Best Campgrounds in North Dakota

North Dakota’s rugged beauty often flies under the radar, but those who venture to this northern prairie state discover landscapes of striking diversity and campgrounds that offer solitude amid natural splendor. From the badlands of the west to the serene lakes of the east, North Dakota’s campgrounds provide an authentic outdoor experience without the crowds found in more frequented destinations. Whether you’re seeking the stark majesty of buttes and canyons or the gentle ripple of prairie grasses, these top camping destinations showcase the best of the Peace Garden State.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park – Juniper Campground

Number of Campsites: 50
Reservations: www.recreation.gov
Address: Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit, McKenzie County, ND 58645

Nestled in the rugged North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Juniper Campground stands as a testament to the wild beauty that captured the heart of our 26th president. The campground sits amid a landscape of dramatic badlands formations, where layers of sedimentary rock tell the geological story of millions of years.

As dawn breaks over the campground, the first rays of sunlight paint the eroded buttes in hues of amber and gold, casting long shadows across the juniper-dotted ravines. Bison often graze within view, their massive silhouettes moving unhurriedly across the prairie, while prairie dogs stand sentinel by their burrows, their chattering calls echoing across the campground.

The night skies here are simply spectacular. Far from urban light pollution, the darkness reveals a dazzling canopy of stars, with the Milky Way stretching like a celestial river above the shadowed badlands. The occasional howl of coyotes adds a primal soundtrack to this wilderness experience.

Hiking trails radiate from near the campground, including the challenging Caprock Coulee Trail, which winds through multicolored clay hills and offers panoramic views of the Little Missouri River valley. For those seeking a more manageable walk, the Buckhorn Trail provides access to some of the park’s most photogenic landscapes.

While the facilities are basic—vault toilets and water spigots rather than showers or electrical hookups—the trade-off is a camping experience of uncommon solitude and natural grandeur. Summer evenings often bring ranger-led programs around a communal campfire, where stories of Roosevelt’s time in the badlands bring the landscape’s history to life.

Lake Metigoshe State Park

Number of Campsites: 121
Reservations: www.parkrec.nd.gov
Address: 2 Lake Metigoshe State Park, Bottineau, ND 58318

In the rolling hills of North Dakota’s Turtle Mountains, Lake Metigoshe State Park offers a woodland camping experience that feels worlds away from the state’s prairie reputation. The campground hugs the shores of Lake Metigoshe, whose clear waters reflect the surrounding oak and aspen forests.

The campground itself is thoughtfully designed, with sites tucked among mature trees that provide dappled shade during hot summer days. Morning mist often hovers over the lake, creating an ethereal scene as kayakers paddle silently through the haze. The gentle lapping of waves along the shoreline creates a soothing soundtrack throughout the day and into the evening.

During summer months, the lake becomes the focal point of activity. Swimmers plunge from the designated beach area, while anglers cast lines for walleye and northern pike from docks or boats. The water warms pleasantly by July, making for refreshing dips after hiking the park’s extensive trail system.

Fall transforms the campground into a kaleidoscope of color, as the deciduous forest erupts in brilliant oranges and yellows. The cooler temperatures bring ideal conditions for exploring the Old Oak Trail, which winds through some of the park’s oldest trees and offers glimpses of deer and fox.

Winter doesn’t shut down this four-season campground—it transforms it. Cross-country ski trails replace hiking paths, and ice fishing shelters dot the frozen lake. The heated comfort stations ensure that even cold-weather camping remains accessible.

With electrical hookups at many sites and modern shower facilities, Lake Metigoshe offers a more comfortable camping experience than more primitive options, making it perfect for families or those easing into the outdoor lifestyle.

Little Missouri State Park

Number of Campsites: 37
Reservations: www.parkrec.nd.gov
Address: 15100 Old Hwy 22, Killdeer, ND 58640

For those seeking to escape the beaten path, Little Missouri State Park delivers an experience of magnificent isolation. Unlike its more famous neighbor Theodore Roosevelt National Park, this hidden gem sees fewer visitors but offers equally stunning badlands scenery.

The campground sits atop a high ridge, commanding sweeping views of the Little Missouri River valley. Deep canyons, knife-edge ridges, and colorful scoria formations spread out below, creating a landscape that seems more sculpture than wilderness. The light here is a photographer’s dream—at sunset, the badlands catch fire with intense reds and purples, while dawn bathes the eroded terrain in soft golden light.

This is a horseback rider’s paradise, with over 47 miles of marked trails traversing the rugged terrain. The rhythmic clip-clop of hooves on clay soil and the creak of saddle leather feel like appropriate sounds in this landscape that seems unchanged from frontier days. For those without equine companions, hiking the same trail system offers intimate encounters with the badlands’ hidden corners.

Wildlife abounds but requires patient observation. Mule deer bound effortlessly up steep slopes, pronghorn antelope pause on distant ridges, and golden eagles soar on thermals rising from sun-warmed slopes.

The campground offers basic amenities—vault toilets and drinking water—but the trade-off is solitude of a rare quality. On weekdays, campers might have this spectacular landscape almost entirely to themselves, with only the whisper of wind through sage and juniper for company.

The night skies here rank among North Dakota’s darkest. As twilight deepens, the badlands fade to silhouettes against a star-studded sky where satellites track silent paths and meteors occasionally streak across the darkness.

Cross Ranch State Park

Number of Campsites: 68
Reservations: www.parkrec.nd.gov
Address: 1403 River Rd, Center, ND 58530

Along one of the last free-flowing, undammed sections of the mighty Missouri River, Cross Ranch State Park preserves a riparian wilderness that echoes with the history of Lewis and Clark’s journey west. The campground here offers three distinct experiences: open prairie sites, secluded woodland spots, and primitive canoe-in camping along the river’s edge.

