Winter at the Rough Rider Center, Watford City
These days, Watford City has become the place for small to large meeting. Watford City is the hub for sporting events and activities. I’m not sure when it happened. It kinda caught me by surprise. For me, Watford City has always been a cool drink on a hot day. Or sometimes, a hot drink on a cold day. It’s where I stopped after hiking the Badlands, or cross country skiing out to the ice caves. That’s the Watford City I know.
Now it’s added more reasons to come to Watford City.
Take for example the space available for huge conventions; From the Watford City website: “The 5,300 square foot Rough Rider Center Convention Hall and Ballroom can house anywhere from 15 to 400 people for meetings, weddings, conferences, banquets,”
Meetings, Sports and Conventions, Too
Organizers are choosing to meet in Watford City.
Yeah, I know. Every town has its meeting places, the hotel conference rooms, the rooms below the bank, or the back rooms of the local café. Watford City was like that, too, 40 years ago when I first was introduced to the town. The town has moved beyond every other small town for meeting space. The Rough Rider Event Center hosts even small meetings.
Now the old west town, the gateway to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, is meeting and conference central.
I’m amazed at the Rough Rider Event Center. What an amazing piece of architecture that can host conferences as large as the annual Petroleum Conference.
Now that Watford City is the hub for sporting events, its become the best place around to host tournaments and even hockey matches.
For smaller functions, I’ve attended meetings below the Outlaws restaurant and in other venues in town.
Itineraries
Watford City takes care of guests who are in town and then offers more to those who have extra time, such as between games, or after a convention.
It is a hub city — branching out from town to many adventures, some just an hour or two, some a full day. Itineraries from the Long X Trading Post Visitor Center/Pioneer Museum of McKenzie County take the guess work out of finding other things to do.
First fall colors on the Little Missouri River North Unit Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
The Little Shell Powwow is an annual event in the MHA Nation. It’s a must!
The itineraries help family members of conference-goers, or even conference attendees when they take extra time in town. They demonstrate how Watford City is the hub of all kinds of:
- adventures at the MHA Nation
- explorations to see wildlife at the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- exposure to early American history at the fantastic Fort Union Trading Post
- for motorcycles or day trippers, day long road trips
- investigations of engineering marvels at the Cartwright Tunnel and Fairview Lift Bridge
Late in the summer, the rust of the Fairview Lift Bridge blends in well with the dormant colors of the grassland.
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, the most important fur trade post on the Upper Missouri River between 1828 and 1867.
Not Just Meeting Attendees — Families, Too
Of course, the itineraries are good for any tourist, visitor, or traveler who wants to sample the rugged regions of western North Dakota. And that’s where Beautiful Badlands comes in.
We’re taking each itinerary and exploring it like a visitor and then show you what you get when you pick a plan.
I can imagine folks who come to town for a hockey tournament, or an oil convention may want to stay and extra day or more when they see they day trips and afternoon road trips they can take with Watford City as a hub.
Discover the 5 Most Memorable Roadtrips in McKenzie County! Click here: You’ll be surprised!
You’re gonna have Good Times in Watford City and McKenzie County!
