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WASHBURN – The public is invited to join the 2026 Twilight Hike at Fort Mandan State Historic Site at Washburn on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 6-7:30 p.m.
The free tour will be hosted by nationally certified interpreters who will guide participants from the Fort Mandan Visitor Center along the trail beside the Missouri River.
Participants can light the path with candles and lanterns as they explore Fort Mandan after dark. Staff will share stories of the Lewis and Clark Expedition -- the men's journey up the Missouri River, their encounters with the Mandan and Hidatsa peoples, and the search for the perfect winter camp. Inside the fort, guided tours bring the Corps of Discovery's winter to life. Rooms will glow with firelight and punched tin lanterns, showing how the men lived through long, cold evenings on the Missouri River.
"The evening tour offers a different way to experience Fort Mandan," Bethany Schatz, interpretive coordinator, said. "Seeing the fort in the evening reveals aspects daytime programs can't capture."
During the event, interpreters will wear clothing similar to what members of the expedition used, and attendees can try on select period garments.
The event is part of the ND250 commemoration celebrating our country's 250th birthday.
Those with questions can contact Schatz at 462-8535 or lcic@nd.gov.
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan State Historic Site are managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Both locations are open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Sept. 30.