Nature & Science

Painting of a grassy field with American Indians, some on horseback and some on foot, and tipis with a white walled structure and a river running behind it in the background.
"Fort Union on the Missouri" by Karl Bodmer, a Swiss artist who traveled up the Missouri River with Prince Maximilian of Wied in the summer of 1833. Sketches Bodmer made at the time of the fort and the Assiniboine people became the basis for this later print.

A lithographic print of "Fort Union on the Missouri" published circa 1843 (FOUS 2761). NPS

Nature & Science
Overview

Situated along the Missouri River, the park straddles the Montana/North Dakota state line. At an elevation of 1,900 feet, the park is located on the southern edge of the glaciated subsection of the vast Missouri Plateau. This area, a segment of the Badlands Vegetation Zone, includes mixed-grass prairie, coulees, deciduous groves, and river bottoms that encompass mixed grasses, riparian, and Rocky Mountain plant species. The present vegetation is a mixture of native plant communities and remnant or invasive exotics.

 

Animals
Learn about the various mammals, bird, insects, amphibians, and reptiles that call Fort Union Trading Post home

Plants
Discover the native and exotic plants of the site

Natural Features & Ecosystems
Explore the elements that affect the park

Last updated: April 24, 2021

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

15550 Highway 1804
Williston, ND 58801

Phone:

701 572-9083

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