Looking for an adventure where you can explore Fort Ransom and then fall asleep in your tent? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Fort Ransom campgrounds for you and your tent. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Fort Ransom's most popular destinations.
The Valley City National Fish Hatchery is one of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s oldest hatcheries providing fish to waters in the Midwest since 1940. The hatchery was established along a major railroad hub, which facilitated in the distribution of fish by rail cars in the early days. Today the hatchery is active in the restoration of lake sturgeon in the Red River of the North. The hatchery also plays a vital role in maintaining recreational fishing opportunities in North Dakota waters. A fishing pond and fishing access to the Sheyenne River is available to visitors. High quality game fish stocked by the hatchery provide quality sport fishing to thousands. In addition, Valley City welcomes visitors to the hatchery for a closeup view of the fish production process. Hiking, canoeing, fishing, birdwatching, picnicking, and photography continues to be a must of summer activities. The goose pond is a kids fishing pond and is an exclusive area attraction. The staff gives tours to various civic groups and has a traveling aquarium and video show that is taken to the larger fairs and shows within the state.
Legend
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.
Scout
Nice place, well kept & only $15 for a tent site. Hot showers too.
Scout
Good campsite, located in a huge field set pretty far off the river. It says there's room for 10 tents but really you could host a festival there. There's a couple picnic tables and fire pits and one trash can. There is no bathroom next to the tent sites. There is a pit toilet close by. When you reach the "Camp Rules" sign turn right for the camping and left for the pit toilet.
TravelerStayed 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.
Guide
Nice campground just off the highway. Although the tent sites looked nice, unless you have earplugs the highway noise will keep you awake. It's also pretty windy. Clean bathrooms and showers, really nice staff. We booked one of two rustic cabins for a steal at $35. Other than a very thin foam mattress, we had a great stay. There was a mini fridge in the cabin and the wonderful lady that checked us in loaned us a fan since it was a bit warm. Jamestown speedway dirt track has races every Saturday evening during the summer and we were able to catch the season opener in May. The world's largest buffalo is also nearby
ScoutWe stayed at one of the tent campsites and stayed in the recommended spot by the staff. There was a fire ring for us, but we couldn’t use our own wood to prevent the spread of bugs or mold. They gave us free firewood and even brought it right up to our camp site for us. Amenities included clean bathrooms/showers, walking trails, playground. Staff/owners super friendly and helpful. Only downfall is the location is right next to the highway and a little noisy, but nothing we couldn’t sleep through. We would stay here again.
Guide
Stopped here on our way through North Dakota, perfect site with flushable bathrooms, good water and a beautiful sunrise.
Legend
This is a well maintained well cared for well laid out county campground. A number of sites kind of exposed to the sun but hookups and bathrooms available. Tiny Lake for fishing and a beach for swimming. And good for North Dakota there's a large tree claim th at helps keep the wind off of you. I barely have Verizon service so if I was going to try to work I would probably have to use my satellite system but other than that it's adorable I wish it had more hiking.
Legend
I'm not exactly sure I'm in the right place nor am I sure that this is actually a campground of some kind. It's definitely a fishing access it's a big open spot next to Island Lake which is a legit lake in North Dakota. It's very flat but there's equipment parked here and a sign that says this is fishing access so I think if you tried to camp here you'd end up with somebody knocking on your door. Last the GPS spot is not correct that takes you to a corner of a road and this spot does not match the directions so I'm going to go one more mile up and see if the directions actually take me to a campground and I'll post that as well.
Ranger
This park is maintained and managed by the Barnes County Wildlife Club and North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Camping is free and allowed for a maximum of 10 consecutive days. There is plenty of open lawn within this park area which can definitely fit multiple tents and the parking lot/gravel driveway can accommodate travel trailers/RVs/Vans.
It is a well-maintained, simple, camping area offering a picnic table, fire ring/pit, built-in charcoal grill, waste receptacles and a vault toilet. (As of early October the county was able to erect a picnic shelter) There is also some informative signage covering the local history, and that of the the river and land. (Not as far back in time as it should though.)
