10 Of The Friendliest Towns In North Dakota

From holiday lanterns on Main Street in Garrison to Medora's open-air musical, these small towns are known and beloved for their shared traditions and everyday rituals. Each place on this list offers moments where visitors are welcomed into local life, whether that means cheering at a long-running fishing derby, browsing a candy shop packed with nostalgia, or joining neighbors at a summer festival that fills the streets with music and food. These are ten of the friendliest towns across North Dakota.

Garrison

Garrison embraces its title as the “Walleye Capital of the World” with enthusiasm and humor, but it is also known as the Christmas Capital of North Dakota. Each winter, the Dickens Village Festival transforms Main Street into a Victorian-era scene. Costumed carolers stroll beneath flickering lanterns, while horse-drawn carriages clatter over the snow. Shops like This That'n More sell candies, ornaments, and handmade goodies to take home, along with their usual assortment of jewelry, cards, toys, home decor, and crafting essentials.

In warmer months, residents converge at Fort Stevenson State Park on Lake Sakakawea, home to sandy beaches, volleyball courts, and barbecue pits. Meanwhile, fishing peaks during the Governor’s Cup Walleye Derby, a beloved local tradition running for over 50 years.

Devils Lake

Devils Lake is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. At Grahams Island State Park, campers and day-trippers gather for boating, swimming, and shoreline picnics throughout the warmer months. The Lake Region Heritage Center offers a detailed look at Devils Lake’s past through carefully preserved artifacts and exhibits. The first floor features a historic post office display, a 1903 Orient Motor Buckboard, and the city’s first fire engine, while upstairs, visitors can walk through “Memories of a Boomtown,” which includes setups of the town's original courtroom, dentist office, and barbershop. Winter transforms the lake into a buzzing village of ice houses during the Devils Lake Ice Fishing Tournament, with soup and chili on offer, a fisherman's dance, live DJ sets, and more.

Valley City

With its winding river and historic bridges, Valley City feels like a town designed for a well-deserved retreat. You can start with a walk across the Hi-Line Railroad Bridge, an engineering marvel stretching high above the Sheyenne River. During the annual Rally in the Valley, the town's streets burst with parades, food trucks, and classic car shows. Bands play on makeshift stages while intersections turn into a dancefloor, transforming downtown into one sprawling block party.

For quieter moments, Chautauqua Park provides riverside serenity, where benches and picnic tables line the water’s edge, where you can watch the river drift. For more outdoor exploration, you can find your way to Medicine Wheel Park, where art, science, and history meet on a hillside overlooking town. Created by local volunteers and university students, the park features a stone solar calendar modeled after ancient designs, walking paths lined with prairie flowers, and a breathtaking view of the Sheyenne Valley that glows at sunset.

Medora

Medora is both a frontier village steeped in history and a vibrant town with a welcoming spirit. Its signature event, the Medora Musical, transforms summer evenings into full-scale celebrations beneath the stars. Performed in the Burning Hills Amphitheater from June through September, the show mixes Western music, comedy, and fireworks, with audiences encouraged to clap, sing, and even dance along, making viewers feel like part of the cast.

Nature lovers will gravitate towards Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where bison wander among rust-colored buttes. You can hike to scenic overlooks and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. As for food options, make sure to reserve a spot at Pitchfork Steak Fondue for a very unique dining experience, where chefs cook ribeyes on pitchforks over open flames, and guests sit at long communal tables overlooking the Badlands.

Bottineau

Bottineau pairs postcard scenery with cheerful hospitality, making it a popular pitstop for nature lovers and casual wanderers alike. Tommy Turtle Park, home to an enormous smiling turtle statue, doubles as a playground and beloved town landmark. The site is also home to an RV campground, a welcome center with showers, and several sports fields and picnic shelters.

Just north lies Lake Metigoshe State Park, among forested hills. Canoes and kayaks skim across still water in the mornings, and hikers wind their way through the mountains. In winter, those same trails turn into snowy passageways for skiers and snowshoers. Back in town, you can satisfy your sweet tooth at Pride Dairy, North Dakota’s oldest creamery. Inside its retro parlor, you’ll find locals chatting over huckleberry sundaes and thick malts. The homemade ice cream, crafted from fresh local cream, tastes like a summer afternoon captured in a cone.

Rugby

In the geographical center of North America, you can savor warm and memorable moments both indoors and outdoors. For a mix of food and fun, 3rd St Station provides a casual spot to enjoy classic pub fare while playing games in the arcade. A must-see landmark is the Northern Lights Tower and Interpretive Center, an illuminated steel structure dedicated to the Aurora Borealis, one of the Northern Plains’ most striking natural phenomena. The interpretive center features spectacular photographs, interactive kiosks with actual aurora footage, and detailed explanations of how and why the lights appear in the sky.

