Serving as the seat of Williams County, Williston is a historic city in North Dakota’s north-west. It lies near the junction of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers and is named after a prominent copper businessman, Daniel Willis James. Williston’s population recently experienced a boom following the discovery of the Parshall Oil Field.
Things to do in Williston
One of Williston’s most popular green spaces is Davidson Park, which features tennis and basketball courts, a baseball field and a children’s playground. In the summer months, kids can cool off at the splash pad while parents relax at one of the picnic tables. On the other side of Williston is Harmon Park with its leafy walking trails and skate park.
Williston makes an ideal base for visiting the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, which is a short drive west along the border between North Dakota and Montana. It features a reconstructed fur trade post that operated on the Missouri River from 1829 to 1867. During your visit, learn how the area’s Native American peoples traded buffalo robes and furs for weapons, cookware and blankets.
Nearby is the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center, which highlights the geology and geography at the meeting point of these two mighty rivers. Its exhibits detail the early 20th-century Corps of Discovery and the importance of the fur trade industry, as well as the role of river transportation in times gone by. Don’t miss the muralled rotunda depicting scenes from the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Getting around Williston
Williston Basin International Airport is a 25-minute drive from the centre of Williston and has flights to destinations across the United States. Empire Builder trains connect to the Williston railway station and long-distance buses travel through the town. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting around.