Best Day Trips from Jamestown, ND

You don’t need to take an extended leave of absence from work to plan a little getaway. Jamestown is where I-94 crosses US-281, which makes it one of the easiest places in North Dakota to leave for the day, have a memorable adventure, and still be back for dinner.  

Fargo, ND to Jamestown, ND is about an hour and a half. Bismarck is the same distance the other way. Aberdeen is under two hours south, and Minot is a long but doable drive northwest. Valley City and Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge can fill a half day closer to home.  

If you’re looking for a little excitement, you just need a full tank and a plan. Here are the best day trips from Jamestown, ND, and some of the fun activities at each destination.  

Shorter Day Trips Close to Jamestown 

Valley City is 35 miles east on I-94, about a 35-minute drive, and it's known as the City of Bridges for the eight historic spans that cross the Sheyenne River in town. The biggest is the Hi-Line Bridge, a 3,860-foot railroad bridge that stands 162 feet above the valley floor. Medicine Wheel Park on the Valley City State University campus has the best view of this bridge, along with a working stone solar calendar, a scale model of the solar system, and 30 acres of trails. The self-guided bridge tour starts at the Rosebud Visitor Center downtown, and there are  kayak rentals at Bjornson Park to enjoy time on the Sheyenne River. 

Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge is about 30 miles north of Jamestown near Pingree, with nearly 16,000 acres of prairie and wetlands along 14 miles of the James River, and more than 250 bird species have been recorded here. The 5.5-mile auto tour route, open from spring until rifle deer season in early November, is the easy way to see it. You can stop at the observation deck over the river. Spring and fall migrations bring the most birds, and sharp-tailed grouse and white-tailed deer are around all year. 

Fargo (About 1.5 Hours East) 

Fargo, ND to Jamestown, ND is about 95 miles on I-94, and since Fargo is the biggest city in the state, it's the trip for shopping, concerts, and a night out. Downtown Broadway is the place to start, with local shops, restaurants, breweries, and the 1926 Fargo Theatre marquee, as well as the lively Red River Market on Saturdays from July through October.  

The Plains Art Museum is a few blocks off Broadway, and admission is free. The Red River Zoo keeps cold-climate animals like red pandas and gray wolves, and the Fargo Air Museum next to the airport has two hangars of vintage aircraft. Across the river in Moorhead, the Hjemkomst Center holds a full-size Viking ship that locals built and sailed to Norway in 1982. West Acres, the largest mall in the state, is on the way home. 

Bismarck (About 1.5 Hours West) 

The drive to Bismarck, ND, from Jamestown, ND, is just under 100 miles on I-94. The State Capitol is a 19-story tower from the 1930s with a free observation deck on the 18th floor. The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum on the same grounds is also free. The museum is home to the largest collections of Plains Indian artifacts in the country and a mummified dinosaur named Dakota.  

From there, it's a short drive to the Dakota Zoo along the Missouri River or to the Lewis and Clark Riverboat for a 90-minute cruise between Memorial Day and Labor Day. South of the river in Mandan, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park has reconstructed Mandan earthlodges and the house Custer lived in before Little Bighorn. You can also enjoy views over the Missouri  River, but be aware that a state park pass is required. Kirkwood Mall offers plenty of stores for shopping, and downtown has some of the best restaurants in central North Dakota. 

Minot (About 2.5 to 3 Hours Northwest) 

The trip to Minot, ND, from Jamestown, ND, is about 170 miles on US-52 through Carrington, just under three hours each way. If you want to make this trip, plan an early start or make it an overnight excursion.  

The Scandinavian Heritage Park is the main draw, with a full-size replica of Norway's Gol Stave Church, a 30-foot Swedish Dala horse, a Danish windmill, and a Finnish sauna, with beautiful grounds that spread over 14 acres. The North Dakota State Fair takes over the fairgrounds for nine days every July with concerts, a rodeo, and the biggest carnival in the state, while Minot's Roosevelt Park Zoo is the oldest zoo in the state. They house animals from tigers and warthogs to armadillos!  

Aberdeen, SD (About 1 Hour 45 Minutes South) 

The drive from Jamestown to Aberdeen, SD is about 115 miles straight south on US-281, so you should plan for just under two hours on the road. Aberdeen's calling card is Storybook Land in Wylie Park, a free park built around nursery rhymes and the Land of Oz. The Oz attractions have a strong local tie, since L. Frank Baum lived in Aberdeen before he wrote the books.  

Storybook Land is open from mid-April through mid-October, and the rest of Wylie Park's 210 acres has numerous attractions to offer. You can visit a swimming beach on Lake Minne-Eho, drive go-karts, play mini golf, hit the water in paddleboats, explore a small zoo with bison, and wander miles of paved trails. Downtown, the Dacotah Prairie Museum is free and housed in an 1889 bank building, the historic Capitol Theatre shows movies and community theater, and Main Street has plenty of dinner options. 

Living the Good Life in Jamestown 

The best road trip can be disappointing if you aren't excited to come home after a long day on the road. If you want to live somewhere central but still comfortable, consider Deer Ridge Apartments.  

With a convenient location on 12th Avenue NE, near Jamestown Regional Airport and a few minutes from I-94 and US-281, our community is close to where you want to be. We offer studio, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments with open floor plans, large closets, Smart Home features, in-home washers and dryers, and private patios or balconies. 

Our heated underground parking means no scraping windshields before a winter drive, and our incredible community room has a fireplace, a brick pizza oven for any resident to use, and a game room with a pool table, with stainless steel grills under the pergola outside. Reach out to our on-site team to schedule a tour, and you'll be living the good life at Deer Ridge Apartments before you know it!