Cartwright is a small town in the Badlands area of North Dakota. It sits near the banks of the Yellowstone River, and just east of the Montana border.

Understand

Ranching is the primary economic activity in Cartwright.

Get in

By car

From Williston, take US highway 2 west for 3 miles, then US highway 85 south for 19 miles to state highway 200. Cartwright is approximately 14 miles to the west on highway 200.

See

• Fairview Lift Bridge and Cartwright Tunnel (2 miles west of Cartwright), ☏ +1 701 742-5259. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge stretches 1,320 feet across the Yellowstone River, and at one time carried both vehicle and rail traffic. The Cartwright Tunnel, 1,458 feet long, is the only tunnel in North Dakota. It was dug by hand in 1912-13 Still structurally sound, the bridge is open as a walking trail. 
• Horse Creek School, 1812 Horse Creek Rd., ☏ +1 701 481-1373. Effectively a modern one-room schoolhouse with a single teacher, this rural elementary (K-8) school served ten Cartwright area students at its peak a decade ago. Enrolment is declining; as of the 2013-2014 school year, there were only three or four students left. 

Do

• Wilderness Outfitters X-Stream Adventures, ☏ +1 701 744-9077. Hunt whitetail and mule deer where Lewis and Clark once hunted, where the Yellowstone River joins the Missouri River. You can also see coyotes, pheasants, wild turkeys and beaver. Bring a camera. 

Eat

There are no public accommodations in Cartwright. The nearest are 11 miles to the southwest in Sidney (Montana).

Go next

Routes through Cartwright

Lewistown ← Sidney ← becomes ←

W  E

→ Alexander → Watford City