Looking for the best horse camping near Valley City? Finding a place to stay in North Dakota while traveling with your horse has never been easier. These scenic and easy-to-reach Valley City campsites are perfect for equestrian campers.
Nestled in the Sheyenne River Valley, about 65 miles southeast of Jamestown, Fort Ransom State Park is a 950-acre recreation area amid rolling grasslands and mixed woods. Once the site of an 1860s military encampment, the location now offers year-round outdoor recreation, from hiking, fishing, and paddling, to bird watching, horseback riding and camping. In summer, the park rents canoes and provides shuttles to the launch point, for spending leisurely days paddling down the river. In winter, its a popular destination for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The park’s most noted event is the annual Sodbuster Days, which celebrates the farming and homesteading days of the late 1800s with arts, music, food and a rodeo.
The campground at Fort Ransom State Park offers 80 RV, tent and equestrian campsites near the banks of the Sheyenne River. Modern RV sites, with electric and water hookups, are mostly pull-through, while primitive tent sites are mostly walk-in. A few group sites, both modern and primitive, are located near the outdoor amphitheater. The main camp area features flush toilets, showers, a playground, and a dump station. A canoe launch and fishing pier are located nearby. The primitive tent sites and equestrian camp area only offers vault toilets; the latter also has horse corrals. Other amenities include a visitor center, picnic shelters, and a dog park. Campsites are $17–$25/night.
Jorgen’s Hollow Campground is located forty miles southwest of Fargo, North Dakota. Click here for a map of the Jorgen’s Hollow Campground and Trails. Jorgen’s Hollow Campground has 14 primitive campsites nestled within the oak savanna. Seven of those sites allow campers to have horses and seven sites are designated for campers without horses. Each campsite has a graveled pad, with a picnic table and fire ring. Campsites are open to anyone on a first-come, first-served basis. Potable water and vaulted toilets are available. While at the campground, you can enjoy the area by hiking the Oak Leafor North Country National Scenic Trail, viewing wildlife, birding, identifying wildflowers, and many other activities. Trailheads are located in the campground. Directions from ND Highway 18: Turn west onto County Road 4, travel three miles and turn north on County Road 23. Travel north on County Road 23 for two and three quarter’s mile until you reach the campground on the east side of the road. Directions from ND Highway 27: Turn north onto County Road 4 and travel three miles, then turn east and travel one mile to County Road 23. Travel north on County Road 23 for two and three quarter’s mile until you reach the campground on the east side of the road.
This recreation area is part of Pipestem Lake
$10 / night
This is a nice enough campground with pretty views of the lake. It really is dry though with no water and pit toilets. You just pick a spot of grass and that's it. There are miles and miles of trails which is very cool and nice views of the water and overall, well maintained and for me, in April, it was quiet.
Campground was nice and there is a nice trail. Warning this trail is used for cross country meets. Besides some porta potties being set up on the side of the campground there was no indication of this event happening until the buses started rolling in. There was no where for the buses or spectators to park besides the camping lots and participants and spectators used the campground bathrooms and walked onto sites being used by campers.
It was very early in April and still very cold so I literally had the place to myself but we saw an incredible amount of wildlife in our one day stay. Also there are bunches of trails to hike and the town is close and worth exploring. I came back again in 2024 with a bit more time but still early so had the park to myself. There is so much to do here. They have expanded the trails, dinner in town at a great restaurant, mountain biking down the Kathryn road to historic sites and a national state forest with more trails and destinations. Come early, around the ticks and mosquitoes. Maybe I will bring the canoe next time.
Nice and relatively private spots with lots of hiking nearby. Definitely headed back again
Only 50 miles from Fargo. Place all to myself on a Sunday night. Clean nice toilets and nice camping spots.
First time here, it was different than expected but in a good way. The ND scenery was great with the river valley. It is a small park as far as number of spots but well spaced out and very well maintained.
Arrived after dark picked a site and in the morning was happily surprised to find it had some trees surrounding it. In the evening the best part was listening to the trees in the breeze. it's pretty well dispersed camping with bushes for the most part separating the sites. the toilets are clean. There's a nice four Mile easy trail that comes out of the campsite area. I visited on weekday they're only five campers when I showed up and by the time I left there were zero campers.
Great spot for hiking, biking, canoeing and riding your horse. Friendly staff and clean sites. No water or sewer hookups.
Decent primitive campground in the Sheyenne grasslands. Decent vault toilets and water pump. NCT access there. Lots of woodpeckers to see and coyotes calling at dusk. Sheyenne river nearby.
