Williston, ND Road Trips

Williston was founded as a Northern Pacific Railroad stop in 1887 and named for Daniel Willis James. It was chosen over the nearby town of Buford as the site of a turntable which led to its early growth. In 1951, oil was first discovered in the Williston Basin. Williston experienced rapid growth during its first oil boom in the 1980s. After the boom died down, the population shrank to about 13,000. Geologists have discovered 4.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the Bakken Formation. The Three Forks Salish Formation also contains recoverable oil. With these discoveries, Williston experienced another oil boom and rapidly increased in size. While the rest of the country remained in a recession, Williston boasted a strong economy, one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, plenty of jobs, and the highest wages in North Dakota. Following a sharp decline in oil prices in the second half of 2014, the boom ended (at least for the time being). Despite this growth, Williston still maintains a small town atmosphere. Most residents are friendly and will happily give visitors directions.

1 Fort Buford Historic Site, ☏ +1 701 572-9034. 2 Cut Bluff Overlook. A historic sight about two miles (3 km) east of Williston on the south side of Highway 1804. Commemorating Lewis and Clark's campsite near Cut Bluff on the south banks of the Missouri River. 3 Writing Rock State Historic Site (12 miles (19 km) northeast of Grenora), ☏ +1 701-572-9034. Free, donations welcome. The site of two granite boulders carved with petroglyphs of thunderbirds, mythical Native American creatures. Dates between 1000-1700 AD. 4 Lewis and Clark State Park, 4904 119th Rd NW, Epping (about 20 miles (32 km) east of Williston on Hwy 1804), ☏ +1 701-859-3071. A beautiful park between rugged bluffs on the shore of Lake Sakakawea. 5 Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center (One half-mile east of Fort Buford), ☏ +1 701 572-9034. (updated Oct 2017) 6 Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (25 mi / 40 km SW on Hwy 1804), ☏ +1 701 572-9083. Summer 8AM-8PM, rest of year, 9AM-5:30PM. Largest fur trading post on the upper Missouri River from 1828-1867. Trading headquarters with American Indians. Reconstructed Bourgeois House contains museum exhibits. Replica trade goods are available for purchase in the reconstructed Indian Trade House. (updated Jan 2022)

1 Cottonwood Lake, off Cottonwood Lake Dr, Alamo (north of town). Fishing for pike and perch. Skunk Hollow Shooting Range (drive 5 miles (8 km) south of Williston on Hwy 85, turn left onto gravel road and follow signs). Well-known by the locals, Skunk Hollow offers a rarely crowded shooting range, and excellent hiking, hunting, and fishing opportunities. 2 miles from Cut Bluff, the site of a campsite used by Lewis and Clark. 2 Grand Theatre, 211 Main St, ☏ +1 701-572-2232. Catch the latest movie. Little Muddy Canoe Trail (east of Williston & North of 1804), toll-free: +1-800-615-9041. Thompson site and White Bridge are the access points. The trail is six miles long and travel time is 1½-2 hours. 3 Strike Zone, 1804 2nd Ave W, ☏ +1 701 572-3344. Bowling alley. 4 Spring Lake Park, 5906 2nd Ave W (North on Highway 85), ☏ +1 701-577-5141. Enjoy swimming, fishing, playground equipment, walking trails, and fireworks on the 4th of July 5 Thunder Valley Go-Cart Track, 3510 W Dakota Pkwy (west of town on Highway 2), ☏ +1 701-770-0222. 6 Williston Skate Park, 11th St W (Harmon Park), ☏ +1 701-577-5141. Skateboarding, rollerblading, and biking 7 Williston Municipal Golf Course, 3401 42nd St W (west of Williston on 26th Street), ☏ +1 701-774-1321. 9-hole course featuring a clubhouse, practice range, and trap range. 8 Eagle Ridge Golf Course, 6401 3rd Ave E (north of Williston on Highway 2), ☏ +1 701-572-6500.

1 Courthouse Cafe, 205 E Broadway, ☏ +1 701 572-1754. 2 Dakota Family Farms, 1906 2nd Ave West, ☏ +1 701 572-4480. 3 Gramma Sharon's Cafe, 150 16th St. West, ☏ +1 701 572-1412.

1 Cattails Lounge, 218 Main St, ☏ +1 701 572-2679. The Sports Den Bar, 1804 2nd Ave W (Inside Strike Zone), ☏ +1 701 572-3344.

The oil boom in Williston resulted in a severe housing shortage, but the situation has changed with the boom going bust. Many developments built to house workers during the boom now stand empty, and other developments were canceled. Booking a hotel room in Williston on short notice was difficult or impossible during the boom, with oil companies contracting with area hotels to house workers, but should now be considerably easier. Most motels are either clustered downtown or near the airport at the northern limit of town. 1 El Rancho Hotel, 1623 2nd Ave W, ☏ +1 701 572-6321, [email protected]. (updated Dec 2021) 2 Super 8 Lodge, 2324 2nd. Ave West, ☏ +1 701 572-8371. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM.

US Highway 2 runs east-west, intersecting with Interstate 29 in Grand Forks and Interstate 15 in Shelby, Montana. US Highway 85 runs north-south, intersecting with Interstate 94 west of Dickinson. 1 Sloulin Field International Airport (ISN IATA). U.S. customs service is available to handle private flights from Canada. Delta Air Lines has nonstop service from Minneapolis/St. Paul. United Express has nonstop service from Denver. 2 Williston station, 1 S Main St. (updated Oct 2023) Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates train service around the United States of America. (updated Mar 2022) Route stopping at Williston: Empire Builder operating daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago.

Basin Cab, 1804 2nd St W, ☏ +1 701-577-1957.

North Dakota has one of the lowest crime rates in North America, and Williston has one of the lowest of North Dakota. Most residents do not lock their doors, and in wintertime many people leave their cars running in parking lots as they run their errands. Violent crime and rape are rare, and usually occur due to the influence of alcohol. However, women should use common sense when walking alone near bars at night. Most residents and police officers will pull over and offer rides to people walking at night or in the winter. The biggest threat are drunk drivers. If needed, the police can be reached at ☏ +1 701-577-1212.