Fort Mandan

Fort Mandan is a reconstructed winter camp on the Missouri River in North Dakota, built as a rectangular wooden palisade with several buildings inside the courtyard. The site includes sleeping quarters, storage areas, and a meeting room, all designed from original expedition drawings.

Lewis and Clark built the fort in the fall of 1804 and spent five months there before continuing west in spring 1805. During this time they met Sacagawea, who later joined the expedition as interpreter and guide.

The fort takes its name from the Mandan people who lived nearby and maintained regular contact with the expedition members. Visitors today see reconstructed living quarters and workspaces that show how both groups exchanged knowledge about hunting, farming, and medicinal plants.

The site sits about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Bismarck and is accessible via a paved road. A walk through the grounds takes around one hour and covers all the main rooms of the fort.

During the harsh winter, expedition members produced over 100 maps and descriptions that they later presented to President Jefferson. The fort originally stood several hundred feet closer to the river, until the Missouri shifted course and washed away the original location.

Location: North Dakota

Website: https://nps.gov/places/fort-mandan.htm

GPS coordinates: 47.29611,-101.28599

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28