Not sure what it’s like on weekends, but arrived on a Tuesday in August; I was the second camper to arrive. First come, first serve. Very minimalist and lovely. Potable water is available, and hiking trails are nearby. Like I said in the title, all quiet, and wonderful looking over the tall grass prairie. Abundant flowers and butterflies. Even a couple prairie chickens. What a wonderful night. Not the greatest campground ever, but in my book, really a 4.5 rather than a 4 star
National forest campground. First come first served only with no attendant. There’s on manual pump well and two vault toilets. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring and most had nice level places to park. 3 miles of gravel road to the campground but the road was smooth and in good condition.
The first thing I think of when I think of Parkhurst Campground/Pipestem Lake rec area are the trails. This area encompasses about 140 acres and contains the 5.5 mile North Ridge Trail, 8 mile Pipestem Creek Trail, and equine trails. The first two are geared towards mountain biking, and hiking. Very pretty prairie hiking as well as lush, wooded tracts. There's easy access to these trails from the campgrounds and they are also very well maintained by the county. There are families who have ATVs with also, as there is some separate land they can have access too.
Parkhurst's campgrounds are tidy and well-kept. There are also typically plenty of regulars camping there who are pretty happy to help if you have questions. This is an Army Corps of Engineers/ County ran campground within a rec area; it's located alongside the Pipestem Creek/Lake. There is a $10/night fee on an honor system, where upon arrival you select your campsite and then fill out a slip and submit your payment at the campground entrance. There are no reservations and it is first some first serve. (Every time we have stayed here there have been plenty of sites available, but I cannot speak for traditionally busy, holiday weekends)
This is a primitive campground that has access to picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, waste receptacles, non-potable water, a dump station, shelters, boat docks and ramps, lake/reservoir beaches for swimming, as well as mountain biking, hiking and equine trails. If you needed water on the spot, there is is non-potable water access as well as river/lake water if you filter it yourself. A neighboring farm which you'll drive by sells firewood, as well as several places within Jamestown. Since there is an equine trail there is of course an equine area with corrals, tether lines, and space for trailers.
The sites here aren't labeled specifically, so you have to gauge your equipment, vehicles, and how much space you'd typically be taking up. It allows for some flexibility and I haven't seen groups overflowing. Parkhurst is quite expansive in that the northern most end starts at a bit higher elevation, and the southern-most end is a bit lower, and along the lakeside. This is a pretty open campground, across a large large area with dividing roads and trees throughout. Even though spots aren’t secluded typically, and there isn’t site division by trees, we still haven’t been forced to come into contact or interact with neighbors and the rest of the campground.(I mention this knowing that it is something some folks really take into consideration.) Though not a wooded campground, there is still a lot of shade, and the breezes really help with some bug control.
Parkhurst is off of HWY 281 and about 5 miles from the outskirts of Jamestown, a quick and easy drive. When you are navigating to Parkhurst/Pipestem Reservoir area there is south end rec area entrance and then also the campground entrance on the north end, where you would come across the registration area as you head south. Pipestem creek/lake connects from the south to the James River/Jamestown Reservoir which is on the outside of Jamestown. (Plenty of options for groceries, gas, dining, hardware stores etc.)
We really like staying here, whether in a tent or camper. The trails are addicting, personally! If you are camping with a couple groups, it's pretty easy to find neighboring/close campsites as well.
Camped one night in late August 2020. Paid$10. Clean, quiet campground with picnic table& iron fire ring/grill at each site. Partial shade. Friendly campers. Hand pump well water. Easy trail, but didn’t see much wildlife. Lots of flies. I would stay here again. See my video review on YouTube. Riding with Stymie
This campground has the North Country Trail go right through it, and that is how we ended up camping there. Kids enjoyed the ice cream and refreshments for sale at the gift shop. We were able to get down to the river from our primitive site and cool off. While the bank its self was quite steep and muddy the water felt amazing. Firewood for sale at the gift shop and they drop it off to your site.
Lots of campsites here and not many of them being used this Memorial Day weekend (thank you, COVID-19). This allowed for a pretty distanced visit and relatively quiet experience in the middle of the country. If it was full, it could have been loud. Horses are also welcome here, so there are some horse noises that may be startling if not expected (clanking metal, etc). Great stargazing. Clean water and vault toilets. Great access to the NCT. Great signage. Well kept. I enjoyed my stay here.
