here is probably a spot, somewhere in western North Dakota along The Dakota Trail, where Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacagawea, Sitting Bull, George Custer and Teddy Roosevelt all walked on the same piece of ground. Where the footprints of those American legends converge is a powerful place. Without doubt there was a tree, a bluff, a particular bend of the river that these characters, some of the most famous people of the last two hundred years, all saw from the same vantage.

oday's travelers can have that vantage, too. The preserved history, the tranquil views, the West at its best, are found in living heritage sites of the Dakota Trail, a Lazy L laid on the map of North Dakota, running north-south along the Missouri River and stretching out west to the beautiful badlands.

he winter quarters of Lewis and Clark are rebuilt near the city of Washburn, on the free-flowing Missouri about 40 miles north of Bismarck. Fort Mandan, key stop on The Dakota Trail, and an associated Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center are the best places in America to learn about the epic Lewis and Clark story and their first winter in the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. Sacagawea's home, one of the five Knife River Indian Villages, is preserved as a National Historic Site just a few miles west of Washburn.

ismarck, North Dakota's capital city offers travelers' amenities including great restaurants and fine hotels, along with the state's Heritage Center. Across the Missouri River, south of Mandan, Fort Lincoln State Park is the second must-see stop on The Dakota Trail. This was Custer's fort, from whence he rode out to battle Sitting Bull, coincidentally built on the site of an abandoned Mandan Indian village noted in the Lewis and Clark journals. Living history tours by uniformed soldiers explore the reconstructed Custer House and guided tours of the Mandan's On-a-Slant Indian Village investigate that rich culture.

edora, a little cowtown in a spectacular place, attracted young Theodore Roosevelt in 1883. One of his ranch cabins remains there within the boundaries of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The scenic loop tour of the park is one of the finest 36 mile drives anywhere. The Medora Musical, performed nightly from early-June through Labor Day is an enthusiastic and patriotic salute to the Old West and the Roughrider President.

The North Dakota Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center
Washburn, ND - daily 9 am - 7 pm summer, 9 am - 5 pm winter

Fort Mandan Historic Site
Washburn, ND - daily 9 am - 5 pm

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
Stanton, ND - daily 8 am - 4:30 pm

On-A-Slant Indian Village, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
Mandan, ND - daily April through October

Custer House, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
Mandan, ND - April to October, daily 9 am - 5 pm

Five Nations Arts
Mandan, ND - daily 10 am - 6 pm

Medora Musical
Historic Medora, ND - early June to Labor Day, nightly 8:30 pm

Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Medora, ND - daily