Best Glamping near Fairfield, ND

Cottonwood Campground was a very welcome oasis in the prairies of North Dakota. Along our year-long trip, we slept in a lot of campgrounds, but Cottonwood stands out as just what we needed at the time: quiet, spacious, and beautiful sites, nestled right up along the Missouri river, perfect for taking a dip at the end of a long day of hiking.

We spent four days at Theodore Roosevelt National Park: two in the south unit and two in the north unit. (We also loved Juniper Campground in the north!)

Cottonwood Campground was a great place to crash for two nights. It was cheap, comfortable, and quiet. It allowed great access to the heart of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We even ran into a Teddy impersonator at the Visitor Center!

In the south, near Cottonwood Campground, we loved the beautiful scenic drive, the views from Buck Hill, Wind Canyon Overlook, and the Petrified Forest (a bit of a drive around the park).

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Theodore Roosevelt)

Camped late April for 5 days, so it was offseason one pit toilet open one water spigot open in the campground.  There are two loops, the south look which is tenting and smaller sized trailer sites but it was not yet open while we were there,  The North Loop is mainly pull through sites and can handle larger sized RV's.  This is dry camping, there are no hookups.  You can experience some nice hiking and opportunities for wildlife viewing.  Buffalo were common visitors while having coffee in the morning.   Elk, deer, wild horses were common as well as hawks and prairie dogs.  Currently Western North Dakota is experiencing a drought, and being early in the season for the campground, it was dry and dusty but did not prevent us from hiking and exploring the park.  There is a convenience store in Medora ND right outside the park entrance that you can purchase basics but there was no grocery store.  Part of the scenic loop drive is closed due to road erosion but you can still travel most of it though its an out and back with turnarounds for larger vehicles. We would defiantly camp there again, but if you need the luxuries of an RV "park", you will not find that here.  The campground is well maintained and clean.

I visited this campground for 1 night while driving across North Dakota. It's super easy to access from I-94, but you feel like you're a million miles away from the interstate. Arriving at the Teddy Roosevelt NP main entrance late in the day, the booth was closed and the "Campground Full" sign was up. I decided to check for myself and I'm glad I did. They sometimes put the campground full site up when the ranger leaves for the night- always check for yourself.

The campsites were basic- picnic table, fire ring, and close proximity to some basic bathrooms. My site was grassy and easy for a tent. The campground didn't allow hammocks or anything attached to trees. The rangers were very friendly and actively patroling the campground. There were NP events at the campground each night.

The cost for a site was $16 (and 20$ to enter the park if you don't have a pass). You cannot get change from the ranger and you cannot use a credit card to register. The closest place to get change, firewood, gas, etc. is Medora which is about 7 miles away. The convenience store there has anything you might want.

There are lots of great hikes accessible in the park, but the park is not crowded like other National Parks, so be sure to get a trail map and directions for hiking as all trails are not well marked.

What can I say, I went to Theodore Roosevelt National Park just to hangout with my brother and do some camping. I had very low expectations considering it is located in North Dakota. Let's just say that of the dozen National Parks and Monuments that I have visited and camped in, Theodore Roosevelt is my second favorite.

I saw more wildlife than I have in any other park. There were very few people so it felt like we had the park to ourselves. The scenery was fantastic with so many different things to see. There is a South and North unit and they are both amazing, although the North unit is my favorite.

The Cottonwood campground is in the South Unit. It was great. The toilet near are campsite was a pit toilet, but it was clean. I must admit, I prefer a flushing toilet, especially when I am paying money to camp. Having said that the rest of the campground was quiet with some great scenery. Aside from not having flushing toilets, the reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is the campground needed more shade trees. It did get hot during the day.

Wildlife walks through the campsite regularly. I woke up one morning with a buffalo walking 10 yards from my tent. I was sitting down and eating lunch at the picnic table and a beautiful snake with lots of colors just slithered through. If you want an experience with nature and have the opportunity to see bluffs, trees, badlands and a petrified forest, you need to stay at Cottonwood.

This campground in Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora ND has 76 sites. Half of the sites, the even-numbered ones, are not reservable. Sites 55-66 are walk in tent sites; parking spots and grills for these sites are numbered so you have a specific site.

We arrived before 10:30 am on a Sunday and sites were being claimed quickly. There were 7 of us choosing sites at that time. The hosts had a whiteboard that listed available sites; we took a photo of the list and chose quickly as we drove around because sites that were listed as available were already being claimed. We ended up on a reservable site that was open for the next several nights. The host couple was really on the ball and their attention helped keep the site selection process orderly.  After you put your tag up, they fold it over later in the day and mark your departure date. This is a practice that is used in many campgrounds.

