The North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism Division unveiled its “Stretch Your Stay” campaign in February 2026, a strategic initiative designed to capture spring road trippers seeking affordable adventures across the state’s expansive landscapes. The campaign encourages travelers to extend their visits and explore at an unhurried pace, emphasizing shoulder-season benefits including smaller crowds, budget-friendly pricing, and scenic highways connecting outdoor recreation opportunities with cultural attractions. For outdoor hospitality operators positioned along the state’s promoted corridors, this state-backed marketing push represents a significant opportunity to capture guests embracing the slow travel philosophy.
RV park owners and campground operators along North Dakota’s featured routes should recognize that extended-stay guests require different amenities and pricing structures than overnight visitors. Tiered pricing with discounts for weekly or multi-night stays can incentivize longer visits during shoulder seasons. A stay three nights, get the fourth at a reduced rate model works particularly well during spring months when occupancy typically runs lower. Properties near anchor destinations can market themselves as base camps for travelers using the state’s curated itineraries, eliminating the daily pack-up routine that often shortens trips.
The campaign promotes several ready-made road trip itineraries that outdoor hospitality professionals should study carefully. The Interstate 94 westbound route anchors around Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where bison, wild horses, and prairie dogs are especially active during milder spring months. This itinerary guides travelers through Medora for dining, live entertainment, and lodging at the iconic Rough Riders Hotel before continuing to Bismarck-Mandan for riverfront walks, museums, and local breweries. The route is positioned as a multi-day, affordable getaway with built-in variety, creating natural demand for campgrounds and RV parks serving as overnight stops along the corridor.
U.S. Highway 2, known as the Hi-Line, delivers a northern itinerary connecting Grand Forks, Devils Lake, Minot, and Williston with spring-friendly outdoor recreation and historic landmarks. Travelers following this route can explore lakeside recreation areas, walkable downtowns, and legendary frontier posts including Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site near Williston. The campaign markets this as a quiet, contemplative experience along the Missouri River landscape, with lodging options ranging from the sophisticated Olive Ann Hotel in Grand Forks to locally owned properties. Operators along this corridor can capitalize on birdwatching enthusiasts and cyclists seeking crisp spring air and uncrowded trails.
The Enchanted Highway offers a distinctly North Dakota experience that outdoor hospitality businesses should incorporate into their marketing efforts. This 32-mile stretch of road features massive scrap-metal sculptures and is positioned as a leisurely drive perfect for families and photographers. The route encourages frequent stops for photos, short walks, and visits to local eateries, creating natural overnight demand in nearby Dickinson or as part of a continued journey into the Badlands. According to campaign promotional materials, travelers can create two- to three-day itineraries without requiring advance reservations or enduring long wait times.
Beyond these featured routes, operators can enhance their appeal to extended-stay guests by creating on-site experiences that give guests reasons to linger. Hosting weekly events such as potluck dinners, guided nature walks, or local musician performances encourages guests to extend their reservations. Properties partnering with nearby attractions for bundled experiences often see increased booking durations, particularly during shoulder seasons when travelers have more schedule flexibility. Simple amenities like outdoor grilling stations, fire pits, and comfortable seating areas encourage guests to settle in rather than move on to the next destination.
Across the state, parks and trails reopening for the season create additional demand drivers for nearby campgrounds and RV parks. The Maah Daah Hey Trail offers sweeping prairies and Badlands terrain for hikers and riders of varying abilities. Lake Metigoshe State Park features rolling hills and scenic loops, while Turtle Mountain State Forest provides wooded path options. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park along riverfront routes and Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s South Unit, featuring Buck Hill with one of the most expansive landscape views in the state, round out the outdoor attractions driving spring visitation.
Shoulder-season success requires proactive marketing efforts beginning months before the target travel window. Updating website content and social media channels with spring-specific imagery and messaging helps capture travelers researching trips during the planning phase. Highlighting seasonal advantages such as wildlife viewing opportunities, comfortable temperatures for outdoor activities, and availability of premium sites appeals to travelers seeking value. The 2026 Travel Guide featuring the International Peace Garden on its cover represents part of the state’s broader marketing efforts that operators can leverage.
Creating partnerships with state and regional tourism organizations extends marketing reach without significant investment. Requesting inclusion in official travel guides and appearing on state-promoted road trip routes can drive qualified traffic to individual properties. Operators along featured routes can reference their proximity to promoted attractions like the Enchanted Highway sculptures or birdwatching opportunities near Devils Lake when marketing to guests planning trips based on state-curated itineraries.
Adjusting operational costs during shoulder seasons is standard practice for maintaining profitability at outdoor hospitality properties. Options include reducing staffing levels while maintaining core services, offering self-check-in through digital platforms, and focusing maintenance efforts on high-impact guest areas. Some operators keep only a portion of sites open during slower months, concentrating guests in areas easier to service. Ensuring adequate infrastructure for extended stays remains essential, including reliable high-speed Wi-Fi for remote workers, laundry facilities, and dump stations with convenient access.
Digital guest engagement platforms offer valuable tools for communicating with guests before and during stays. These systems can automatically suggest local attractions, send weather updates, and offer booking extensions at discounted rates. The campaign offers specific travel tips that align with these engagement strategies: build in flexibility by picking a region or byway and leaving room for unexpected discoveries, stay longer in fewer places to connect more deeply with local communities and landscapes, and travel at your own pace since easy-traveling highways and expansive horizons make the journey the adventure.
The campaign positions North Dakota as a welcoming destination for travelers seeking to escape peak-season tourism pressures. For operators along featured routes, the opportunity exists to capture travelers embracing the slow travel philosophy through aligned property offerings emphasizing value, relaxation, and flexible travel. Pet-friendly and family-friendly positioning attracts shoulder-season travelers who often have more scheduling flexibility and appreciate quieter atmospheres. Eco-friendly infrastructure investments including solar-powered lighting, water conservation systems, and recycling programs serve as both cost-saving measures and marketing differentiators that appeal to environmentally conscious travelers. Additional traveler-facing information is available at https://www.ndtourism.com/.