Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
Between 1828 and 1867, Fort Union was the most important fur trade post on the Upper Missouri River. Here, the Assiniboine and six other Northern Plains Tribes exchanged buffalo robes and smaller furs for goods from around the world, including cloth, guns, blankets, and beads. A bastion of peaceful coexistence, the post annually traded over 25,000 buffalo robes and $100,000 in merchandise.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Park Hours | Varies by day ▾
|
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 26, 2026Closed Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Closed Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027Closed New Years Day | Closed |
When to go
June draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Bourgeois House Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Located in the center of the fort's courtyard is the Bourgeois House Visitor Center. The reconstructed building documents Fort Union's life and history through exhibits and park videos. The exhibits include artifacts recovered during the extensive archaeological excavations.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- Tour Fort Union Trading Post30-120 Minutes
Tour through history as you explore Fort Union Trading Post NHS.
Opens on the Park Service site - Watch the Fort Union Trading Post Orientation Film9-9 Minutes
Learn how Fort Union Trading Post became an epicenter for trade between the Assiniboine and other Northern Plains Tribes and Euro-American fur traders.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Fort Union's Trade House5-30 Minutes
The Trade House was one of the most important buildings at Fort Union. It was in the Reception Room where Tribal leaders met with the American Fur Company Traders to discuss the terms of the trade and also where stories were told, and small feasts…
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Jr. Ranger and Jr. Trader at Fort Union30-90 Minutes
Kids of all ages are invited to explore Fort Union Trading Post NHS through the Junior Ranger & Junior Trader programs! Pick up a free Junior Ranger booklet at the Bourgeois House Visitor Center. The program typically takes around 1 hour to complete.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
News
- 43rd Annual Fort Union Rendezvous ↗2026-05-23
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is set to come alive with the sights, sounds, smells and excitement of the American Frontier during the annual Rendezvous taking place June 18-21, 2026.
- Prescribed Burn Planned at Fort Union Trading Post NHS ↗2026-05-05
The National Park Service has scheduled a prescribed fire on federal lands in Williams County this Spring depending on environmental conditions.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Fairview Lift BridgeStructure · Cartwright · 6 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Montana's national parks and the Rocky Mountains
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 102 birds, 24 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsCooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech-Owl · Sharp-shinned Hawk · bald eagle · great horned owl · marsh hawk · prairie falcon · red-tailed hawk · turkey vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican White Pelican · American wigeon · Common Merganser · Northern Pintail · Wood Duck · blue-winged teal · canada goose · common goldeneye · double-crested cormorant · great blue heron · green-winged teal · western grebe
Shorebirds & seabirdsCaspian Tern · Common Tern · Forster's Tern · Franklin's Gull · Least Tern · Marbled Godwit · Spotted Sandpiper · Wilson's Phalarope · Wilson's Snipe · california gull · killdeer · ring-billed gull
Gamebirds & dovesRock Dove · Wild Turkey · mourning dove · ring-necked pheasant
Woodpeckerscommon flicker · downy woodpecker · hairy woodpecker · red-headed woodpecker
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American kestral · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-headed Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Brown Thrasher · Bullock's Oriole · European Starling · Field Sparrow · Indigo Bunting · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Tree Swallow · Veery · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · Yellow-headed Blackbird · american goldfinch · american redstart · american robin · bank swallow · barn swallow · boblink · brewer's blackbird · brown-headed cowbird · cedar waxwing · chipping sparrow · clay-colored sparrow · cliff swallow · common grackle · common nighthawk · common yellowthroat · eastern kingbird · gadwall · gray catbird · horned lark · house wren · lark sparrow · lazuli bunting · least flycatcher · loggerhead shrike · mallard · northern oriole · northern shoveler · red-eyed vireo · red-winged blackbird · song sparrow · sora · spotted towhee · vesper sparrow · warbling vireo · western kingbird · western meadowlark · western wood pewee · yellow warbler · yellow-breasted chat
Small mammalsHouse Mouse · Meadow Jumping Mouse · Northern Pocket Gopher · Olive-backed Pocket Mouse · Richardson ground squirrel · Southern Red-backed Vole · beaver · deer mouse · grasshopper mouse · harvest mouse · least chipmunk · meadow vole · mole shrew · porcupine · thirteen-line ground squirrel · white-footed mouse
Predatorslong-tailed weasel · raccoon
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
BatsLong-legged Myotis · Small-footed Myotis · big brown bat · little brown bat
Also on the checklistdomestic dog
Activities
Weather & climate
Weather in western North Dakota can be harsh, with extremes in temperature and sudden, violent storms. Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions. Summers are warm with average high temperatures in the 80s-90s May through September. Winters are cold with average lows in the single digits December through February. Wind is considerable year-round. Conditions can change quickly. Travelers should be aware of the potential for violent thunderstorms in the summer and the possibility of blizzards.
Questions people ask
Does Fort Union Trading Post charge an entrance fee?
No. Fort Union Trading Post is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Fort Union Trading Post?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is closed on Sunday and Monday. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Fort Union Trading Post?
9,808 recreation visits in 2025, number 351 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
When was Fort Union Trading Post established?
1966.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Fort Union Trading Post?
Weather in western North Dakota can be harsh, with extremes in temperature and sudden, violent storms. Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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