Hhhmmmm where in Bismarck can I find a super big park to run, play, take pictures or do whatever my…read moreheart else desires? Well my fellow yelpers, the answer is Sertoma Park. This park is 98.7 acres of pure fun and nature. There 11 shelters here, each consisting of their own picnic areas, parking lot, playgrounds and restrooms. Some shelters are bigger than others, so the capacity ranges from 25-350 people. With that many shelters and playground, you are pretty much guaranteed your own play area every time you come. Some shelters have special features: Shelter #7 is the closest to the amusement park, Shelter #8 is closest to the zoo and has a eagle mural on the floor nearby, shelter #9 is closest to tennis courts and has a baseball diamond, shelter #10 (my favorite) has a bunch of sand volleyball courts and a horseshoe complex. Some other features of this parks are multiple running trails, fancy art on the floor, lots of Pokestops for Pokemon Go, very close to the Dakota Zoo (see my review for that one if you are interested) and lots of trees to provide shade. This is my favorite park in Bismarck and perfect to go running or play volleyball to destress from graduate school.

I came to Eagles Park for the Universal Playground because of a pediatrics project. This…read moreplayground is hands down, a child's dream come true. Universal Playground: On top of your normal slides and playground sets, there are also zipline bucket seats, multiple people seasaws, roll over tables, sensory wall, many unique types of swings, a big spinning cup and a mini rock climbing wall. The flooring is about 70% rubber and 30% tanbark. My descriptions do not do it justice. Probably better to see for yourself. Pretty much the main feature here. Inside Shelter: Can be reserved in advance. Bathrooms are located in here, so this might be a problem if it is rented by another party. In my opinion, it can comfortably fit about 30-40 people. There are tables and chairs inside for use. Parking: bit limited in the lot, but lots of street parking Outside shelters: There are 3 private outside shelters. 1 super big one and 2 smaller ones. Grass field: Not as big as some other parks, but big enough for a children's playground

Kids love this place! There's so much to do! This is probably the most modern playground in the…read moreMandan area. It is clean, sometimes crowded, but pretty spacious. I wish there was more shaded areas and seats for adults to sit but overall it's great! You could keep kids entertained here for over an hour.

Nice park for the playground, a small picnic area, letting your dog run, and a sweeping view.read more

What a gem of a park! We camped for one night (could have easily stayed longer if we'd had more…read moretime) and enjoyed fishing and the historic sites. Ranger Austin was a friendly wealth of information and my 5 yo really enjoyed wearing the buffalo head dress he brought over. Our campsite faced the Missouri, which was sweet. However, all of the campsites are pretty close together. If I were to go back, I'd opt for site 1, which faces the river and has a little more space to it as it is close to a parking lot, but not obtrusively so. Also, the bathrooms were spotless and boasted the nicest campground shower I've ever had.

For a state with an abysmal and brutal record (in fact to the present day) of encounters with…read moreindigenous Americans (oh wait, that's not very distinguishing among other states is it?) this state park does quite an excellent job of presenting a rebuilt indigenous people's village. The cultural and linguistic explanations about the native people's way of seeing and thinking is especially noteworthy. The reconstructed "earthlodges" sit on the site of an actual, large settlement of a northern plains tribe from the 1700s. If you tour this site, you'll learn about the spread of smallpox from the Spanish populations further south, up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, that weakened the entire population even before contact with the european invaders from the east. There are exhibit narratives about a tribal leader traveling to the east to meet with U.S. leaders, however, these narratives omit the brutal part of the european-native confrontation. Notably, the Whitestone massacre from the 1860s, where 300+ women and children at a big harvest camp were brutalized and killed, not too far from this exact site. (A "genocidal" action of the U.S. Army that provides historical precedent for the likes of Boko Haram.) Yes, history is told by the vanquishers, but in this case, a very dedicated woman of indigenous origin has spoken of her heritage through storytelling over many years, and her painstaking, tenacious work has paid off in the quality and insights available at this exhibit. You'll be enriched by insights into the native peoples' worldview. Additionally, I recommend a stop at the visitors center because the media there really brings alive the structures you see in the native village. The military forts at this state park are so predictable...and deceitful (because right to the present, few european americans want to admit and reconcile with the perpetration of atrocities.)

