Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site preserves the location of a major 19th-century fur trading post on the upper Missouri River in what is today North Dakota. It was a principal hub for the American Fur Company during the fur trade era.

The site includes a riverside compound of reconstructed log buildings that interpret the commercial and domestic activity of a working fur post. Exhibits in the visitor center present artifacts, maps and interpretive displays about trade routes, Indigenous trade partners, and the American Fur Company.

Established in the early 19th century, the post served as a center for the fur trade and regional commerce through the mid-1800s, operating under the American Fur Company and other traders. The historic site preserves the footprint and interprets the role of the post in contacts between Euro-American traders and Indigenous groups.

Located on the north bank of the Missouri River near the Montana-North Dakota area of the upper Missouri, the site sits in a remote river valley landscape. The nearest towns are small and services are limited, so visitors typically plan logistics in advance.

• Opening times: Seasonal hours and winter closures are common; check National Park Service schedules before traveling as the site is remote.
• Interpretation: Many original locations are reconstructions based on archaeological and documentary evidence; interpretive signage and museum displays contextualize the reconstructions.

What to See#

• Reconstructed trading post: A reconstructed compound of log buildings representing the 19th-century fur-trading post including trading houses, storehouses and corrals along the riverbank.
• Visitor center: An on-site visitor center with exhibits, artifacts from the fur trade era, and orientation material about the American Fur Company and regional trade networks.
• Riverfront site: The riverfront area where fur brigades and flatboats once loaded goods onto craft on the Missouri River; the site interprets river transport and regional commerce.

• Check the National Park Service website for current seasonal hours and living-history program schedules-many reconstructed buildings and demonstrations operate mainly late spring through early fall.
• Arrive early in the day to tour the visitor center exhibits and catch any ranger demonstrations before crowds form.
• Confirm road and visitor-center conditions before you drive: the site is remote, services can be limited, and cell coverage may be unreliable.