The riverside campsites provide the quintessential Cross Ranch experience. Here, the Missouri flows broad and unhurried, its surface shimmering with reflected sunlight. Massive cottonwood trees, some predating the Lewis and Clark expedition, spread their branches overhead. Their leaves rustle with every breeze, creating a gentle, natural white noise that lulls campers to sleep.

Morning in the campground brings a symphony of birdsong, as woodpeckers drum on ancient trunks and warblers flit through the canopy. River otters sometimes appear along the shoreline, their sleek bodies diving and surfacing in playful pursuit of fish. Great blue herons stalk the shallows with prehistoric grace, while bald eagles perch in snags overlooking the water.

The park’s extensive trail system winds through bottomland forest and up onto open prairie, where the uninterrupted horizon stretches for miles. In spring, these grasslands erupt with wildflowers—purple coneflower, blanketflower, and wild bergamot creating drifts of color across the rolling landscape.

Winter transforms Cross Ranch into a serene wonderland, with snow-laden cottonwoods framing views of the ice-dotted river. The park’s three heated yurts provide a cozy alternative to tent camping during the colder months, allowing visitors to experience the season’s unique beauty in comfort.

The campground’s location, far from major highways or towns, ensures dark night skies and a profound sense of peace. Sitting beside a campfire as stars appear overhead and the river murmurs nearby offers a connection to both nature and history that few other North Dakota destinations can match.

Fort Ransom State Park

Number of Campsites: 70
Reservations: www.parkrec.nd.gov
Address: 5981 Walt Hjelle Pkwy, Fort Ransom, ND 58033

Tucked into the scenic Sheyenne River Valley, Fort Ransom State Park feels like a verdant oasis amid North Dakota’s eastern plains. The campground nestles between forested hillsides in a region known as the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway, where the landscape seems more akin to Minnesota than the stereotypical North Dakota prairie.

The park’s campsites spread across an undulating terrain, with both open, sun-dappled meadows and deeply shaded woodland spots available. The Sheyenne River winds through the heart of the park, its clear waters flowing over rocky riffles and through quiet pools where smallmouth bass and northern pike lurk in the shadows.

Hiking the park’s trail system reveals a landscape of surprising diversity. The Little Twig Trail climbs to panoramic views of the valley, where patchwork fields and farmsteads create a pastoral scene. The valley itself represents a geological anomaly—carved by glacial meltwater, it stands in stark contrast to the flat terrain that surrounds it.

For history enthusiasts, the park preserves remnants of pioneer homesteads. The Sunne Farm demonstrates agricultural practices from the late 1800s, with periodic living history demonstrations bringing the era to life during summer months. The scent of wood smoke from the homestead’s chimney sometimes drifts through the campground, evoking a connection to those who first settled this fertile valley.

Fall brings spectacular color to Fort Ransom, as maple, oak, and ash trees paint the hillsides in warm hues. This coincides with the park’s annual Sodbuster Days festival, when draft horses plow demonstration fields and traditional crafts are showcased.

Winter doesn’t slow activity in this four-season park. Cross-country ski trails replace hiking paths, and snowshoeing through the silent, snow-draped forest reveals animal tracks that tell stories of nocturnal wanderings.

With electrical hookups available and modern bathroom facilities, Fort Ransom offers a comfortable base for exploring this unique ecological transition zone where eastern woodlands meet western prairie.

Lewis and Clark State Park

Number of Campsites: 85
Reservations: www.parkrec.nd.gov
Address: 4904 119th Rd NW, Epping, ND 58843

On the shores of Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota’s vast inland sea, Lewis and Clark State Park captures the grandeur of the northern Great Plains. The campground occupies a scenic peninsula jutting into the lake, where the immensity of sky and water create a landscape of breathtaking scale.

The campsites offer varying degrees of shelter and views. Some nestle among stands of ash and cottonwood that provide welcome shade during hot summer days. Others occupy open terrain with panoramic vistas of the lake’s blue expanse stretching to the horizon. Throughout the campground, the smell of sun-warmed pine mingles with the fresh scent of water.

Lake Sakakawea dominates the experience here. Its waters, a startling turquoise blue reminiscent of alpine lakes, invite swimming, boating, and fishing. The lake’s shoreline stretches for 1,530 miles—longer than the California coastline—creating endless coves and inlets to explore by kayak or canoe.

Sunset brings a daily spectacle as the western sky ignites with color, reflected perfectly in the lake’s still surface. As darkness falls, the absence of light pollution reveals stars with remarkable clarity, their reflections dancing on the water with each gentle wave.

The park preserves more than scenic beauty; it protects an area rich in history. Interpretive displays throughout the campground detail the Corps of Discovery’s journey through the region, and remnants of earth lodge villages hint at the Native American presence that long predated European exploration.

Wildlife thrives in this meeting of prairie and lakeshore. White-tailed deer graze at dawn and dusk along the campground edges. Pelicans—with their nine-foot wingspans—soar overhead, occasionally plunging into the lake with dramatic splashes. In spring and fall, migratory waterfowl fill the air with honking calls and V-formations.

With modern amenities including electrical hookups, hot showers, and a marina with boat rentals, Lewis and Clark State Park makes this spectacular landscape accessible while preserving its essential wildness.

Final Thoughts About Camping in North Dakota

Whether you seek the stark drama of badlands, the tranquility of forest and lake, or the vastness of prairie and reservoir, North Dakota’s top campgrounds offer experiences that challenge perceptions of this often-overlooked state. These destinations reveal a land of surprising diversity and beauty, where camping offers not just recreation, but a genuine connection to landscapes that have shaped American history and identity. Pack your tent and discover why North Dakota’s campgrounds deserve a prominent place on every outdoor enthusiast’s bucket list.