This large park includes two picnic shelters, a skate park and a softball field as well as plenty…read moreof paved areas for walking and benches for sitting. The area is next to a rather busy road but there are residential developments nearby as well. The park does have a restroom too. [Review 10749 overall, 517 of 2019.]

This small park close to Bismarck's "downtown" area features free parking with a picnic area and a…read morewater fountain. It's not very large, but it's a nice spot to stop and enjoy your lunch if the weather's good. The sculptures of children at play are neat and there are benches. Probably better when not buried in snow as it was today. [Review 10750 overall, 518 of 2019.]

I love this trail area! There are a few different paths to choose from. My favorite path is the one…read morethat runs right along the Missouri River (literally like only a couple feet away). It is well maintained and dog friendly; dog owners are doing a good job of cleaning up after their dogs. It is a super beautiful area. Overall, the trail is a good amount like over two miles (I never go fully to the end due to time, but it is far). Lastly, there's like random educational plaques placed on the trail that teach about the local area (from the waters to the birds to the types of trees). This is a pretty sweet area, one of my favorite places to wander!

Stopped here on a cross country trip to get some exercise and walked a few miles through pretty…read morecottonwood trees with a few views of the river. Traffic noise was constant from the interstate and too much trash along the way. I am afraid this is as good as it gets in this neck of the woods.

Driving over the Missouri River on I-94 towards Bismarck, I spotted this park along the riverside…read moreand made the detour to stop. It's not exactly easy to get there but if you're living in Bismarck then that's different. Walking trails (some folks were walking their dogs), art, history and a boat ramp for launching into the River. Yes, Lewis and Clark passed through here and stopped at nearby Fort Mandan as they explored through the Louisiana Territory from St. Louis along the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, eventually reaching the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. If you're in the middle of recreating their journey, then more power to you. If not, and you're also not launching a boat into the river, then you're probably not going to be overly excited about Keelboat Park. [Review 10751 overall, 519 of 2019.]

I honestly think this place was a bit underwhelming. I had read that it was the prettiest overlook…read moreof that river, that makes me sad. I thought it was a glorified parking lot. I was disappointed.

Awesome dog park bro! The best in the Midwest. Well taken care of and lots of room for the little…read moredoggos and the big doggos too. Woof woof

It's a great park with plenty of friendly and responsible dog owners!…read moreHere are a list of rules from the website: Park Hours: Open 5 am -11 pm Use the Dog Park at your own risk. Owners are legally responsible for their dogs and any injuries caused by them. Dogs are allowed off leash in dog park areas only; Mandan City Ordinance 16-03-02. Owners must carry a leash at all times. Dogs should be leashed before entering and prior to leaving the dog park. Dogs must wear a collar, carry ID tags, be properly licensed and vaccinated, be parasite free and in healthy condition. Owners must remain in the dog park with their dogs at all times. Dogs must be leashed when maintenance crews are working in the dog park. No children under the age of 12 allowed in the dog park without adult supervision Owners must pick up and dispose of dog feces. No more than two dogs per handler at any time. Female dogs in heat and dogs less than four months of age are prohibited from entering the dog park. Dogs must be removed from the dog park at the first sign of aggression or excessive barking. Violators of these rules will be subject to removal from the dog park and suspension of dog park privileges. All users need to abide by City and Park Ordinances. Keep all gates closed No smoking No alcohol No bicycles, skateboards, or motorized allowed inside the fence.

