Crossing North Dakota

[ikelikebike]

I plan on crossing N.D. to check out the Maah Daah Hey Trail. I will be
leaving the MN/Canadian border country early July. I'm looking at going
out via N.D. State Hwy 5, & back via N.D. State Hwy. 200. Any road info.
would be much appreciated. I plan on camping most nights, but hotel/
motel when desire. i know part of the N. tier Route goes from Minot to
Fargo might check that out also, but want to take different routes each
way. Any Advice?

[RussellSeaton]

Contact the CANDISC organizer in North Dakota.  He runs the week long loop ride from Garrison State Park, north of Bismarck.  He would likely have good advice on roads and could probably supply you with the routes used on CANDISC.  Some of these roads could be used on your trip.

[Ike]

I rode ND 200 much of the way across North Dakota in 2004 and found it to be a great road for cycling.  Towns are sparse but not too sparse, traffic was light, people were friendly, and the scenery gets better and better as you head west.  I was able to camp for free much of the way in the small towns that dot the road.  Get a North Dakota visitor guide (one of those official looking travel publications available for free) from www.ndtourism.com/ and follow the link for free brochures.  I just picked one of these up before I entered the state and used the campground info in it to help me decide where I would stay.  I don't know if it still has the same info in it now as it did then, but it did say what towns had campgrounds and/or allowed camping in the town park and which ones where free.

North Dakota was one of the best states I road through that summer.  Enjoy.

Ike