Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway

The Sheyenne River Valley owes its shape to the last great ice age. As the glaciers melted, huge volumes of meltwater cut down through the land, and the Sheyenne inherited a valley far larger than the modern river needs. The result is a broad, wooded trench winding through the prairie, its slopes and bottomlands holding trees where the open plains above hold grass.

That contrast is what makes the drive memorable. One moment you are up on rolling prairie with the horizon running away in every direction, and the next you dip into a shaded corridor of oaks and cottonwoods with the river glinting below. The valley shelters more wildlife and plant life than the surrounding farmland, and in autumn the hardwoods turn the whole corridor gold and russet.

The village of Fort Ransom takes its name from a military post established nearby in 1867, one of a line of frontier forts built to guard the wagon and stage routes across Dakota Territory during a time of conflict on the northern plains. The fort itself was short-lived, but the settlement that grew up in the valley endured, drawing Norwegian and other Scandinavian homesteaders who farmed the bottomlands and hillsides.

Today the little town preserves that pioneer past. A restored grist mill on the river recalls the era when local farmers hauled their grain to be ground into flour, and the surrounding countryside still carries the marks of the homesteaders who broke this ground. Long before any of them arrived, this valley was Dakota country, part of the homeland of the Dakota people whose ties to the region run deep.

Fort Ransom State Park sits in the heart of the valley, a quiet park of wooded slopes, prairie ridges, and river bottom laced with trails for hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing in winter. The park keeps a working pioneer farmstead and hosts seasonal events that recall the valley's homesteading days, from threshing shows to sleigh rides.

Running through the same country is the North Country National Scenic Trail, a long-distance footpath that stretches across the northern United States. Its route crosses the Sheyenne Valley here, and day hikers can walk a stretch of it through the woods and prairie above the river, following the same ridges and river bends that the byway traces by car.

The scenic byway is best taken slowly, with time to pull off at overlooks, walk the grist mill, and wander the state park. Parts of the route are paved and parts are gravel, so it pays to check road conditions and to take the gravel stretches gently, especially after rain. Services are sparse, so it is wise to start with a full tank and some food and water.

Each season offers something different. Spring greens the valley and brings wildflowers to the prairie slopes, summer is lush and full of birdsong, and fall lights the hardwoods along the river in the valley's most celebrated display. Even winter has its appeal, when the bare trees and snow-dusted prairie give the drive a stark beauty.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.