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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Amidon
Skip unless you are bagging the highest point in North Dakota (White Butte) or want to say you stood in the smallest county seat in the US. Half a day is enough.
Amidon, population 20, is the smallest county seat in the United States. It sits in the southwestern North Dakota Badlands, 35 miles south of I-94. The only reason to come is White Butte, the state's highest point, or a stay at the Logging Camp Ranch. The town itself has a grain elevator, a few houses and a firehouse RV park. Most travellers pass through on US 85 between Belfield and Bowman.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–September
- Avoid
- November–March (snow, cold, many facilities closed)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $50–80 excl. bed · Mid $100–150 excl. bed · High $200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Steak dinner at Georgia's and the Owl | $20–35 |
| Gas (per gallon) | $3.50–4.50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DIK · Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport
- About 45 min north via US 85; rental cars available.
Typical fares
- White Butte permission call
- +1 701 879-6310
- Dickinson airport to Amidon (taxi)
- about $80–100, 45 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. The town is walkable in 10 minutes, but White Butte and the Logging Camp Ranch are a few miles out on gravel roads.
See and do
Known for
- Smallest county seat in the US
- White Butte – highest point in North Dakota
- Logging Camp Ranch
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| White Butte | Drive about 10 min south on US 85, then a gravel road | 30 min round trip from Amidon |
| Logging Camp Ranch | Drive 1 mi W of Amidon, take Davis Dam exit, follow signs | 20 min from Amidon |
| Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit) | Drive north on US 85 about 45 min to Medora | 1 h |
| Medora | Drive north on US 85 about 45 min | 1 h |
Sleep
- Firehouse RV Park
- In town, open May–September, 10 RV sites.
- Logging Camp Ranch B&B
- 18 mi NW of Amidon, working ranch with cabins, full breakfast.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Howdyhow-dee |
| Thank you | Thanksthanks |
| How much? | How much?how much |
| Where is White Butte? | Where is White Butte?where is white butte |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- White Butte is on private land; call +1 701 879-6310 for permission to hike. If no answer, it's OK to hike but follow trail courtesy.
- No gas station in Amidon; fill up in Belfield or Bowman.
- Cell service is spotty; download maps offline.
- Logging Camp Ranch B&B requires advance booking.
Very safe. The main risks are wildlife on the road at dusk and getting stuck on gravel roads after rain.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Amidon yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Smallest county seat in the US
- White Butte – highest point in North Dakota
- Logging Camp Ranch
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Amidon, revision 5239665 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239665
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Amidon
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
The nearest US embassy is in Ottawa, Canada; consulates in Calgary and Vancouver. For domestic travel, no visa needed for US citizens.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/amidon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.