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Located on the grassy plains near the confluence of the Missouri and Heart rivers, Fort Abraham Lincoln is North Dakota’s oldest state park. Established in 1907 to commemorate a 1700s US Army outpost, the park offers a look at America’s early years, as well as even longer ago when the Mandan peoples called this area home. The park is located about 7 miles south of the town of Mandan, and about 200 miles east of Fargo. In addition to its historical significance, the park is also noted for its diverse, high prairie landscape and exceptional views. More than 16 miles of multiuse trails are available for summer and winter roaming among the park’s prairies, woods, and shrublands.
Abraham Lincoln State Park offers more than 100 tent and RV campsites, in addition to camping cabins and Cheyenne tipis. Most sites are open and grassy, and equipped with electrical and water hookups, picnic tables and fire pits; pull-through sites can accommodate large RVs and trailers. Amenities in the campground include both flush and vault toilets, showers, water faucets, playgrounds, picnic shelters, Wifi service, and a dump station. There are also corrals available for horse campers. Additional park features include a visitor center, coffee and gift shop, and an outdoor amphitheater. Dogs must remain leashed unless in designated areas. Camping is available year-round; sites are $17–$25/night; tipis are $35/night, and cabins $60/night; reservations accepted.
There are plenty of things to do at Fort Abraham Lincoln, including hiking, biking, horseback riding, and fishing, but the main attractions are the park’s historical area and Mandan village. The historical area has replicas of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer’s home, as well as a barracks building, stables and blockhouses. Tours are available during summer months. The Mandan On-a-Slant Village—named so for the sloping ground it rests on—features several “Earthlodges” constructed in similar fashion to those used by the native peoples for homes and meeting places. A trolley runs through the park with stops at both historic locations, in addition to going to the nearby town of Mandan.
$15 - $85 / night
Scout
Planning a hike to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in North Dakota motivated me to learn more about the diverse landscapes and natural wonders of the U.S. national parks. It is remarkable to see the diversity of environments protected in these parks, from rugged mountains to vast deserts and dense forests. As I prepare for my outdoor adventure at Fort Abraham Lincoln, I am inspired to consider future trips to explore the beauty and biodiversity preserved in the US National Park system, which I learned more about by reading https://www.agmglobalvision.com/u-s-national-parks. Each visit promises an unforgettable experience of immersing yourself in the splendor of nature.
Traveler
At arriving, there is plenty of shade. To be the only ones there, with the exception of an occasional visitor to the park. Dumpster close for getting rid of any trash! Water spigot works.... but this like the picnic tables and porta potty were covered in webs, bring something to dust! Bathroom is stocked appropriately and easy to find past the covered picnic tables. Had a nice secluded spot for ourselves. If you're looking for electric-they have it! Downside, it may not work.... it didn't for us. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise!
GuideThis park is beautiful. The restrooms are clean and the showers are very nice as well. Lush green grass and friendly rangers
LegendWe came in on a Saturday and it was packed...spots a little close together for my liking, but it was quiet overall. Lots of family enjoying family time with their kids. Once Sunday afternoon hit, everyone cleared out getting ready for the workweek.
The park staff was super friendly, bathrooms were the cleanest I have seen. I uploaded pictures. I had an awesome shower. Trail access from the campsites and of course the history!!
We walked the on a slant village, the forts overlooking the Missouri river and of course General Custer's house and the barracks. Such a neat parks with lots to do!
Mosquitos were bad when we were here surprisingly. I was getting bit every second, so I got a gazebo shelter so we could enjoy the outdoors without getting bit to death. Had a fire our final night which also helped.
RangerGreat state park that is well maintained. Had an electric and water site. Bathhouse was clean with nice showers. Fishing, biking/hiking, and visiting the historic sites are things to do here. I did have to change sites because the pedestal on site 1 was too close to the road.
TravelerSimple to find and easy to get in & out Along the rivers. Beautiful drive down into river valley!
LegendThis state park and the corresponding campground(CG) were easy to find off I 94 and then through Mandan. You check in at the gate where along with your camping fees, you still have to purchase an ND state-park vehicle pass for$7 a day or$35 a year. We then proceeded to back-in site 71 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). The back-in was easy and the site was plenty long enough for our 39’ 5th wheel and F450. We received an electrical error from our Watch Dog surge protector and went back to the gate and reported the issue. A ranger showed up about 5 minutes later and swapped the 50 AMP breaker so all was good. We shared a water post with our neighbor and had great water pressure of 60+ so used a reducer. We got quite a few OTA channels and could have used our satellite. We also got 2 bars each on Verizon and T-Mobile. Site 71 had a nice-sized front yard. The rangers regularly patrol the CG and there’s firewood plus ice for sale near the camp host site. There are plenty of trails to explore either by walking or biking. In addition, the state park has a lot of Custer-era calvary history. Be sure to check out the park’s visitor center then visit the Slant Indian Village that’s adjacent to the visitor center. Be careful when selecting a pull-through site, as most, if not all of them, are actually set up as two sites. So, if you were to arrive after your neighbor, you will actually be backing into your site. We enjoyed our 3-day stay and would not hesitate to come back.
GuideSite 101 has a great view of the river.
The Mandan village was interesting and the hike around the park had nice views.
Bathrooms and showers were fine.
TravelerWe were pleased to find a nice, clean, quiet campground here.
GuideWe were last minute and got the last spot for the weekend in the South Loop. Looks like the North Loop may be more popular because it has views of the river.
Our site was a double pull through and because of the way it is set up our fire ring and table were opposite of our front door! The other half was the other way. Not all sites are like this though.
