page_title: Bismarck, North Dakota
section_title: Recreation
hierarchical_section_title: Bismarck, North Dakota / Culture / Recreation
caption_attribution_description: English: The partially-reconstructed Mandan village On-a-Slant in Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park near Bismarck, North Dakota Deutsch: Das teilweise nachgebaute Mandaner Dorf On-a-Slant in Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in der Nähe von Bismarck, North Dakota
context_page_description: Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second-most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was estimated in 2019 at 73,529, while its metropolitan population was 132,678. In 2017, Forbes magazine ranked Bismarck as the seventh fastest-growing small city in the United States.
  Bismarck was founded by European-Americans in 1872 on the east bank of the Missouri River. It has been North Dakota's capital city since 1889, when the state was created from the Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union.
  Bismarck is across the river from Mandan, named after a historic Native American tribe of the area. The two cities make up the core of the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Statistical Area.
  The North Dakota State Capitol, the tallest building in the state, is in central Bismarck. The state government employs more than 4,600 in the city. As a hub of retail and health care, Bismarck is the economic center of south-central North Dakota and north-central South Dakota.
context_section_description: Bismarck has a large park system and an extensive network of exercise trails. The Bismarck Parks and Recreation District, established in 1927, operates many parks, swimming pools, and several golf courses within the city.  The World War I Memorial Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and operated by the recreation district, serves as a community gymnasium and was recognized by a 100 Cities 100 Memorials grant in 2018.
  The Parks and Recreation District operates roughly 2,300 acres (930 ha) of public parkland. Sertoma Park stretches more than 3 miles (4.8 km) along the banks of the Missouri River. Within the park are several miles of biking trails and the Dakota Zoo.
  There are five golf courses in Bismarck: four 18-hole courses (Apple Creek Country Club, Hawktree Golf Club, Riverwood Golf Course, and Tom O'Leary Golf Course), and one 9-hole course (Pebble Creek Golf Course).
  One of the main tourism attractions of the Bismarck area is Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, 7 miles (11 km) south of neighboring Mandan, North Dakota. It contains the partial reconstruction of Fort Abraham Lincoln, the headquarters of the 7th Cavalry and last command of General George Armstrong Custer before the Battle of the Little Bighorn (also known as the Battle of the Greasy Grass). The park includes On-a-Slant Village, a partially rebuilt earth lodge village once occupied by people of the historic Mandan tribe. Guided tours of both sites are offered in the summertime. There are also a museum on park history, nature trails, and a campground.
  Hunting and fishing are popular in the area, with hunting seasons for deer, pheasant, and waterfowl. Fishing is a year-round sport on the Missouri River bordering Bismarck, and there are public docks on the river. From north to south, there is a dock at the Port of Bismarck, from which the Lewis and Clark passenger riverboat plies the Missouri; Fox Island Landing, about a half mile southwest of Riverwood Golf Course; and the Bismarck Dock at General Sibley Park, which has a boat ramp and picnic facilities.
  Near Bismarck are several dammed lakes, including McDowell Dam Lake, 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the city; Harmon Lake, 8 miles (13 km) north of neighboring Mandan on the west side of the river; and two lakes several miles west of the city.
  In February 2007, Bismarck broke the record for the most snow angels made in one place. A total of 8,962 participants came to the capitol grounds for the event.
caption: Partially rebuilt Mandan Village On-a-Slant, in Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park outside Bismarck
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