Bismarck Parks and Gardens

(Bismarck, North Dakota - ND, USA)

There are many attractive and very useable green spaces within the city of Bismarck, with the various gardens and public parks often being used by both locals and visitors to the capital for recreational purposes.

Established in the latter years of the 1920s, the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District manages many of these parks and gardens (more than 800 hectares / 2,000 acres), as well as some open-air swimming pools and public golf courses.

The expansive North Dakota State Capitol Grounds provide an especially green centerpiece to the city, featuring manicured lawns and colorful flower borders, along with various memorials and statues. Numerous public festivals take place each year within the grounds, with the Independence Day celebrations each July 4th being a particular highlight.

General Information

Serving as a major attraction on the southern side of Bismarck, the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park is of historical significance, since it is home to the old remains of a Mandan Indian earth lodge village (named 'On A Slant Village'), as well as a historic fortress. It was here where US cavalry commander George Armstrong Custer rode out with the 7th US Cavalry in 1876, to fight the Sioux Indians at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where Custer and all of his troops were killed.

If you are coming to Bismarck and looking to camp, then the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park is worth considering, since there are close to 100 different camping sites spread around this 400-hectare / 1,000-acre park. Other attractions here include trails suitable for horse riding and hiking, a visitors center / museum, fishing, children's play areas and shelters used for picnicking.

Based alongside the Missouri River and on the southwestern side of downtown Bismarck, Sertoma Park stretches for just over 3 miles / 5 km and enjoys high visitor numbers, since it is where you will find the Dakota Zoo. The Super Slide Amusement Park is also located here, together with riverside cycling trails and docks, where the Lewis and Clark Riverboat gathers passengers on a regular basis.

Riverboats also depart from the Fox Island Landing and the General Sibley Park, while just outside of the city are a number of man-made lakes, created by dams. These include the McDowell Dam Lake, which is located roughly 6 miles / 10 km to the east of Bismarck and offers various recreational activities, natural beaches, eateries and boating.

A few blocks to the east of the North Dakota State Capitol Grounds, the Lions Park can be reached via the East Boulevard Avenue and is approximately 12 hectares / 30 acres in size. Lions Park was founded in the late 1920s and is known in Bismarck for its tennis courts, children's playground, pleasant landscaped gardens and disc golf course, while in the winter, this is a good place to come for sledding and ice skating.