Sheyenne River Valley
National Scenic Byway
(63 miles)
The Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway, in the southeastern corner of the state, was North Dakota’s first nationally recognized Scenic Byway. The tree-lined, rolling hills of this valley are speckled with quaint towns and farmsteads, which have an Americana charm. In addition to nature and scenery at its best, archaeology, history, culture, and recreation are all found here, offering something for everyone.
Location
Beginning at Bald Hill Dam on Barnes County Highway 21 along Barnes County highways 17 and 19, through Valley City proceeding on Barnes County Highway 21 to Lisbon.
Top 5 points of interest
- Baldhill Dam – The dam, named for the surrounding hills, was completed in 1951. Lake Ashtabula, which is a Native American word for "fish river", stretches for 27 miles of excellent fishing and recreational opportunities. Enjoy the camping areas, resorts, watercraft rental and convenient fish cleaning stations located along the lake.
- Rosebud Visitor Center in Valley City (byway.hellovalley.com) – Offering information on the many attractions found along the byway, this visitor center is also home to the Rosebud, an 1881 Northern Pacific Superintendent’s Car. Displays on the railroad and area history, including the ND Agricultural Hall of Fame, are found within.
- Clausen Springs – This 540 acre park has been a prime camping spot for hundreds of years drawing American Indians, fur trappers, and hunters. Today the area still remains a popular camping spot offering a 50-acre lake, fishing, canoeing, boating, nature trails, bicycling, picnicking, a playground, and camping.
- Walker Dam / Wadeson Cabin – Myron Walker built a dam at this site around 1906 preparing to move his flour mill closer to a new road and the town of Kathryn, but when the dam was undercut during some water rights issues and washed out, Walker was forced to give up the idea. The dam here now was built by the WPA during the depression, but remnants of the older dam are still visible. Nearby visitors will find the historic hand-hewn oak log Wadeson home built in 1878. The interpretive panel located at this site reveals the art of cabin building and gives the history of this “bachelor’s pad”.
- Standing Rock State Historic Site – This site, called Inyan Bosendata by Sioux Indians who consider it sacred, is home to a rock, four feet tall and shaped like an inverted cone, which stands on a complex of prehistoric burial mounds dating from the Woodland Period (A.D. 0-1400). There is a marker on the site.
- Fort Ransom State Park – Fort Ransom State Park, which takes its name from a 1860s military fort, offers abundant recreational opportunities a short segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail. A farmstead within the park is the setting for the annual Sodbuster Days celebration, with demonstrations and exhibits of homesteading life.
- Fort Ransom State Historic Site – This site marks the location of a 200-man military post built in 1867. Although building locations and the dry moat, once eight feet deep, are still clearly discernible, nothing else remains of the original fort or its twelve-feet-high sod and log stockade. Interpretive markers are on site
