6 Country Roads In North Dakota That Are Pure Bliss In The Fall
By Leah|Published October 12, 2016
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Leah
Author
Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
Take a drive on these scenic byways and backways of North Dakota that’ll open your eyes to some of the state’s natural hidden gems. The foliage along these routes is absolutely stunning in the fall. Through forests and alongside river valleys, you’ll see impressive and colorful sights.
Jump in the car and get out there before all the leaves have fallen!
Starting from a bit north of Rolla and heading west towards Bottineau along Highway 43 is a beautiful route that will take you through places like Lake Metigoshe State Park, Turtle Mountain Recreational Forest, and along lakes straddling the US and Canadian border. The trees are dense here, and in the autumn they are bright with color. Map and more information here.
2. Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit Scenic Byway
About 15 miles south of Watford City, you can head off of Highway 85 and into the north unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park for the drive of a life time. The rugged buttes of the badlands are gorgeous this time of year, dotted with bright shades of orange, yellow, and red. It is truly an amazing way to experience this section of the park. Map and more information here.
From Valley City to Lisbon, this scenic byway will take you through the most beautiful parts of the Sheyenne River Valley. The road follows the river closely through places like Fort Ransom State Park and offers great views of the surrounding forests. Map and more information here.
Experience the Rendezvous Region and all that makes it so amazingly gorgeous on this backway. Starting in the small town of Vang, the road heads east through Walhalla and all the way to Cavalier. The Pembina Gorge is the highlight of this route, half of which is spent in it, but will also take you to places like the Icelandic State Park. It's beautiful year round, but in the fall it is positively breathtaking. Map and more information here.
In between Williston and Dickinson is a scenic byway that you're sure to love. It begins in Manning and heads north all the way to New Town. The Little Missouri State Park, Crow Flies High Butte, and the Killdeer Mountains themselves are some highlights on the drive. Bring your camera on this trip because you will constantly want to pull over and stop to take some pictures. Map and more information here.
Take a drive along the stunning Des Lacs lakes and experience the true natural beauty of this area north of Minot. It goes through Kenmare and showcases the fantastic sights of the surrounding areas. Most of the area is part of the Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge, and you have the chance of seeing a variety of birds among the fall colors - over 250 species! Deer and moose can also be spotted along this route. Map and more information here.
The North Dakota Parks and Recreation site has a great interactive map of all the state’s scenic byways and backways. You can check it out here.
