North Dakota--Sakakawea Trail

 
Date: 2004-12-08

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The Sakakawea Trail is 115 miles, starting in Washburn and finishing in Grassy Butte. Most of the drive is on Rte. 200A and Rte. 200. The drive starts just south of the 178-mile-long Lake Sakakawea. Start this historic drive by taking a short side trip and drive west from Washburn on Rte. 17 to Fort Mandan, where the explorers Lewis and Clark wintered. It was during the winter of 1804-1805, while staying at Fort Mandan, that the explorers added Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife to their team as translators. Charbonneau's wife, a young Shoshone named Sakakawea, provided priceless assistance as a translator to Lewis and Clark for several years. As you tour this part of the country, you can find many places named after the Shoshone translator, including Lake Sakakawea.

Return to Washburn and head west on Rte. 200A to the Arroda Lakes. About three miles from the lakes, you pass close to the Fort Clark Historic Site, where you should stop for a history break. A few miles to the west is the Knife River Indian Villages and National Historic Site, which are also worth a short stop. Here you can learn a great deal about the Native Americans of the area. Over the next 40 miles, you'll pass through the towns of Hazen and Beulah on your way to Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge. This is where many waterfowl make their nests while on their semiannual migrations.

The refuge is 4,043 acres and is closed on weekends. A few miles down Rte. 200A is the town of Killdeer, where you can pick up the Rte. 22 drive. Staying on Rte. 200A leads to the end of the trip in the town of Grassy Butte. The scenery along this drive is truly great and is full of early American history.

Starting Point:
Washburn, ND

Distance of Drive:
115 miles

Must Eat:
Dakota Farms
1120 East Main St., Mandan, ND 58551
Phone:  701-663-7322
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.

Best Time of Year for Drive:
Spring to fall

Points of Interest on Drive:
Fort Mandan
Knife River Indian Villages and National Historic Site

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