fort-union-trading-post | MT | Find park

View from Missouri River bottoms of Southwest bastion

Viewing Fort Union Trading Post from the Missouri River bottoms one can imagine how grandiose the site would appear to weary steamboat travelers.

Candles illuminate the Bourgeois House porch at dusk

Volunteer reenactors relax on the Bourgeois House porch

Courtyard of Fort Union Trading Post with Bourgeois House, Tipis and US Flag

Ranging from employee housing, workshops, storage warehouses, domestic animal pens and horse corrals, the courtyard housed the world at Fort Union.

View of Fort Union and the Missouri River looking south

Visitors hiking the scenic Bodmer Trail experience a historical view of Fort Union, and the same view painted by Karl Bodmer in 1833.

White canvas tipis in grassy area, Fort in background.

During the height of the spring trade season camps from various Upper Missouri Tribes would fill the plateau around Fort Union.

Physical Address:

15550 Highway 1804

Williston, ND 58801

Mailing Address:

15550 Highway 1804

Williston, ND 58801

contact-details

Phone Number: 7015729083 Voice
Phone Number: 7015727321 Fax

Email Address: fous_socialmedia@nps.gov
Description:

Fees

Entrance Fees

Entrance Passes

Between 1828 and 1867, Fort Union was the most important fur trade post on the Upper Missouri River. Here, the Assiniboine and six other Northern Plains Tribes exchanged buffalo robes and smaller furs for goods from around the world, including cloth, guns, blankets, and beads. A bastion of peaceful coexistence, the post annually traded over 25,000 buffalo robes and $100,000 in merchandise.

park designation:National Historic Site

Directions:

Located on North Dakota Highway 1804 right at the Montana and North Dakota state line. From Williston, ND, approximately 25 miles to the southwest via ND Highways 2 & 1804. From Sidney, MT, approximately 25 miles to the northeast, via MT Highways 200 & 58. Commercial flights and rental cars are available in both Williston, ND and Sidney, MT. Amtrak passenger train service and rental cars are available in Williston, ND.

For detailed directions, please visit this link.

Directions

Operating Hours:

Park Hours

Park Hours are 9:00 - 5:00 Central Time Daily

Exceptions:

Winter Hours (November 25, 2024 - February 9, 2025)

Closed Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 2025 - November 27, 2025)

Closed Christmas Day (December 25, 2024 - December 25, 2024)

Closed New Years Day (January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2025)

Weather Information:

Weather in western North Dakota can be harsh, with extremes in temperature and sudden, violent storms. Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions. Summers are warm with average high temperatures in the 80s-90s May through September. Winters are cold with average lows in the single digits December through February. Wind is considerable year-round. Conditions can change quickly. Travelers should be aware of the potential for violent thunderstorms in the summer and the possibility of blizzards.