Crow Flies High Rest Area | Bismarck

Location and Setting

Perched on a high bluff overlooking Lake Sakakawea, Crow Flies High Rest Area sits just west of New Town in northwestern North Dakota. The site lies along Highway 23, providing a breathtaking vantage point over the Missouri River Valley. From here, visitors can see miles of open water, rolling prairie, and the faint traces of where the original Missouri River once wound its way through the Badlands. The elevation gives an expansive, almost cinematic view - especially at sunrise or late afternoon, when the light stretches across the lake’s surface.

Historical Background

The overlook takes its name from Chief Crow Flies High, a Hidatsa leader who guided his people through the late 1800s, a time of transition and displacement. The Hidatsa, along with the Mandan and Arikara nations, formed the Three Affiliated Tribes, who lived and farmed along the Missouri River long before the arrival of settlers.

The rest area stands close to the site of Old Sanish, a town that once thrived on the riverbank but was lost beneath the waters of Lake Sakakawea after the construction of Garrison Dam in the 1950s. Today, interpretive panels recount how the dam’s creation reshaped the region-displacing communities, altering the river’s path, and flooding ancestral lands that had been inhabited for centuries.

Scenic Overlook and Visitor Experience

The viewing platform offers a sweeping, unobstructed look over Lake Sakakawea and the rugged terrain that lines its shores. On clear days, you can spot Four Bears Bridge, an elegant modern span that stretches across the lake to connect the surrounding reservations and communities. The contrast between the lake’s calm blue expanse and the tan, weathered cliffs gives the scene a layered, almost timeless quality.

Visitors often pause here not only to take photographs but also to absorb the silence and sense of scale. The area’s remoteness creates an atmosphere that feels contemplative-only the wind and the distant cry of gulls disturb the stillness. Binoculars reveal fishing boats gliding across the water and patches of prairie grass shifting in the breeze.

Interpretation and Cultural Significance

The rest area doubles as a small outdoor museum, with detailed displays that explain the region’s geological formation, tribal history, and the environmental impact of damming the Missouri River. One panel includes an artist’s rendering of the original river valley before flooding, helping visitors visualize how the land once appeared.

For the Three Affiliated Tribes, this overlook is more than a scenic stop-it’s a reminder of endurance. The story of Chief Crow Flies High and his people’s adaptation to change still resonates in the wind-swept quiet of the bluffs. The site has become a symbolic place to honor Native heritage and to reflect on the balance between progress and preservation.

Practical Information

Crow Flies High Rest Area is open year-round and includes a paved parking area, restrooms, and picnic tables. There’s no entry fee, and the site is well-maintained by the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Most travelers visit as part of a drive through the Fort Berthold Reservation or en route to other nearby landmarks such as Four Bears Casino, Four Bears Bridge, and Lake Sakakawea State Park.

The best times to visit are during early morning or sunset, when the changing light transforms the colors of the lake and cliffs-shifting from gold to rose and deep blue as the day ends.

Closing Impression

Crow Flies High Rest Area combines the sweep of open plains with the gravity of a cultural landmark. It’s a place where you can trace the story of a people, the rise of a lake, and the transformation of a valley-all in one wide, unforgettable view. Standing at the edge of the bluff, you sense not just the power of nature, but the quiet persistence of history that still echoes through the wind.