We caught sight of a bald eagle sitting in a tree over the river!
We were able to build a fire because fire restrictions were lifted.
There are teepees to rent and camp close to the river! Beautiful spots!
Bicycle trails were fun and lead to all the historic sites and one even leads out of the park and into the town of Mandan.
GuideThe camp around this area is very plain. And when I’m mean plain I mean the GREAAAT Plains! We had a whole bunch of fun learning about the camp and General Custard. There is a bunch of history and many happy faces in this area. Everything you would need here is only a stone throw away. We enjoyed all the surround community and the bike/hiking trails the most.
If I were to do one thing over, I would have stayed here for more than 4 days. Much to do and see.
GuideI throughly enjoyed this park. Very affordable and plenty of room between campers. We had so much fun riding bike and viewing the river!
We viewed the Custard House and it was very interesting as well, it’s a must see!
This site was very quiet and the park rangers are always patrolling it felt very safe here.
RangerAnother well maintained campground and even better state park with tons of different things to do with the entire family. For the campground there are tons of trees that offer great shade and trails for walking. The shower house is very clean and felt"modern" for a state park. If you like history and camping this is your spot.
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TravelerThis was our maiden voyage in our first camper! South loop Campsite 36 was easy to park. Our electrical and water hookups were close. Dump station was easy. We were right next to comfort station which was well maintained. Kid Park was new and close to our site. There was lots of bike and walking trails. Since you are a state park expect fees but I think it helped keep the park quiet. It is right along the river and in walking distance to the forts, museum, historic Indian village, train ride and trails. Great for families of all ages!
TravelerVery nice campground right on the Missouri River. Lots of walking/bike trails, playground for kids and places to fish on the river. Some pull through and other shared campsites share a water source so make sure to bring a water splitter as sometimes there is not one on the spigot and campground does not always have extras! Plenty of space between campers. Lots of young families RV camping here.
TravelerGreat campground for the family. There is a nice restroom and each site is spacious. There is also a nice dump station available too.
GuideThey have 9 tent spots and it’s 360 view from the mountain. Priceless and can see the Milky Way. Fav site
LegendStayed at Fort Abraham Lincoln 3 nights last June. Beautiful park on the Missouri River. Campground was clean and quiet. Nice shower house. Large, level sites. Fort Abraham Lincoln was General Custer’s headquarters before he left for the Little Big Horn. Lots of hiking and history and wildlife.
TravelerClean Campground. Tent area and multiple camper pads. Vault toilets available. Ranger programs available. Right in the heart of Ft. Abraham Lincoln. Lots to do--visit the Block houses, Gen. Custer's home, commissary, etc. Close to Mandan and Bismarck (State Capitol)
LegendThis is a nice park that is worth an overnight to learn about expedition history, native Mandan culture, and more. The park is a stop of. the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail , which was the draw for us. The park has a nice campground, with RV sites set back jn the trees and large tent sites right in the Missouri River! There are also camper cabins to rent. The park has a nice visitor center with terrific displays, moany aboutLewis and Clark, also a reconstructed Mandan encampment, plus the home and barracks of Custer and his cavalry. Running through the park is a cool trolley that takes you to historic points within the park, then on into the town of Mandan 6 miles away. The campgrounds have nice bath houses, plus a playground for kids and naturalist programs with an enthusiastic staff. Nice experience!
LegendWhat a great park for families! That was my first thought. It just looks like a great place for kids to play. There's a playground, wide open spaces, easy trails, a river, and remnants of the fort and an Indian village. There's a paved bike path that you can take from the campground all the way to Bismarck (10+ miles). Or you can ride over to the cavalry and infantry areas of the fort and to the Indian village.
There is a separate $7/day entrance fee in addition to the camping fee. We chose a primitive site (no water, no electric) because those sites are along the river, and the fee was $17. Sites with electricity and water are $25. There are also a couple tipis for $35 and two cabins for $60. There is a clean shower facility plus other restrooms. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, and there's a dump station. We have camped at so many Forest Service sites that all these amenities make it feel like glamping!
My only complaint is that there is no path from the primitive sites to a restroom other than the road. It would have been nice if there were a few paths between sites. No one wants to take a long route to a restroom in the middle of the night. And cutting through an occupied site is poor camping etiquette.
ScoutIt was a little loud the night we were there and some campers didn’t have much respect for campsites but that’s not the parks fault. Great hiking, all sorts of trails for all kinds of exploring. Lots of helpful staff and historic attractions to admire and appreciate. I’m used to having more privacy and space when camping but like I said, this isn’t the campgrounds fault. We would definitely camp here again.
TravelerWe loved staying here. The employees are super friendly and the park is clean and well maintained. Some sites are not real level but we made it work. There is a lot do do nearby with hiking trails, fishing, historical sites and so on. Just far enough out of town but easy to get to on a nice highway. Playground for the kids can be seen from most sites. Convenient showers nearby. Very nice. We'll stay there again.
ScoutGreat sites with beautiful trees and it’s a quiet relaxing place that is pet friendly. There are also a lot of history in the area from the Lewis and Clark days!
GuideThe sites are in big loops so there is lots of room for kids to run in the grass safely. There are fun historic places to drive or hike too. The blockhouses and Mandan Indian Village are must sees. You can't access the river if you bring a boat and there isn't a swimming spot.
ScoutGreat park close to Mandan ND
GuideNice restoration has been done here, any fans of the famed 1/7 calvary must visit. Nice areas to let my dog run, and great rv sites as well
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Bismarck, ND?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Bismarck, ND is Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 25 reviews.
