Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in North Dakota. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Knife River Indian Villages the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:29 AM | 9:19 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:22 PM | 239° | 8h 53m |
| February | 7:52 AM | 8:35 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:09 PM | 252° | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:59 AM | 8:40 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 268° | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 286° | 13h 37m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:16 PM | 300° | 15h 06m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:57 PM | 9:45 PM | 307° | 15h 55m |
| July | 6:05 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:53 PM | 9:39 PM | 304° | 15h 34m |
| August | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:59 PM | 292° | 14h 16m |
| September | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 275° | 12h 36m |
| October | 8:05 AM | 8:46 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:59 PM | 258° | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:11 PM | 243° | 9h 21m |
| December | 8:27 AM | 9:19 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:56 PM | 236° | 8h 29m |
Computed for the park's reference point (47.3540, -101.3861); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Knife River Indian Villages, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| March | 6:14 AM – 6:14 AM | 0.0 | 10° |
| April | 4:09 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.8 | 13° |
| May | 2:17 AM – 3:47 AM | 1.5 | 14° |
| June | 12:44 AM – 2:44 AM | 2.0 | 14° |
| July | 12:18 AM – 1:38 AM | 1.3 | 14° |
| August | 11:02 PM – 11:42 PM | 0.7 | 12° |
| September | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| October | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
Summers are warm and sunny with temperatures occasionally reaching 100 degrees F and frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are invigorating, with extremely cold temperatures as low as -35 degrees F. High winds and sunny skies are common in winter. Snow is sporadic in the relatively dry climate, but blizzards are common.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Getting there
Plane: Closest Commercial Airports are Bismarck (60 miles) Minot (85 miles) Dickinson (102 miles). Hazen, ND (15 miles from site) has an airport for small planes. Car: One-half mile north of Stanton, ND on County Road 37. One hour northwest of Bismarck, ND and one and a half hours southwest of Minot, ND. Public Transportation Charter and tour bus parking available at Visitor Center parking lot.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Craft Demonstrations
- Cultural Demonstrations
- Live Music
- Compass and GPS
- Geocaching
- Fishing
- Freshwater Fishing
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hands-On
- Citizen Science
- Arts and Crafts
- Hiking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
