little gift shop as well and it was great! We really had a good time here!