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True West’s Ultimate Historic Travel Guide: Northern Prairie and Plains

by | Nov 23, 2018 | Features & Gunfights

Ultimate Historic Travel Guide Northern Prairie and Plains True West Magazine
Sheriff Seth Bullock expanded his interests in the Black Hills boomtown of Deadwood, South Dakota, with his first class Bullock Hotel, which opened in April 1896. Today, it has been fully restored to its renowned elegance. The photographer Ethel Pearl Sterling notes that the sidewalks were boarded up after 1898.
— Courtesy Beinecke Library, Yale University —

Travelers to the Northern Prairie and Plains will discover the beauty of the Great Plains’ endless vistas rolling on beyond the horizon, the timelessness and sacredness of the Black Hills, the badlands of North and South Dakota, the prairie, forest and lakes of Minnesota, and the many rivers that define the region: the Missouri, Mississippi, Red, Big Sioux, Des Moines, Iowa, Cedar and Minnesota.

When planning a trip to the Northern Plains and Prairie, we recommend contacting the state office of tourism and then checking online or calling ahead directly to the restaurant, saloon or hotel you want to visit to ensure it is open or has a room available when you arrive. And don’t forget to schedule extra travel time—especially during the winter months—to enjoy spontaneous stops in this history-rich region.

Iowa

Iowa Division of Tourism

200 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309
888-472-6035 • TravelIowa.com

Ultimate Historic Travel Guide Northern Prairie and Plains True West Magazine
The Black Hawk Hotel, which opened in 1853 as the Winslow House in Cedar Falls, Iowa, is the oldest continuously operated hotel in the United States. The Black Hawk welcomes guests to the boutique hotel with 28 historic guest rooms and 15 retro-mod motel rooms.
— Courtesy Creative Commons 3.0 —

The Blackhawk Hotel

115 Main St, Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-277-1161 • TheBlackHawkHotel.com

Bonaparte Retreat

713 1st St, Bonaparte, IA 52620
319-592-3339 • BonaparteRetreat.com

Breitbach’s Country Dining

563 Balltown Rd, Sherrill, IA 52073
563-552-2220 • BreitbachsCountryDining.com

Frick’s Tap

1402 W 3rd St, Davenport, IA 52802
563-594-6857 • No Website

General Store Pub

12612 Stone City Rd, Anamosa, IA 52205
319-462-4399 • GeneralStorePub.com

Hotel Blackhawk

200 E 3rd St, Davenport, IA 52801
563-322-5000 • HotelBlackhawk.com

Hotel Julien

200 Main St, Dubuque, IA 52001
563-556-4200 • HotelJulienDubuque.com

Hotel Pattee

1112 Willis Ave, Perry, IA 50220
515-465-3511 • HotelPattee.com

Hotel Winneshiek

104 E Water St, Decorah, IA 52101
563-382-4164 • HotelWinn.com

Okoboji Country Inn

1704 Terrace Park Blvd, West Okoboji, IA 51351
712-332-2358 • OkobojiCountryInn.com

Minnesota

Explore Minnesota Tourism

131 7th Pl E, Ste 100, St Paul, MN 55101
888-868-7476 • ExploreMinnesota.com

Anderson House

333 Main St, Wabasha, MN 55981
651-565-3509 • EaglesOnTheRiver.com

Clearwater Historic Lodge & Canoe Outfitters

774 Clearwater Rd, Grand Marais, MN 55604
218-388-2254 • ClearwaterHistoricLodge.com

Cowboys Saloon

3801 Restwood Rd, Lexington, MN 55014
763-784-6560 • CowboysSaloon.co

Grant House Hotel & Eatery

80 W 4th St, Rush City, MN 55069
320-358-3661 • GrantHouseHotelMN.com

Historic Calumet Inn

104 Main St W, Pipestone, MN 56164
507-825-5871 • CalumetInn.com

Hubbell House

502 N Main St, Mantorville, MN 55955
507-635-2331 • HubbellHouseRestaurant.com

Kettle Falls Hotel & Resort

12977 Chippewa Tr, Kabetogama, MN 56669
May 1-Nov 1: 218-240-1724 • KettleFallsResort.com

Ultimate Historic Travel Guide Northern Prairie and Plains True West Magazine
The Naniboujou Lodge & Restaurant (above) north of Grand Marais, Minnesota, on the shore of Lake Superior, opened for business in 1929 as a private club. Named for the Cree god of the outdoors, the elegant Naniboujou–with the largest stone fireplace in Minnesota–struggled to stay open during the Great Depression. Since the 1980s, the current owners have refurbished and restored the hotel to its earlier grandeur.
— True West Archives —

