Posted in North Dakota June 23, 2018 by Leah

A Trip To This Little-Known Ancient Ruin In North Dakota Is One In A Million

The North Dakota plains are loaded with hundreds of years of history. From the times of Lewis and Clark’s expeditions to way, way before that, there are special sites all over the state that preserve these historic spots. One, in particular, is little known but deserves a spotlight for having one of the most unique and fascinating ruins you’ll have ever seen. Take a look for yourself:

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life. While we continue to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, please take proper precautions or add them to your bucket list to see at a later date. If you know of a local business that could use some extra support during these times, please nominate them here: onlyinyourstate.com/nominate

Head out to Stanton, North Dakota to discover fascinating ruins left hundreds of years ago at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.

This historic site is home to unique ruins of what was once a huge and thriving village. Today, the remains of that village can be seen by the unusual circular depressions on the ground that are clustered in a few different sites.

These sites sit on the edge of the Knife River and include the Hidatsa Village, Awatixa Xi'e Village, and Awatixa Village (shown below).

The circular depressions in the ground that can be viewed today were once all earth lodges. The Knife River Indian Villages Historic Site has recreations of these lodges you can explore and enter yourself to see what life was like back then.

These villages were established over 500 years ago and were important trade hubs for many Native American tribes including the Hidatsa, Mandan, Arikara, and later Sioux, Cheyenne, Crowe, and more. It was even in these villages that Sakakawea lived and met with Lewis and Clark.

Today, you can visit the historic site, take trails out to the village ruins, and learn about this influential and important history of the North Dakota plains. There is no other place you can visit quite like it and it is truly one in a million!

Click here for more information about the Knife River Indian Villages Historic Site, its visiting hours, and events.

There are only artistic depictions showing what these villages looked like when they thrived centuries ago, but thanks to the advent of the camera we can take a glimpse back into some more recent history. Check out some of North Dakota’s history in photographs here.

Address: 564 County Rd 37, Stanton, ND 58571, USA