History enthusiasts will enjoy the Prairie Village Museum, which consists of 20 historic buildings arranged around a quaint village square, including an 1887 log cabin and the Penn train depot. The museum hosts group tours for schools, families, and organizations, and visitors are welcome to camp overnight on the grounds free of charge with proof of admission.

Lisbon

Lisbon rests along the Sheyenne River, where scenic beauty blends with communal spirit. The Sheyenne River Valley Scenic Byway winds directly through town, drawing cyclists and roadtrippers who stop at parks and overlooks. On Sunday race nights, the Sheyenne Speedway roars to life with racers tearing across the community-run dirt track on the Ransom County Fairgrounds, serving as a longtime hub for local motorsports enthusiasts.

A centerpiece of Lisbon’s history is the Lisbon Opera House, a three-story building constructed in 1889 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While it served as an opera house until about 1910 and then as a motion picture venue, today the building is being preserved and rehabilitated to reflect its late-19th-century character. The community theater group No Name Players hosts spring and fall productions in the space, with all proceeds supporting the ongoing restoration of this historic gem. After catching one of their shows, you can stop by I Scream U Scream, a vibrant family-friendly café where burgers and ice cream are the main attraction.

Wahpeton

Wahpeton has plenty to offer for children, families, and friends looking to gather and explore. Start your visit at Chahinkapa Park, a sprawling green space along the Bois de Sioux River that features playgrounds, picnic shelters, walking trails, seasonal gardens, sports fields, and even a restored Prairie Rose Carousel that operates in summer and delights visitors of all ages. The park is also home to Chahinkapa Zoo, North Dakota’s first zoo with more than 200 animals from around the world and educational animal enrichment demonstrations that bring visitors up close to tigers, monkeys, exotic birds, and other species.

For a touch of local whimsy, no visit is complete without stopping at Wahpper, a 40-foot fiberglass catfish statue celebrating the region’s fishing culture and offering a fun photo opportunity for visitors of all ages. The Bois de Sioux Golf Course, spanning the border between Wahpeton and nearby Breckenridge, is the only 18-hole course in the US located in two states, with the front nine in North Dakota and the back nine in Minnesota. The course features a pro shop, restaurant, driving range, and practice areas, offering a challenging and enjoyable experience for golfers of all skill levels.

Carrington

Carrington showcases its agricultural roots with pride, turning even educational events into social occasions. The Carrington Research Extension Center Field Day is one such gathering, drawing gardeners, scientists, and curious participants to learn from local experts and build community. The City Park and Pool Complex is the town’s summer heartbeat, when children cannonball from diving boards while adults lounge beneath shade trees.

Fetch’s Five Spot is a welcoming bar and grill on Main Street known for its classic comfort-style menu and casual vibes. It's the place where you can grab juicy burgers stacked with bacon and sharp cheddar or enjoy crispy beer-battered onion rings, often alongside locals catching up over cold drinks after a long day. For a more relaxed daytime stop, The Garden Gate is a great destination for a specialty espresso drink on the go or Italian sodas paired with a pizza in a bright, laid-back café atmosphere that invites lingering for an afternoon.

Beulah

Beulah exudes warmth through tradition and recreation, making it easy for visitors to feel at home. The Beulah Bay Recreation Area on Lake Sakakawea is a hub of activity from sunrise to sundown, particularly during the warmer months. Campers line the shore with boats bobbing nearby, as the area includes RV and tent sites, fishing access, and concessions. It is also pet-friendly, making it easy for families and groups to settle in for the day. For a nostalgic stop, you can check out Then & Now Candy Store, offering a range of old-fashioned candies and many flavors of hard ice cream, perfect for a sweet treat that takes you back in time.

The Energy Wellness Center serves as a year-round community hub not only for the town, but for greater Mercer County, with weight rooms, group fitness classes for all ages and abilities, courts for various sports like racquetball, and even golf simulators. As for seasonal activities, from summer parades to winter craft fairs lined with handmade quilts, it's remarkable how many fun events run all throughout the year.

Together, these towns reveal how connection grows through shared experiences. In Bottineau, conversations unfold over scoops of homemade ice cream after a walk near Lake Metigoshe, while Wahpeton brings families together with carousel rides, zoo visits, and riverside picnics. Across the state, friendliness shows up in community spaces, outdoor venues, and traditions that make newcomers feel welcome and included.