Pack Up the Kids! Williston and These ND Towns Are Perfect for a Summer Getaway

Summer will be here before you know it. Kids will be out, and the urge to head out will be strong. North Dakota has some great options when it comes to vacation spots.

World Atlas has done the hard work and put together the 7 coolest towns to visit in 2025.

Medora, North Dakota

Medora is North Dakota's summer show town, at the entrance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park's South Unit. Every night from June to September, Burning Hills Amphitheatre hosts the Medora Musical, celebrating its 60th season in 2025 with country tunes, can-can dancers, and a spectacular sunset background. Attend the open-air Pitchfork Steak Fondue for a scrumptious rib-eye dish flash-fried over an open fire. Tickets are available early for added excitement.

The Maah Daah Hey Trail, a 144-mile single-track trail, is popular among mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners for daylight adventures. Enjoy golf? Visit Bully Pulpit Golf Course, USA Today's top public course for 2025, available from April to October. One of the most popular hotels is the historic Rough Riders Hotel, which has first volumes of Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt's works.

Get our free mobile app

Valley City, North Dakota

Valley City, known as the “City of Bridges,” features the astounding Hi-Line Railroad Bridge on the Sheyenne River. In 1908, a 3,860-foot single-track bridge was built 162 feet above the valley level. Watching trains pass over it is always exciting. Train enthusiasts should visit the Rosebud Visitor Center, which houses an 1881 Northern Pacific superintendent's railcar. Consider driving the 63-mile Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway to Baldhill Dam and Standing Rock Historic Site.

Jamestown, North Dakota

“Buffalo City,” Jamestown, merits its wonderful nickname. Dakota Thunder, a 26-foot concrete bison, guards Interstate 94 and the National Buffalo Museum nearby. This must-see attraction contains a live bison herd and explains the environmental and cultural aspects of these majestic plains beasts.

Jamestown welcomes summer 2025 with the Fort Seward Wagon Train, a week-long event from June 22-28. This family-friendly event involves daytime hiking and horseback riding between prairie campsites and nighttime campfire stories. Fort Seward Post offers fascinating interpretative tours. At night, downtown's Gladstone Inn & Suites has 16 themed rooms, a heated indoor pool, and easy access to Frontier Village stores and the North American Bison Discovery Center.

Read More: Retiring Soon? See Why North Dakota’s a Top Pick

Devils Lake, North Dakota

Fishing fans love Devils Lake, North Dakota's largest natural lake, for its record walleye. If fishing and the outdoors are your thing, visit Grahams Island State Park. It's one of the state's few densely forested campgrounds, where you can rent a boat for a pleasure cruise, fishing trip, or kayaking (led fishing tours and sunset cruises are available). Bison and elk can be seen in White Horse Hill National Game Preserve, a few miles south of town.

Other 2025 warm-weather events include the 33rd Annual Devils Run Car Show. It draws about 800 historic cars for parades and shows from May 30 to June 1. Spirit Lake Casino & Resort, famed for concerts and gambling, and Woodland Resort, where you can rent a lakefront house or RV, are popular accommodations.

Minot, North Dakota

If you've ever imagined vacationing in Scandinavia, Minot may be for you. The town has a significant Nordic past due to its early Swedish settlers, as shown at Scandinavian past Park. Free attractions include a Gol stave church model, a 25-foot Swedish Dala horse, and a Danish windmill.

Air enthusiasts should visit the Dakota Territory Air Museum. This fantastic museum has one of the Midwest's greatest collections of airworthy WWII aircraft, some of which are being tested. Another fun family activity is the Roosevelt Park Zoo, which this year adds an African Plains giraffe experience. Spend summer nights at the chic Hotel Revel for a relaxing vacation.

Dickinson, North Dakota

Dickinson, an oil boomtown turned commercial and tourism powerhouse, is a great base for Badlands exploration. The Badlands Dinosaur Museum, with its giant tyrannosaur cast and fossils, is a summer vacation highlight. Roughrider Days Fair & Expo is a highlight in early summer. Professional rodeos, a demolition derby, and Independence Day pyrotechnics will take place from mid-June to July 4, 2025.

Like cool outdoor activities? Paddle and relax at Patterson Lake Recreation Area. Consider staying at the Astoria Hotel & Event Center, which offers spacious suites with kitchenettes, an indoor splash park for youngsters, and a free airport shuttle.

Williston, North Dakota

Williston, near the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, is a great summer vacation spot. Costumed traders, musicians, and re-enactors attend Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site's Rendezvous in June to start summer. Experience historical crafts, campfire cooking, and engage with costumed reenactors at this popular living-history festival. The Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center, located five miles downstream, offers insight about the Lewis and Clark Expedition's 1805 camping site.

Drive 25 minutes east of town to Lewis & Clark State Park on Lake Sakakawea. Along with marina slips, boat and kayak rentals, the area offers multi-use trails into the Badlands. Anglers can capture a trophy walleye, while birders can spot white pelicans along the shore. In Williston, Landmark Suites offers spacious suites with kitchenettes and outdoor barbecues, ideal for extended fishing trips.

North Dakota's top towns demonstrate that holiday fun doesn't require big city energy. These seven cool North Dakota villages will make your 2025 summer vacation unforgettable with less congestion, easy parking, and friendly residents. Pack your bags and head around the Peace Garden State for lots of summer fun.