Heading south along Hwy-1806 from Mandan along the west bank of the Missouri River, the first place you’ll reach is sprawling Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park (daily except winter; $5 per car; 701/667-6340), which was originally established by the Northwest Company as a fur-trading post in 1780. It eventually fell into the hands of the U.S. Army, which in 1872 changed the fort’s name to the present one. Soon afterwards, General Custer arrived to take over the reins of command, and in 1876 the fort was placed squarely on the map and in the national press as the departure point for the doomed general and his 250 men, who met their demise at Little Big Horn. Abandoned in 1891, the fort was dismantled by settlers who salvaged the wood and bricks to build their own homes, and most everything here today is a reconstruction.
The modern park covers nearly 1,000 acres and contains a number of barracks, stables, and stores, plus a replica of Custer’s house (daily; $4), where paid sycophants will lead you around, calling you “General” while conducting guided tours. Best of all is the On-A-Slant Indian Village, near the north end of the park, an excavated Mandan village dating from the mid-17th century, where you can explore four full-scale earth lodges re-created by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933–34.
If you like the idea of not driving for a change, the Fort Lincoln Trolley (daily 1–5 pm in summer; $4) runs along the river between Mandan and Fort Abraham Lincoln, departing every hour or so for the 4.5-mile trip, leaving Mandan from a depot at 2000 S.E. 3rd Street. You can also stay at the park overnight, either in a small sleeping cabin (summer only; $30) or in the adjacent campground; make reservations for these well ahead (800/807-4723) so you don’t miss out on the Missouri River sunrise views.
