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Map of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site in North Dakota. The narrow strip of parkland is brown, and the surrounding land is light beige and shaded to show the terrain. The Knife River, shown in blue, snakes east through the parkland and south, where it joins the Missouri River, which runs parallel to the parkland.

Extended Description

The park’s top right edge butts up against a bend in the Missouri River’s west bank. Two local roads cut through the parkland: Local Road 18 goes east and west and enters roughly halfway, above the Knife River; Local Road 37 enters from the northwest side, and follows the park’s western border, going north and south. This description will start at the bottom via Local Road 37, including features in the lower half of the park, before heading north and noting features of the upper half, followed by a full transcription of the legend.

Lower Half

Local Road 37 emerges near the bottom of the map and crosses through the city of Stanton before it enters the park. Stanton touches the bottom left edge of parkland, where the Knife River exits the park and snakes east to the Missouri River. Text near the bottom of the road reads, “To State Route 200 A, 1 mile (2 kilometers).”

Entering the park near 6th Street Southwest, the Visitor Center is noted by a green rectangle. Village Trail heads north from here, going by the remains of Lower Hidatsa Village (Adwadixáá Xie) and then encircling the remains of Sakakawea Village (Awadixáá) along the Knife River. A little further north is a Parking area.

As Local Road 37 continues north, it swings west to follow the curve of the park boundary. As it curves and crosses the Knife River, it intersects Local Road 18. Local Road 18 goes horizontally above the river, and near the park’s east edge reaches two Parking areas. The lower Parking area connects to Two Rivers Trail, which follows the curve of the Knife River, going south along the park boundary. Where this trail lines up with the village remains, it branches out to form a loop around the lower end of the park.

Upper Half

After meeting Local Road 18, Local Road 37 continues north and then exits on the northwest side of the park. Text here reads, “To State Route 200, 8 miles (13 kilometers).”

Back on Local Road 18, the upper Parking area connects to North Forest Trail, which climbs up the park’s east edge, toward that end in the Missouri River. Near the road are the remains of Big Hidatsa Village (Mirahací Awadísh), which the trail circles around. As the trail approaches the Missouri, it creates an oblong loop.

Legend

The arrow enclosed in a circle points up for north. Parking symbol follows, along with pink blob for village site remains. A scale shows 1 mile and 1 kilometer.