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By Root 3296 0

Fort Union. In 1805, Lewis and Clark stopped at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers, near where Fort Union was constructed 23 years later. For nearly 4 decades in the 19th century, the fort was a bastion of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company, which dominated the fur trade in the region of modern-day North Dakota, Montana, and Saskatchewan. Now, as then, the focal point is Fort Union's Indian Trade House. Here, the fur company traded goods with Assiniboines, Crows, Crees, and Blackfeet. Also called the Bourgeois House or Manager's House, this facility is now the visitor center and bookstore. The National Park Service and the Fort Union Association have meticulously restored and refurnished the Trade House to its appearance in 1851. The site is about 2 hours north of Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Williston, North Dakota. The Bourgeois House Visitor Center is open daily 8am to 8pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day, from 9am to 5:30pm the remainder of the year. The Indian Trade House is open from 10am to 5:45pm daily during the summer only. Ranger tours are available from noon to 3:30pm daily during the summer, with self-guided tours the remainder of the year. Fort Union is technically in two time zones; you park in Montana and walk into North Dakota. The site is on Central time.

For more information, contact the Superintendent, Fort Union Trading Post NHS, 15550 Hwy. 1804, Williston, ND 58801 (☎ 701/572-9083; www.nps. gov/fous).

Horseback Riding in the Park

Many backcountry trails are open to those on horseback. You can use your own horse or go on a guided trail ride with a park concessionaire. In the South Unit, contact Peaceful Valley Ranch, P.O. Box 308, Medora, ND 58645 (☎ 701/623-4568; http://pop.ctctel. com/peacefulvalley). It operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day and has regularly scheduled horseback rides lasting 1½ to 5 hours. Trail rides run daily from 7:30am to evening, and all scheduled rides include a riding lesson. In the North Unit, the concessionaire is Little Knife Outfitters, Box 82, Watford City, ND 58854 (☎ 701/842-2631; www.little knifeoutfitters.com). It offers 1- to 5-day trips.

Camping

Cottonwood Campground in the South Unit and Juniper Campground in the North Unit operate on a first-come, first-served basis. You'll find drinking water, flush toilets, and fire grates in both campgrounds, but no showers or RV hookups. Juniper Campground has an RV dump station, and Cottonwood has public telephones. Camping costs $10 per night; holders of Golden Age or Golden Access passes pay $5. Campgrounds are open year-round, but the availability of water is limited during the winter.

Camping for organized groups is available at Cottonwood and in part of Juniper. Groups must have a written reservation from the park superintendent.

Riding groups with their own horses should write the superintendent to make arrangements. It's possible to camp with a horse, but only at the Roundup Group Horse Campground in the South Unit; there's a fee on top of the cost of camping, and reservations are required.

Other privately run and Forest Service campgrounds are near both units of the park. You can get a list from park offices.

Where to Stay & Dine

There are no accommodations or dining facilities in the park, but you will find hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfasts, as well as a variety of modest restaurants, in Medora, Belfield, and Beach near the South Unit, and in Watford City near the North Unit. Most are open year-round, but some may close in the winter. Rates are highest in summer.

IN MEDORA

The AmericInn, the most luxurious choice, is at 75 E. River Rd. S., 1 block south of the Medora Community Center (☎ 800/634-3444 or 701/623-4800; www.americinn.com). Rates vary; in the main tourist season they range from $108 to $168 double. Major credit cards (AE, DC, DISC, MC, V) are accepted.

The Badlands Motel, on Pacific Avenue, and the Rough Riders Motel, a nine-room inn at 301 Third Ave., both in Medora, charge $85 for a single and $99