The Naniboujou Lodge & Restaurant

20 Naniboujou Tr, Grand Marais, MN 55604
218-387-2688 • Naniboujou.com

Neumann’s Bar & Grill

2531 E 7th Ave, North St Paul, MN 55109
651-770-6020 • NeumannsBar.com

St. James Hotel

406 Main St, Red Wing, MN 55055
800-252-1875 • St-James-Hotel.com

The Saint Paul Hotel

350 Market St, Saint Paul, MN 55102
800-292-9292 • SaintPaulHotel.com

Water Street Inn

101 Water St S, Stillwater, MN 55082
651-439-6000 • WaterStreetInn.us

North Dakota

North Dakota Tourism Division

1600 E Century Ave, Ste 2, Bismarck, ND 58502-2057
800-435-5663 • NDTourism.com

Bowbells Hotel & Bunkhouse

3 Main St, Bowbells, ND 58721
800-403-7035 • BowbellsHotelAndBunkhouse.com

Buffalo Gap Ranch

3100 Buffalo Gap Rd, Medora, ND 58654
701-623-4200 • BuffaloGapGuestranch.com

Carroll House Hotel

19 N Monroe St, Fullerton, ND 58441
701-375-7571 • No Website

Dakotah Rose Bed & Breakfast

510 4th Ave NW, Minot, ND 58703
866-925-2912 • DakotahRose.com

Eagle Ridge Lodge

3753W River Rd, Medora, ND 58645
(701) 623-2216 • EagleRidgeLodge.com

Fort Totten Trail Historic Inn

4 Historic Sq, Fullerton, ND 52335
701-766-4874 • No Website

Hotel Donaldson

101 Broadway N, Fargo, ND 58102
701-478-1000 • HotelDonaldson.com

Outlaws Bar & Grill

1319 9th Ave W, Williston, ND 58801
701-609-5075 • OutlawsBarNGrill.com

Peacock Alley

422 E Main Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501
701-221-2333 • Peacock-Alley.com

The Ranch Steakhouse

1119 ND-20, Devils Lake, ND 58301
701-662-6630 • Facebook.com/Ranch-Steakhouse

Ultimate Historic Travel Guide Northern Prairie and Plains True West Magazine
The historic Rough Riders Hotel in Medora, North Dakota, welcomes guests and visitors year round, while its popular Theodore’s Dining Room and TR’s Tavern are open early May to late September.
— Courtesy North Dakota Tourism —

Rough Riders Hotel

301 3rd Ave, Medora, ND 58645
701-623-4444 • Medora.com

South Dakota

South Dakota Office of Tourism

711 E Wells Ave, Pierre, SD 57501-5070
TravelSD.com

Alpine Inn

133 Main St, Hill City, SD 57745
605-574-2749 • AlpineInnHillCity.com

The Bullock

633 Main St, Deadwood, SD 57732
800-336-1876 • HistoricBullock.com

Buffalo Bodega Restaurant & Saloon

658 Main St, Deadwood, SD 57732
605-578-9993 • BuffaloBodega.com

Custer State Park Resort

13389 US Hwy 16A, Custer, SD 57730
888-875-0001 • CusterResorts.com

Ultimate Historic Travel Guide Northern Prairie and Plains True West Magazine
The legendary Old Style Saloon #10 on Main Street in Deadwood, South Dakota, has its origins in the earliest days of the outlaw mining camp. Today, Saloon #10, while not at its original location, welcomes guests to its historic establishment to enjoy a drink, a meal and a game of chance in its casino.
— Chad Coppess, Courtesy South Dakota Office of Tourism —

Deadwood Social Club-Saloon #10

637 Main St, Deadwood, SD 57732
800-952-9398 • Saloon#10.com

Desperados

301 Main St, Hill City, SD 57745
605-574-2959 • Facebook.com/DesperadosHillCity

Firehouse Brewing Company

10 Main St, Rapid City, SD 58801
605-348-1915 • FirehouseBrewing.com

Historic Town Hall Inn

215 Main St, Lead, SD 57754
605-584-1112 • TownHallInn.com

Hotel Alex Johnson

523 6th St, Rapid City, SD 57701
605-345-1210 • CurioCollection3Hilton.com

The Klemann House

619 Mt Rushmore Rd, Custer, SD 57730
877-412-2246 • TheKlemannHouse.com

Martin Mason Hotel

33 Deadwood St, Deadwood, SD 57732
605-722-3456 • MartinMasonHotel.com

Oyster Bay Family Restaurant & Fairmont Hotel

626 Main St, Deadwood, SD 57732
605-578-3136 • DeadwoodBrothelTours.com

Silverado Franklin Historic Hotel

709 Main St, Deadwood, SD 57732
605-578-3670 • SilveradoFranklin.com

Spearfish Canyon Lodge

10619 Roughlock Falls Rd, Lead, SD 57732
877-975-6343 • SFFCanyon.com

Triple R Ranch

24350 Presidio Ranch Rd, Keystone, SD 57751
888-777-2624 • RRRRanch.com

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