I spent a week camping there and had a very positive experience…read more If you're looking for a place to camp in Bismarck, you can't beat the price or the location of General Sibley Campground. Location: This campground is in a peaceful, quiet spot in a local park, under a canopy of beautiful cottonwoods and near the river. You could hear owls at night and see other wildlife during the day. But it is also close enough to amenities -- grocery stores, restaurants, downtown Bismarck -- to be convenient. Several times, I picked up takeout dinner and brought it back to the picnic table near my campsite, and the food was still hot when I got it back there. Usually, campsites this close to stores/restaurants are surrounded by freeway noise and polluted air, so this place is a rare exception. Price: If you're familiar with the Bismarck-Mandan area, you're aware that the cost of lodging has gotten insanely expensive in the last decade or so. During my last week-long trip back to Bismarck, I didn't originally intend to camp. I was debating between staying at a motel or camping. But for a last-minute hotel reservation, I would have been paying more than 10x more per night for a hotel room than I paid to camp here. For $13/night (update: I see their website says $14/night now; still a great deal!), this is the best you'll find. Other campground logistics: -You can park right where you pitch your tent, which is really nice. -Another reviewer commented that the bathrooms with the showers are a bit far away. That's true, but I'd rather have 5-minute walk to the shower than be camped right in the middle of bathroom traffic. You could pick a site closer to the bathroom if that is an issue. -Things got a little louder on the weekend I was there, but only Saturday night were people rowdy/loud past 10pm. -Trash cans were overflowing for part of the week I stayed there, so they could definitely use more frequent trash pickup. -The vibe here is a lot more "quiet, travelers minding their own business" rather than "party campground" which was a big reason I stayed as long as I did. I left my tent pitched and drove away to do other things during the day. Nobody entered my campsite or messed with my stuff. There are not many campgrounds where it's still safe to do this. Thanks again to the staff at General Sibley Campground for an awesome stay!

General Sibley Park is top notch!…read more As a campground for RV's and Tents, this place has everything! It is located 4 miles south of downtown Bismarck, North Dakota. So...one moment you can be in the heart of Bismarck, and next thing coming here, you're surrounded by trees, grass, peace and quietness. How convenient. Using the trusty ole app on my phone called CAMPENDIUM, I made a reservation to stay here. The process was simple and stress free and before I knew it...I was setting up my tent in a beautiful park with plenty of green grass all around. It was a terrific atmosphere, and for early June, the campground was barely occupied. If you don't use Campendium, reservations can be made at generalsibley.bisparks.org Or...you can simply show up spontaneously. Btw...one thing I want to say off the top of my head...this place had so much fluffy grass all over the park to conveniently set up my tent...it was a luxury. There's nothing like sleeping on well kept grass making a nights sleep much more comfortable. Once at the park, you have to check-in at the office. Then, you get to pick any campsite/area you want. At this rate...let me do some copying and pasting from the park's website, which has very useful information... Here are the Office Hours... Monday-Friday, 11am-8pm Memorial Day-Labor Day: Monday-Sunday, 10am-9pm Office Phone: 701-222-1844 Camping seasons typically run from early May through early October. Here are the Camping Fees... Tent camping: $12/tent/night - this is an absolute bargain! RV campsites with electricity: $25/night - great price for RV's! Firewood: $6/bundle Ice: $4/bag Ice Cream Treats: $1 - lol, I never tried the ice cream. Extra Notes About Camping... "There is a designated tent camping area though there are no designated sites. Campers are allowed to set up their tents anywhere within the mowed tent area". "No reservations are needed or accepted in the tent area. Campers can register in the office during office hours or use the self-registration box after-hours". "Please know there is plenty of space available in the tent camping area of the park. This area has never reached capacity, even on the busiest of holidays and weekends". - There are over 100 campsites located within the park. That's a lot of space to accommodate people! - Cell phone reception works perfectly. I got to stream a movie in my tent at night. - Each campsite has a minimum of 30-amp electricity. This is always a big bonus for road-trip travelers...to be able to charge electronics. - Campsites also have fire pits and picnic tables for barbecuing. - There's a shower house in the center of the park. I picked a site nearby so I wouldn't have to walk far carrying my toiletries. Hot water was plentiful and you can take a shower for as long as you'd like. There are flush toilets inside this shower house. There were mirrors as well for shaving and or combing your hair. - I will say for visiting in the early spring part of the season, it did get cold at night. In fact, I had to use my Mr. Heater Buddy to stay warm. Lastly, I was trying to think about my fond memories from being here...was there anything missing at this park that could have made my experience better? Could General Sibley be the best campground I have ever stayed at??? ...I just want to say, lol, there was a campground 2 years ago in Houghton, Michigan that actually featured WiFi on their grounds. That was pretty impressive! But, regardless...I thoroughly enjoyed my time at General Sibley Park. In the end, I decided to hang around Bismarck an extra day and stay here another evening. That's how much I liked this place, deserving of 5 stars...overall, as good as it gets.