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.]

We're visiting from Texas and came by this park and I knew the kids would love it!! There's a huge…read moreempty space we used to fly kites and then they enjoyed playing on all of the fire department themed playground equipment. This is so much different from back home and the kids loved it!!

Great way to spend an afternoon (I r day if you have littles). Lovely zoo with lots to see and…read morelearn. It's very walkable but there's a train ride to catch some of the sites but it doesn't "drop off pick up" and somethings such as the penguins require a walk.

Was not impressed with the enclosures here. Most were overgrown and the animals seem…read morestressed/neglected for the most part. There's nothing for engagement or enrichment for the animals. I felt like we stepped back in time to zoos of the past, prior to the movement towards conservation, education and enrichment for the animals. The staff was friendly and we did see two zookeepers, a male who seemed to be in training and a female who was very kind in speaking to the animals she was feeding. Overall though, the zoo needs to really improve the animals environments. We experienced the same as the prior reviewer regarding the penguin enclosure....filthy and stinky. The penguins even looked depressed.

What a great crew in this operation! Everyone was so professional. We had a beautiful sunset…read morecruise. The weather cooperated and the ride was pretty smooth from loading on to loading off. I very much enjoyed the scenery. Especially the hidden mural under the overpass where the boat landing is. Stunning! Would HIGHLY recommend you take one the cruises offered! I'll come back for one of the dinners. Those look like a fun time.

Nice Dinner Cruise with good food. Very enjoyable experience. I would Recommend you to take this…read morecruise.

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.)

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

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.

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.