Get A Glimpse Into Historic Winter Life On The Prairie At The Fort Union Trading Post In North Dakota
By Leah|Published January 08, 2020
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Leah
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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.
Knowing how cold and harsh winters can be on the prairie today, it makes you wonder how early natives, settlers, and traders survived the season. You can step back in time and catch a glimpse into how they lived through the frigid temperatures and snow by visiting the historic Fort Union Trading Post. This spot is open year-round and not only will teach you about the past, but the scenery is stunning to look at, too.
Many other attractions close in the wintertime, but this national historic site right on the edge of North Dakota stays open year-round. Bundle up and check out this awesome spot for free.
The Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is located right on the border of North Dakota and Montana, about 25 miles from Williston. The fort is situated on a hill overlooking the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers.
The original fort was built in 1828 and was later partially reconstructed and restored to the historic site you can visit today. Back in the day of the fur trade, it was the most important trading posts on the upper Missouri.
You can visit it entirely for free pretty much every day. The snow-covered fort will transport you back in time to the days where nothing but the furs and fires kept people warm in sub-zero temperatures.
While exploring the fort, you can enter some of its buildings and look out onto the white-capped hills of the Missouri River valley. Back in the day, this place was bustling with Native Americans, European settlers, and traders of all kinds exchanging furs, goods, weapons, and other items.
The icy rivers are especially picturesque in the winter season and the fort's vantage point offers incredible views of it. Cold as it may be, you can appreciate the natural beauty of the area that even the traders from many decades ago probably did as well.
If you're looking for an easy and free activity to explore both history and North Dakota's lovely outdoors, then Fort Union Trading Post is most definitely it.
You can learn more about how to visit this historic site by visiting this website. If you love history like this, here is another fort and historic village in North Dakota that’s well worth checking out, too. Where is your favorite place to explore history in the state?
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