Cottonwood has been full every day since Memorial Day so you can't show up in the evening or possibly even mid-afternoon and expect to find an open site.

This campground has no hookups but has flush toilets, sinks, potable water spigots, a sink for washing dishes/disposing of grey water, a place for filling water tanks, trash disposal and firewood for sale. There are charcoal grates for cooking that can also be use for campfires, but there are no fire rings; your campfire will be a few feet off the ground in something that I think of as a grill!

Showers? No, but there area couple campgrounds in Medora that have showers for $5.

If you stay here, you're obviously here to see Theodore Roosevelt NP. Both the campground and park are worth a visit. The scenery is incredible and gave us a new view of North Dakota. There is a hike near Pleasant Valley Ranch where you can use a few trails to make a 5+ mile loop that will show you everything the park has to offer - Little Missouri River (and you have to cross it at the beginning and end), prairie dog towns, bison herds and beautiful scenery. I highly recommend this as a way to see the park from a better vantage point than the highway.

One complaint - the position of our site (#19) had some people think it was acceptable to cut through our site on their way to the bathroom. Do you walk through someone's home to shorten your walk? Didn't think so but 3 people did within 30 minutes.

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.

A little difficult to access if you’ve never been but worth it. Direct access to 100+ miles of the Maah Daah Hey trail!

I’ve stayed here multiple times. The sites are relatively spread out, though I like to stay towards the back of the site where it’s even more secluded. Every time I’ve been here, the camp is never over 1/2 full. 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. Either head south on Magpie road to Magpie trailhead, or follow the campground road away from the main road past the cattleguard and find the connecting trail there. From there, either head west towards Devil’s Pass or east towards the ice caves. At dusk, be sure to listen for coyotes barking in the distance

The BF and I stayed here last July (2015) and we absolutely loved it! The bathrooms were clean, there is potable water and the camp host was great! We had reserved in advance as we were driving in from Minnesota and wanted to know we had a spot. We got a great spot near the river and had amazing sunset views. I had read that a buffalo encounter is possible, which we saw near the road but thankfully not near our tent. The campground is nestled right in the middle of the park making it quite peaceful. It's not too far from Medora so it's reasonable that you could eat dinner there if cooking isn't you're thing. The park itself has a great scenic road and plenty of wildlife. We saw solitary male buffalo, a herd of buffalo from afar, two entertaining prairie dog villages, a lone coyote and lots of birds. The geology is also amazing - much like the badlands of S Dakota but with much more green life, wildflowers and wildlife. We only had one night and wish we could have stayed longer! Overall it was a great campground and a true gem of a national park!

Interesting area, lots of geology and wildlife but somehow different than what I expected. You can take a great scenic drive around the park and there are a lot of moderate trails if you want to explore more (petrifed forest!!). Lovely creeks throughout the park. Yes bison sometimes visit the campground...I didn't experience this but it was a little freaky thinking that they could be out there! The campground meets my expectations for a National Park: clean, good layout, well maintained, facilities as described. Wasn't too crowded in May but I recommend reservations for summer. Most sites are pretty open so less privacy but great views. Great place to visit on a road trip or for a getaway.

All the sites were the same but I got to stay at site 15. The site is huge and is made for group camping not solo. There's a picnic table and fire ring. The park cost about 20 dollars to get into. There are restrooms that are pretty well maintained but had no showers. I went on a hot day so they prohibited fires for that day to prevent wildfires. There are a lot of animals and you may notice small animal droppings on the campground. The droppings are dried out so it doesn't have a strong odor. They don't let you collect firewood to prevent damaging the wildlife so I recommend bringing your own supply of wood. There are a lot of trails in this park. I took the Wind Canyon trail which offered the view of the Missouri river. There is also a lot of prairie dogs and buffalo. You are exposed to the sun and there are no trees for shade. This is also the same for the campsite. It is really hot. The visitor center is really friendly and they suggest places in the park you should visit.

Only 6 miles from South Park entrance of Thoedore Roosevelt National Park. Drinking water and flushing toilets but no showers. Reasonable nightly rates. Remember that you are also responsible for the entry fee into the park if you plan to enter the park. Nearest town is Medora. For basic camping I'd recommend. For those that are looking for more amenities you may want to research further.

Stayed here and early April and had the campground to ourselves besides one other tent and bison! Beautiful area!

