Best Equestrian Camping near Dickinson, ND

Roundup Group Horse Camp at Theodore Roosevelt National Park provides dedicated equestrian sites with access to riding trails and wilderness areas. The campground accommodates horses with primitive camping arrangements, though it lacks modern amenities like electric hookups, showers or running water. While no designated horse corrals are mentioned in the facilities, the campground is specifically designed for group equestrian use from May through October. Trail access from the campground connects riders directly to the park's extensive trail system through the badlands landscape.

Located about 9 miles from Dickinson, Sully Creek State Park offers another option for horse owners camping in the region. The park features camping areas that can accommodate horse trailers with nearby access to the 144-mile Maah Daah Hey Trail, a premier long-distance horse trail traversing the Little Missouri National Grassland. The campground provides basic amenities including drinking water, picnic tables, and fire rings, though horse-specific facilities like corrals may be limited. Most equestrian campers bring portable corrals or high-lines for their horses. The trail system remains accessible from April through November when the park is open, with best riding conditions typically in spring and fall when temperatures are moderate. Sites can be reserved in advance, which is recommended during peak season when equestrian campers frequent the area.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Dickinson, North Dakota (12)

    1. Medora Campground

    44 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (701) 623-4435

    $30 - $60 / night

    "There's a picnic table, but it was very hot outside without shade. There's a great creek within walking distance that you can cool off in and let the dogs run around."

    "Medora Campground boasts a prime location near Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the charming town of Medora."

    2. Sully Creek State Park — Sully Creek State Recreation Area

    30 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (701) 623-2024

    "It was right next to an equestrian area, so some horses being trained and whinnying just next door."

    "We had total privacy, a fire pit that you could see the bluff from, trees all around, and the only thing you heard were horses from the horse camp area."

    3. BLM Schnell Recreation Area

    4 Reviews
    Dickinson, ND
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (701) 227-7700

    $5 / night

    "Small maintained trails and really pretty. It is a wet year and everything is very green and yes you need to be prepared for ticks to hike in the tall grass."

    4. Buffalo Gap Campground (ND)

    22 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (701) 227-7800

    $20 / night

    "General: Small (37-site) forest service campground in two loops near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. No hookups or cell service (despite proximity to the highway)."

    "Very close to the entrance to Teddy Roosevelt NP, it was perfect for our camper.  Big rigs would be fine there, but I did not see any drive through sites."

    5. Burning Coal Vein Campground

    5 Reviews
    Amidon, ND
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (701) 225-5151

    "Great access to the Columnar Junipers hike and bluffs for beautiful overlook of this part of the Little Missouri National Grassland."

    "Fun little place to camp, and fun little hike to the Butte, or hop on the Maah Da Hey Trail and hike for miles."

    6. Boots Campground

    5 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    35 miles
    Website

    $40 / night

    "The location is great as the park entrance is just a few miles away, along with the gateway town of Medora. Reservation and check in was all digital which was nice."

    "Very close to neighbors and site 7 is very hard to get level. We had to buy more leveling blocks. We're pro members and couldn't figure out how to get the pro discount. No tables or fire rings."

    7. Magpie Campground

    9 Reviews
    Grassy Butte, ND
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (701) 225-5151

    $6 / night

    "Small and private, only one other group there who were visiting with their horses. They said they had good trails, but we didn’t have much time to explore. Beautiful views and very peaceful."

    "The part I like most about this campground is the easy access to the world renowned Maah Daah Hey Trail: >100 miles of trail open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders."

    8. Coal Creek Campground

    2 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    36 miles
    Website

    $10 / night

    "Road nearby is very quite, with only the occasional oil/gas work truck basically. The trailhead had a few people in and out."

    10. Little Missouri State Park Campground

    7 Reviews
    Killdeer, ND
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (701) 794-3731

    "There are many amenities including electrical hookups, water, horse corrals vault toilets and pay showers. But the amenities aren't why you stay at this park. You stay for the views."

    "We were surrounded by miles of hiking in which we enjoyed about 13 miles of, but so much more we could’ve hiked!"

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Dickinson, ND

3 Photos of 12 Dickinson Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Dickinson, ND

132 Reviews of 12 Dickinson Campgrounds


  • H
    Sep. 22, 2020

    Little Missouri State Park Campground

    Off the beaten path

    We stayed at this park because the Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Park North Unit campgrounds were closed for renovations. I mistakenly thought this park was close to the park, but it is actually a 90 minute drive. We had a reservation for 2 nights but only stayed one and moved to the CCC Campground to be closer to the park. The only real sites with a view are those that back-up to the Little Missouri River. All others are just looking at a prairie. This is also primarily a campground for horse people, which we are not. You do need to pay the additional North Dakota State Park fee if camping here.

  • Tucker B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 12, 2021

    Sully Creek State Park — Sully Creek State Recreation Area

    Small Tent Area within Equestrian Campground

    This site was massive and would've had room for 5 or 6 tents (not sure on limits though).

    It was right next to an equestrian area, so some horses being trained and whinnying just next door.

    No cell service (AT&T at least) but quick proximity to Medora and Teddy Roosevely National Park!

  • Matthew B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 4, 2024

    Coal Creek Campground

    Perfect out of the way campground

    A wonderful little USFS campground about 10 miles south of Medora and the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The road turns to dirt/gravel just after leaving town, but is smooth and well maintained for the oil/gas companies. The campgrounds in the NP were full so we were worried people would spill out into this spot, but there was nobody here when we got in on a Sunday morning in early June, and only a handful of other campers came and went during our weeklong stay. Road nearby is very quite, with only the occasional oil/gas work truck basically. The trailhead had a few people in and out. Almost every site has a good view of the surrounding colorful North Dakota badlands, but the sites on top of the hill (5-10) have a better vantage point. Overall a great peaceful spot to detox, relax, and serve as a basecamp for the south unit of Teddy Roosevelt. Definitely adding this to our go to places when visiting TRNP or even just passing through NoDak.

