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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Beach
Beach, North Dakota
One night, not a base: Beach is an I-94 exit-1 fuel-and-bed stop for the Badlands, with two small museums and no town centre to wander.
Beach sits at North Dakota's western edge, off I-94 exit 1, about 20 minutes from Medora and the Painted Canyon entrance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Population is around 1,000. There is a county museum, a pottery studio, a handful of bars and motels, and three fishing dams within 15 km. Treat it as a bed and a meal on the way in or out of the Badlands, not a destination in itself.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Beach, North Dakota
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (snow, closures, -20 °C (−4 °F) nights)Nov–Mar (snow, closures, −4 °F (-20 °C) nights)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 $60–90 excl. bed · Mid $90–150 excl. bed · High $150+ 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 · North Dakota road conditions 511
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a diner breakfast | $8–15 |
| Burger and fries | $12–18 |
| Beer at a Main St bar | $4–7 |
| Motel double room, summer | $70–160 |
| Fuel, per gallon | $3.00–3.60 |
| Museum entry | Free–$5 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- 20U · Beach Airport (grass strip, no scheduled service)
- Private and charter only; the nearest commercial airports are Dickinson (DIK) and Williston (XWA), both about 1 h by car.
Typical fares
- Beach → Medora by car
- about 20 min, 25 km (16 mi)about 20 min, 16 mi (25 km)
- Beach → Dickinson by car
- about 45 min, 60 km (37 mi)about 45 min, 37 mi (60 km)
- Beach → Theodore Roosevelt NP Painted Canyon
- about 25 min, 30 km (19 mi)about 25 min, 19 mi (30 km)
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. Beach has no bus or rail service; I-94 exit 1 is the only interchange. Downtown is walkable in about 10 minutes, but the dams, the museum and Medora all require driving. Fuel up here or in Medora before heading into the park.
See and do
Known for
- I-94 exit 1, western gateway to North Dakota
- Golden Valley County Museum
- Prairie Fire Pottery
- Odland Dam and Camels Hump Dam fishing
- Mule deer hunting country
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park | I-94 east to exit 24, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Bowman | US-85 south then ND-12 west, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 40 min |
| Watford City | I-94 east to ND-85 north, about 2 h | About 2 h 15 min |
| Belfield | I-94 east, about 35 min | About 45 min |
| Alexander | ND-16 north then ND-68 east, about 1 h 45 min | About 2 h |
| Cartwright, North Dakota | ND-16 north, about 1 h | About 1 h 10 min |
Sleep
- I-94 exit 1 strip
- Motels and the truck-stop restaurant cluster at the interchange; the practical choice for one night with a car.
- Downtown Beach (Main St and 1st Ave)
- A few blocks of bars, the museum and the pottery studio; quiet after dark, walkable in 10 minutes.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the nearest gas station? | Where is the nearest gas station? |
| A table for two, please | A table for two, please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is the road open? | Is the road open? |
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
- Distances are long: the next town east with services is Medora, about 20 minutes; Dickinson is about 45 minutes.
- Winter storms close I-94 without much warning; check the state road report before driving.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the back roads north and south of town.
- Most kitchens close by 21:00; the truck-stop restaurant at the interchange runs later.
Very low crime; the real risks are winter driving on I-94, long distances between services and wildlife on the road at dusk. Keep a full tank and a warm layer in the car from October to April.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Beach yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- I-94 exit 1, western gateway to North Dakota
- Golden Valley County Museum
- Prairie Fire Pottery
- Odland Dam and Camels Hump Dam fishing
- Mule deer hunting country
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- North Dakota Tourism: www.ndtourism.com
- Wikivoyage: Beach (North Dakota), revision 5258721 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5258721
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BeachBeach, North Dakota
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Beach; the nearest are in Denver or Minneapolis. US travellers: 911. International travellers: check your embassy in Washington, DC.
Print this card before you drive; cell coverage is patchy outside town.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/beach-north-dakota). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.