My brother and I decided to take a trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I had never been there before and didn't know what to expect when I entered the Cottonwood campground in the South Unit.

When I pulled in there were several campsites for tents on the left and pull-through campsites for campers on the right. I opted to for one of the tent sites right in the middle of the camp near the water. The campsite I was at had trees in between it and the adjacent campsites. It had a flat space with mowed grass, a picnic table, and an outdoor grill.

As far as bathrooms are concerned, there was a pit toilet where you enter for the pull-through sites and a flush toilet in the middle of the tent sites. I always prefer camping somewhere with a flush toilet and running water. You might be more adventurous than I am, but this definitely made me happy.

There were a lot of bugs in my campsite, which was probably because I was close to the water. It may have had fewer bugs if I chose a campsite further away from the river. I saw a snake while cooking dinner one night, and I also saw a buffalo hanging out next to the toilets when I woke up one morning (I wasn't groggy for long). So there is a good chance you see some wildlife you can enjoy in the campsite.

The location of the campground is near the entrance of the South Unit, so it's a good place to stay if you plan to explore the park. I woke up and did a loop around the entire South Unit and then ended back at the campground.

As far as the national park is concerned, I highly recommend checking out the Wind Canyon Trail, Buck Hill, Scoria Point Overlook, the Petrified Forest and the Painted Canyon. All of these locations are really different. There are also several prairie dog towns that are pretty cool.

If seeing bison up-close is your goal, this park should be on your list! No need to drive many hours to find the herd, they are right there and all around. Note: Bison are wild, potentially dangerous animals, so never approach them. This park abounds in wildlife from prairie dogs to bison to prong horn to wild horses; you’ll see them all in a short drive around the loop road.

Located near the South Unit Visitor’s Center, this campground offers the usual suspects: picnic table, campfire ring, and the ubiquitous NPS comfort stations (flush toilets and sinks, no showers). But these sites offer something more unusual -- many of them are pull-through which is great for campers and trailers, and the vegetation gives a sense of privacy and shade to the site. The river runs close to the campground, and though well forested, there are views of the amazing grassland plain for which the area is famous. Hiking, horseback riding, cycling, and wildlife viewing is all right there.

Reservations are available through www.recreation.gov.

The main campground in the Teddy roosevelt national park. Toilets, water and dosg welcome. There are walk-in tent camping spots as well as RV spots. A little shade is available here!

I had a wonderful time here. The badlands are definitely where its at. I wasn't planning on staying here but when i realized how close i was i stopped in.

The campground is basic. Fire rings, picnic tables, bathrooms. Met some excellent people played some guitar with this amazing female artist.

The hiking in TRNP is wonderful. i mean there are buffalo and wild horse cmon. Took some hilarious pictures but unfortunately i can't find the external hard drive there on.

Cheers!

Cottonwood CAmpground in Theordore Roosevelt NP was a nice and welcome surprise. I visited in the beginning of October and the water had already been shutoff, which was a little bit of a hinderance, but it was nice that they reduced the price because of it. Only half of the site were available to use, but I would say they were the best sites anyway. The site were large and spread out. You are able to see the other sites, but they are not right next to you. It is also near the

This campground is located shortly after the Medora entrance to the park. Right by the Little Missouri River below the colorful hills that tower over the trees, this campground has beautiful views on its own and offers a good starting point to visit the rest of the park, with a couple trails nearby.

I stopped in a stayed here for two nights on my trip from Milwaukee to Seattle. I am a single tent/car camper. I loved this park so much. I could see why Theodore Roosevelt loved it so much and received to so much from his time there. Even if you can’t stay, I recommend doing the driving loop.

The campground was clean and provided all I needed. Since it’s still considered winter season the bathrooms were not available. I thought someone said something about pit toilets but I never located them. So I just used the woods.

Wildlife do walk right on through the campground sometimes you may come real close to the bison, horses or deer so just be alert. At night you could hear the coyotes, which I loved but others may not.

The south unit (where the campground is) part of the park features a driving loop, which I highly recommend taking several times. You will not be disappointed. I went twice, both around dusk and saw bison, deer, prairie dogs, porcupine, coyote, elk, pheasants, turkey, various birds.

For hiking there’s options from short and sweet, a good day long trip, or overnight trips. I did the 10.5 mi loop through the petrified forests. Very Beautiful!!! Also not to difficult but offers enough challenge. I went North to South. The latter half of the hike was flatter than the beginning that way.

If you forget anything, the town near by (Medora) has a C-store that covers most needs. Otherwise Dickinson is within an hour away and should have whatever you may need.