    Facilities: Pair of vault toilets near the check-in kiosk, clean and well stocked; spur to access the Maah Dah Hey trail from the campground; campground is fully fenced with cattle guard at entrance to keep out larger animals

    Cell Service: Surprisingly great for both Verizon and T-mobile, more than enough to work with

    Starlink: While we didn't need to use it, every site has a good open view of the sky

    Solar: Every site has a good open view of the sky to rake in the rays

  • WThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2020

    Little Missouri State Park Campground

    Cool spot

    It's more RV and equestrian focused but you can tent camp as well. Large grassy areas to set up camp. Fire pits, showers, bathrooms. Seems popular as well. Making reservations would be a good idea. I stayed at spot 31. It's at the end of the road that goes downhill. There are lots of flies because it has horse corrals and the mosquitos are vicious. They may be different at other spots. Nice spot for views and hiking. I would come back here.

  • Angie G.
    Sep. 17, 2022

    Sully Creek State Park — Sully Creek State Recreation Area

    Bluff at Sully Creek

    I booked a tent site in the Cedar area of the Sully Creek State Park Campground and it was so much better than the ones at TRNP! We had total privacy, a fire pit that you could see the bluff from, trees all around, and the only thing you heard were horses from the horse camp area. I was going to put up my hammock by the firepit but heard the hum of bees in a stump close by so I didn’t do it. This sites has room for 2 tents (one on each side of it). Bathrooms were a short walk and showers were coin-operated and clean. I loved this park!

  • Mac M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 2, 2021

    Sully Creek State Park — Sully Creek State Recreation Area

    Mesa views on Little Mo at Medora

    A perfect campground for equestrian campers or those visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Just 3-4 miles from Medora ND and park entrance. Open views, good trails, great birding. The sites have electric, accessible water and dump site. Showers snd vault toilets kept very clean.

  • Jessica S.
    Mar. 18, 2017

    Sully Creek State Park — Sully Creek State Recreation Area

    Sully Creek State Park

    Gorgeous park. Very small with limited camping spots. The Little Missouri River is right here and the trailheads for the Maah Daah Hey Trail and Maah Daah Hey II (The Deuce) are in this tiny park as well. Great views of the surrounding badlands, exceptional horse and hiking trails. A variety of amenities are offered incuding some electrical, water, pay showers and vaulted toilets and horse corrals. No paved roads. Very close to Medora.

  • Melissa B.
    May. 20, 2022

    Magpie Campground

    Great stop near the national park!

    We were headed to the north unit of TRNP and found this nice campground. Small and private, only one other group there who were visiting with their horses. They said they had good trails, but we didn’t have much time to explore. Beautiful views and very peaceful. Only downfall was the long drive on the rough/ unpaved roads. My Toyota Corolla isn’t the best “off roading” car, but we got there safely. Definitely would visit again!!! Paid $10 cash for the evening.

  • Di B.
    Jun. 23, 2021

    Sully Creek State Park — Sully Creek State Recreation Area

    full of poison ivy and cottonwood

    I was so disappointed with our site. We came to kayak and camp because the reviews were so high and we are going to be exploring the national park and town of Medora. We had to pay an addition 21$ upon arrival for a vehicle fee. That, combined with our 56$ space fee equaled about 25$ a night for 3 nights. Which is a great deal for the area. Warning... the river is about 2 inches deep in the summer. Apparently that is the norm and I did not do my homework as well as I thought I had. It does say on the website that the river is high in early spring. Getting to our site, 22, it was too small for our large tent and carpeted in cottonwood which is not the fault of the camp rangers but allowing so much poison ivy in a space is. Everyone says this is great for horse camping, but if you are tent camping in summer with young kiddos, I would highly reconsider. Also be aware that there are not many hotels below 180$ a night for a single available in the town of Medora, and if you are looking for an alternative to camping the best options are 40 minutes away in Dickinson. Another little tidbit is that even though we are pretty high in the continental US, it is still in the 90s during summer. So, not too much at fault of the camp but definitely not the best summer camping experience I have had.


Guide to Dickinson

Horse camping in North Dakota offers a unique blend of scenic trails and well-equipped facilities, making it an ideal destination for equestrian enthusiasts.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like electric hookups and spacious sites

Tips for equestrian camping near Dickinson, North Dakota

  • When visiting the BLM Schnell Recreation Area, be prepared for a rustic experience with no electric hookups, but enjoy the freedom of riding in a natural setting.
  • At Coal Creek Campground, campers can find a peaceful environment with well-spaced sites, ideal for relaxing after a day of riding.
  • The Burning Coal Vein Campground is a remote spot that offers a quiet retreat, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle while enjoying horseback riding.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • Horseback riding trails abound near the Wannagan Campground, where visitors can explore scenic paths right from their campsite.
  • The Medora Campground is conveniently located near Theodore Roosevelt National Park, providing access to numerous trails for horseback riding and hiking.
  • At Buffalo Gap Campground, campers can enjoy the nearby Buffalo Gap Trail, which is perfect for both hiking and horseback riding adventures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Dickinson, ND?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Dickinson, ND is Medora Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 44 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Dickinson, ND?

TheDyrt.com has all 12 equestrian camping locations near Dickinson, ND, with real photos and reviews from campers.