Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site

State: North Dakota (site also extends into Montana). Type: National Historic Site preserving a partially reconstructed 19th-century fur trading post. Spans 444 acres across McKenzie and Williams counties, ND, and Richland and Roosevelt counties, MT. Designated a National Historic Landmark on July 4, 1961, and an official National Historic Site on June 20, 1966. Fee-free. Received 12,028 visitors in 2024.

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site preserves and partially reconstructs the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri River, which operated from 1829 to 1867 near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. Built and run by the American Fur Company, financed by John Jacob Astor and managed on-site by Kenneth McKenzie, the fort served as a hub where Assiniboine, Crow, Cree and other Native nations traded buffalo robes and furs for manufactured goods such as beads, guns, blankets, knives, cookware, cloth and alcohol. The site straddles the North Dakota-Montana border near Williston, ND, and today's reconstruction is based on the fort's appearance around 1851, drawn from archaeology and firsthand sketches by Swiss artist Rudolf Kurz. It offers a quieter, more intimate complement to North Dakota's better-known Theodore Roosevelt National Park, focused specifically on the fur trade era and Native-American/Euro-American commerce of the northern Plains.

The site is located at 15550 Highway 1804, Williston, ND 58801, about two miles from where the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers meet, straddling the North Dakota-Montana border.

The site shares the region's cold semi-arid continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers typical of the northern Great Plains; conditions can change quickly, so checking a current forecast before visiting is worthwhile.

Late spring through early fall offers the most comfortable weather and the fullest range of open facilities; confirm current seasonal hours with the park before planning a winter visit, since operating schedules can change seasonally.

Fort Union was established in 1828-1829 by the American Fur Company, capitalized by John Jacob Astor and managed on-site by Kenneth McKenzie, and quickly became the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri River, operating from 1829 to 1867. It served as the commercial headquarters for trade between numerous Native nations, including the Assiniboine, Crow and Cree, and Euro-American traders, exchanging buffalo robes and furs for goods including beads, clay pipes, guns, blankets, knives, cookware, cloth and alcohol. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 4, 1961, and established as a National Historic Site on June 20, 1966. Today's partial reconstruction reflects the fort's appearance around 1851, based on archaeological findings and sketches made firsthand by Swiss artist Rudolf Kurz.

Visitors can tour the reconstructed fort buildings and grounds, which recreate the fort's appearance circa 1851, and take in exhibits on the fur trade and the diverse Native nations who traded there. Ranger-led programs and living-history demonstrations are offered at various times; check the park's current schedule for specifics.

The partially reconstructed Fort Union complex is the central attraction, including its palisade walls and trading house. The site's location near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers adds scenic and historical context, since this junction was a key geographic reason for the fort's original placement.

The site is at 15550 Highway 1804, Williston, ND, reachable by car from Williston, the nearest larger town. There is no public transit to the site; a personal or rental vehicle is required, with the nearest commercial airport being Williston Basin International Airport.

Specific seasonal operating hours were not available from the pages reviewed for this research; the park's official hours page indicates hours vary by season, so visitors should check nps.gov/fous/planyourvisit/hours.htm or call 701-572-9083 directly before visiting.

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is fee-free; no entrance pass is required, per the National Park Service.

A visit of one to two hours is generally sufficient to tour the reconstructed fort and its exhibits, longer if a ranger program or living-history demonstration is underway during your visit.

Williston, the nearest larger town, has a range of hotel accommodations serving the wider Bakken oil-region economy as well as travelers; specific properties were not verified in this research.

Dining options are concentrated in Williston, the nearest town with a developed commercial base; specific restaurant names were not verified in the sources reviewed for this site.

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, another North Dakota unit of the National Park System focused on Native American history, is elsewhere in the state (near Stanton) and could be paired with a longer regional itinerary. The Missouri-Yellowstone confluence itself, immediately adjacent to the fort, is a notable geographic landmark.

Williston Basin International Airport, serving Williston, ND, is the nearest commercial airport. A personal or rental vehicle is necessary to reach the site itself, as there is no public transit option.

As with any rural historic site, check weather conditions before traveling, since the region experiences both severe summer thunderstorms and harsh winter cold. For any emergency, dial 911; the park's own contact number is 701-572-9083 for visitor questions.

Comfortable walking shoes for touring the fort grounds, weather-appropriate clothing given the region's temperature extremes, and water, especially in summer heat, are recommended.

Call ahead (701-572-9083) or check the park's website to confirm current operating hours before making the drive, since specific seasonal hours were not detailed on the basic-information page reviewed. The site pairs naturally with a broader western North Dakota itinerary that might also include Theodore Roosevelt National Park, though the two sites are a significant drive apart.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The park's general contact line is 701-572-9083, per its official NPS page.

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (National Park Service) - https://www.nps.gov/fous/index.htm

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.