Stayed at a site in the open field near to the road. (last site available) only down side was that you got to feel the ND winds (10-30mph+) all the time..... Next time will stay on the other side of the river at their "primitive" campsites. those sites are all in the trees and secluded. Also has walk-in tent sites. Plenty of local hiking trails right from the campsite.
This is a year round multi-use state park along the forest-lined Sheyenne River and near the Sheyenne National Grasslands. There are miles of trails through all kinds of habititats from forest to prairie to riparian shores and the water trail. In winter there is great cross country skiing and snowshoeing and summer of course has camping, canoeing, hiking, and nature watching. This seems to be a big park for horse campers and they are well set up for that with corrals and designated horse campgrounds. There is a standard campground for car camping, campers and RVs with the usual amenities, then there is the so-called "primitive" campground which is for tents only, either in drive in tent campsites, or at walk-in tent sites that are very spacious and right on the river! Very nice. The "primitive" tent area has quiet rules including no use of generators, so we like that. The tent area did not have its own water source though, so you do have to walk across the river bridge to the main campground to get water. Also, while there were no problems about flooding on our trip, the sites are in a lowland area adjacent to the river floodplain so could be a concern at times of heavy rain. Other options, should you want to go for historic lodging or "glamping", there is the option to reserve a covered wagon or pioneer cabin to stay in, or a fully equipped really amazingly cool yurt with a loft that could host a large family or group. If you like hiking or canoeing or horseback riding or nature exploring, there are alot of good options here for the summer camper. Things are quieter right now as there as fewer campers due to covid, they are also a little short staffed and the grounds look a tad bit rough around the edges and in need of a bit of maintanence. Also, the park was established on the grounds on an old fort which seems to have had some historic controversy, and the main park entrance sign was burned in a recent protest event so be aware of that when you are trying to find the park. And, while staying at the park, visit the exhibits in the visitor's center to learn more about the history of the area and the old fort so you can put all this into respectful context.
Nice clean campground and hiking trails are taken care of. The sunsets are beautiful
This is a pretty good spot. When we were there in June the campground was having a Halloween celebration and my daughter loved it. There’s good trails to walk and it’s generally quiet. Sites aren’t very private, but the people were nice. It seemed to be more of a “locals” campground.
Wifi is at the visitors center, there’s almost 20 miles of trails to walk on and the scenery at night is beautiful! Sodbuster Days, Halloween in June and Christmas in July is a must. Also the historical building in the area is a cool thing to see!
.Built 3 years ago, Jorgen’s Hollow is a new campground that is in the Sheyenne Grasslands. Half the sites are for people with horses and half are for those without. During my 2 night stay, most sites were empty. If it fills up, there is a campground just down the roads a piece.
Sites are very different. Choose one in the shade or sun. Some have more space than others. There is a central hand pump for water. Vault restrooms are at each end. The North Country Trail goes right through camp. Hike (or ride your horse) it into the grasslands or the other way to join more trails.
There is no fee to camp here until the fall of 2018. We couldn’t pass up 2 free nights in a quiet and remote setting. Getting up early and out onto the trail in the cool morning let us relax as the day warmed up. A midnight walk let all the stars strut their stuff.
Thrre are horses and riders who camp here so be aware they added some noises to keep my dog interested. You might consider bringing your own water - the water from the pump has particulates in it. This is also a “pack it in, pack it out place” for now. Bring your trash out with you.
This place is a beautiful find!
Very green park with alot of history, including a preserved farm about early white settlers. We met some people who were staying here with their horses - how fun! Wide open green spaces, lovely. We didn’t explore much of the park unfortunately. We really wished we had rented a canoe or kayak (from the park) but it was a holiday weekend so they were all gone by the time we sauntered out of the tent near noon.
Yay: basic cafe, easy canoeing, nature center, educational, easy hikes.
Nay: campsites are not private or shady, only a few are next to the water.
Surprise: the camp staff were especially great with lots of stories to entertain the preschooler and grandma!
Camping near Valley City, North Dakota, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and friendly campgrounds. Whether you're looking for a quiet spot to unwind or a place to enjoy outdoor activities, there’s something for everyone.
Camping near Valley City, North Dakota, has its unique charm and challenges. With a bit of planning, you can enjoy a great outdoor experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Valley City, ND?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Valley City, ND is Fort Ransom State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Valley City, ND?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 equestrian camping locations near Valley City, ND, with real photos and reviews from campers.
