8 Underrated North Dakota Towns Worth the Drive in 2026
Along North Dakota’s northern tier and across the state’s prairie towns, many communities are known for specific landmarks or pieces of regional history. Some highlight roadside attractions such as the large Holstein cow statue in New Salem, while others draw visitors to observation towers and open prairie skies where the Northern Lights can sometimes be seen. Historic sites also play a major role, with towns like Mandan tied to frontier-era military campaigns and Medora closely connected to Theodore Roosevelt’s time in the Badlands. Surrounding landscapes add another layer, from wide prairie stretches to the rugged formations of western North Dakota. Together, these places show how small towns across the state mix local history, unusual landmarks, and open scenery.
New Salem
Just 31 miles west of Bismarck is the town of New Salem. It's worth driving just to see the massive cow standing atop a hill called Salem Sue. This 38-foot-tall by 50-feet-long statue of a Holstein Cow has attracted attention ever since it was erected in 1974. There are multiple curiosities in town including the Custer Trail Museum. This marks the site of one of George Custer's last stops before he was slain at the Battle of Little Big Horn. The museum includes a historic 1904 church, schoolhouses, and artifacts from throughout New Salem's history. New Salem has a good sense of humor about its big cow, as can be seen at its coffee shop Udderly Caffeinated. If you're a golfer, you can try your hand at nine holes on the hills by Salem Sue at Red Trail Links.
Fort Ransom
By driving around an hour and a half west from Fargo, you'll come to the historic town of Fort Ransom. It was set up in 1867 to protect railroad workers who were constructing the Northern Pacific Railroad. Today, you'll want to drive here for a relaxing natural getaway. The site of the fort has been transformed into the Fort Ransom State Park, offering camping, cross-country skiing and fishing on the Sheyenne River.
Every year in July, the state park hosts Sodbuster Days, with demonstrations on pioneer homesteading and classic food and drink to try out. Fort Ransom sits in the middle of the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway, a route passing by picturesque farmsteads, rolling hills, and interactive panels. One such place is Pyramid Hill, a strangely shaped hill that has struck debate over whether it was natural or constructed by Native Americans. There's a statue of a Viking warrior atop the hill honoring the area's Norwegian immigrant population.
Rugby
About an hour's drive to the east of Minot is the prairie town of Rugby. While the town may feel remote, it actually sits at the very center of North America. Rugby has a 21-foot-high monument called the Geographic Center of North America. This isn't the only important tall structure in Rugby, as the 88.5-foot-tall Northern Lights Tower offers a splendid view of the Aurora Borealis, while the Interpretive Center next door houses incredible photographs of this natural phenomena.
As the center of North America, it saw a great deal of settlers coming to the plains, especially German immigrants. The Prairie Village & Museum has 29 buildings from throughout the town's history. Another historic place is the 1903 Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, which was converted in the 1990s into the Victorian Dress Museum, displaying ornate dresses from the time period.
Medora
Medora is a proud town as it calls itself North Dakota's #1 Destination. Whether that's true or not, Medora is a great place to stop, especially if you're a fan of Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy was an explorer and hunter in the North Dakota Badlands in the mid 1800s and later visited the town of Medora when he was President in 1903.
Today, the town is home to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and the Maltese Cross Cabin where he lived for a few years in the heart of the Badlands. You can hike out into this rugged landscape at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. There are many beautiful geological features in this park such as a petrified forest from a time when the Badlands was a massive swamp filled with trees. As to be expected from a Teddy Roosevelt town, there's all sorts of Teddy themed merch you can find from Teddy Bears to accessories at the Rough Riders Gift shop.
Devils Lake
It's not all Badlands in North Dakota. You can enjoy many water activities by going to the largest natural lake in North Dakota: Devils Lake — one of the few inland saline lakes in the country. The lake has a high salt content because its waters don't flow into oceans or rivers, although its salinity has decreased over the decades, creating one of the best fishing spots in North Dakota. There you'll find perch, walleye, northern pike, and white bass. To visit the lake, go to the Grahams Island State Park, featuring campgrounds, cross-country ski trails, and hiking trails.
Also nearby is the White Horse Hill National Game Preserve, which plays a critical role in preserving bison, elk, and prairie dogs. Within downtown Devils Lake, you'll find plenty of activities to keep you busy whether that's eating a pretzel with a beer at Black Paws Brewing Company or viewing antique artifacts from the 1910 Sheriff's House Museum.
Bottineau
Much like New Salem, Bottineau also has a fun animal mascot: Tommy the Turtle. He's a 26-foot-tall statue riding in a snowmobile at the Tommy Turtle Park. He gets his name from the Turtle Mountains, which straddles the border between Canada and North Dakota. You don't have to drive into Canada to see some fascinating sites within the Turtle Mountains. One such place is the manmade Mystical Horizons, a recreation of Stonehenge from the U.K. with prairie bricks.
Right on the border in the Turtle Mountains is Lake Metigoshe State Park, a park filled with wetlands and woodlands with 13 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. If you visit during the winter, you can go on the Peace Garden Snowmobile Trail. Despite being a border town, Bottineau has a good relationship with its Canadian neighbors, which is apparent from the International Peace Garden, a botanical garden with more than 150,000 types of flowers nestled right on the border with Canada.
Valley City
Sitting in the Sheyenne River valley, this town has just over 6,500 residents, making it the 12th most populated city in North Dakota. Valley City was a crucial hub for the Northern Pacific Railroad and today has one of the highest and longest railroad bridges in the US with the 162-foot-tall and 3,860-foot-long Highline Bridge. Valley City has been called the City of Bridges thanks to its several carefully designed historic bridges such as the Rainbow Bridge across the Sheyenne River.
Valley City also contains one of the most distinctive parks in North Dakota at Medicine Wheel Park. It has a 213-foot circle around which radiate 28 spokes that represent each of the days in the lunar cycle. This fits the park's Native American character as there's 12 burial grounds within the park that were used by the Plains Woodlands Indians from 500 years to 2,000 years ago. The park also connects to the 4,600-mile North Country National Scenic Trail which runs from North Dakota to New York.
Mandan
Mandan is within the Bismarck metro area right across the Missouri River, and it heavily leans into the idea of keeping the spirit of the West alive. For example, the town has a recreation of the 19th-century fort which was run by Lieutenant George Custer at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. The park also includes earth lodges from the former On-a-Slant Village and a recreation of the Custer House, where he and his wife lived until his death in 1876. The railroad played a crucial role in settling the west, and the North Dakota State Railroad Museum tells that story alongside mini trains for children to ride in. Lastly, if you visit during July, you can see a three day rodeo during Mandan Rodeo Days held at the Dacotah Centennial Park.
The Center of North America
Teddy Roosevelt claimed that he wouldn't have been president were it not for his experiences in North Dakota. "It was here that the romance of my life began," he said. You can certainly find romantic places driving to these underrated North Dakota towns, from the vast Badlands landscapes of Medora to the prairie recreation of Stonehedge in Bottineau and beyond to the City of Bridges of Valley City. You'll also have several photo ops at the big cow of New Salem or the Geographic Center of North America in Rugby. You don't have to be as adventurous as Teddy Roosevelt to find hidden treasures in North Dakota.
