Experience Americas Most Treasured Roads
Touring the Byway
63 Miles | 4 Days/ 3 Nights Optional Days 5 and 6 | Gateway City: Bismarck, North Dakota
Quaint towns and charming farmsteads are featured along this tree-lined route. The rolling hills and luscious scenery lend to its Americana charm as you dive in to the archaeology, history, culture, and recreational attractions found along the way! Begins at Getchell Township Hall on Barnes County Highway 21, along Highways 17 and 19, through Valley City, proceeding on Highway 21 to Ransom County Highway 13 to Lisbon.
On North Dakota’s first nationally recognized scenic byway, we recommend starting your journey in Bismarck. Take the time to learn more about the state at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum which traces North Dakota’s history for 600 million years. The next morning, the turn of the century village at Buckstop Junction brings together 41 buildings to showcase turn-of-the-century North Dakota. From there, you’ll be headed for Valley City, the center piece of the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway.
View the Detailed Itinerary below to see the full route, which is complete with dining, shopping, and lodging recommendations!
Highlighted Attractions
Valley City Bridges Tour
Valley City developed a tour to showcase its beautiful historic bridges, that begins at the Rosebud Visitor Center. The most famous is the 3860-foot Hi-Line Bridge which soars 162 feet overhead, as it traverses the riverbed. It was the longest and highest single-track rail bridge in the country at the time of construction in 1908.
Medicine Wheel Park
Located on the campus of Valley City State University, Medicine Wheel Park’s 30 acres encompasses a unique mix of nature, science, and history including two solar calendar replicas, 12 Native American Burial Mounds, scenic overlooks, woodland nature trails, an astronomy observation site, solar system model, and a perennial flower garden.
Wadeson Cabin State Historic Site
The centerpiece hand-hewn oak log cabin that stands on its original fieldstone foundation was built in 1876 by Carl Jenson and his nephew Jon Bjerke on the east bank of the Sheyenne River. Since then, the Wadeson Cabin has served as a community hall, country store, pioneer home, and, finally, as an icehouse.
Fort Ransom State Park
Nestled in the picturesque and heavily wooded Sheyenne River Valley, Fort Ransom State Park illustrates the lives of the area’s 19th-century homesteading sodbusters and the Mound Builders who lived here 5000 to 8000 years ago. The 950-acre site encompasses the Bjone House homestead and the Andrew Sunne Farm. The annual Sodbuster Days celebration with demonstrations and exhibits of early homesteading life is held here. A short segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail winds through the park, along with about 20 miles of additional trails.
Lisbon Scenic Theater
The iconic Scenic Theater right down the street from the Lisbon Opera House opened in 1911 with a 10-minute black-and-white movie. The theater, which proclaims to be the oldest continuously running theater in America has been updated with modern digital technology, surrounded with beautiful art deco design.
and many more exciting attractions!
To experience all that Authentic North Dakota has to offer,
download the complete itinerary!
The detailed itinerary includes:
- A complete trip experience organized in geographic order, to print down and go.
- A full description of the Byway tour.
- Each trip experience begins in a gateway city with commercial flight availability (and often ending in another) to enhance the Byway experience.
- Attractions and activities along the full length of the Byway selected to truly tell the story of the places you visit.
- Detailed description of each attraction and activity, including the address, telephone number, hours of operation, admission fees and suggested time to allow for a visit.
- Accommodations (related to the theme of the Byway or unique to the destination wherever possible) positioned in the correct locations and including breakfast wherever possible.
- Dining suggestions positioned in the correct locations for lunch and dinner.
- All attractions, accommodations and dining locations arranged into Days that allow time for relaxation, savoring meals and enjoying the experience.
- A road trip to create memories and intrigue your mind.