The Sheyenne River runs along one side of this camp area - There is a kayak/canoe in/out access area here and access points for fishing along with a bridge. If you are filtering H20 yourself, you have access to flowing river water for drinking!
Quite isolated and quiet here, people may periodically stop by to fish, drop in a kayak, run their dogs or stretch their legs. Overall it’s a secluded and peaceful area. There are train tracks that run along the river in close proximity; they usually don't "toot" more than a time or two as they pass the crossing. I can't say how many in a night.
There are plenty of areas to enjoy the sun, but also large, mature trees for plenty of shade as well. Pretty decent area to have access to camp at for FREE that feels like you're "beyond getting what you paid for!"
- Faust Park is also about 4 miles SW from the Mel Rieman Rec Area/Campgrounds (COE) which has a swimming area, playground, showers & bathroom facilities, drinking water, garbages, grills, and a bar/small grill/ice cream shop & water sports rentals on site. This is all very seasonal of course.
-Faust Park is located along a maintained gravel road, less than a ½ mile off of the River Road and about 6 miles outside of Valley City. There is a farmstead on the other side of the river/wooded area, otherwise no other nearby neighbors. It is also 6 or so miles up off of I-94 if folks approach it from that direction.
Legend
The website instructions say to take exit 292 off I 94 but our RV GPS and Google Maps showed exit 294, which is probably a new exit. Coming from the east, exit 294 was the better option, but either exit would work as they both will lead to the turn to take you down to Eggerts Landing plus other COE areas as identified on the signs. The campground(CG) area was easy to find and we got potable water at the dump station conveniently located as we entered the CG area. The RV sites here are all 30 AMP electric and we proceeded to back-in spot 20, which was easy to back into off the turn. Site 20 is plenty long and we really liked the privacy between sites due to the vegetation and trees. This CG has a lot of mature trees so satellite would not be an option for most sites. We got 2 bars on Verizon and 2 on T-Mobile. The sites in the front of the CG are more open where you could get a satellite signal. The sites at the far end of the CG are more private with little trails weaving around. There are no sites that are truly on the lake, but several have paths to the water. There are trash cans smartly placed around the CG plus water spigots and vault toilets. Towards the front of the back loop, there’s a shower house. There is also a fishing pier near the CG area entrance. There’s a camp host, but they were only working weekends when we were there in September. However, park rangers patrolled the CG. This COE is about 15 minutes north of Valley City where amenities can be found. Check out Babb's Coffee House in Jamestown. Great place to have lunch after visiting the tourist spots in Jamestown and the coffee is very good too. If you are looking for gifts made in North Dakota, check out the Dakota Store, also in Jamestown, which is a great place to shop. We enjoyed our 3-night stay during the midweek.
LegendThe lake is very pretty. The swimming area is very nice. They have full bathrooms with showers. A number of different camp sites to be at. Campsites are a little close but I think they're trying to save nicer spots for tents.
GuideA good spot on the river sort of way out in farm country, a good amount of campers on Fri labor day weekend. Im sure any other day it would be empty. Quiet at night, light on bugs, great grass for tents. No water and didnt see a toilet. Prob not good for bigger RVs. Grab a sweet fresh yummy apple from the tree. Only gave it two stars because some of the hillbillies may be a bit creepy.
Legend
But they are very nice and friendly and I ended up with the best spot ever as it is right on the water and under the only few trees available. There is actually 3 campgrounds and they surround the lake. Some of the nicest tent spots I've seen. Small Frisbee golf course and not much formal hiking but you can boat on this lake and lots of fishing from the shore. Poor cell service but lots of open sky and the sat service is killing it today.
RangerVery 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!
Traveler
We had paid for the campsite before we got there, and when we got there, there was no camp host and absolutely no one at the campground. We were confused because across the lake we could see at least 10 tents set up. I also thought $26 was a little steep to stay the night.
The camp ground had many trees though, which i love. And it was very close to the boat ramp, we liked the camp ground, but i imagine if the campground were full that it would be very crowded. Also it had recently rained and the campsites down hill (closest to the lake) had puddles of water.
Traveler
Nice spot by a lake, with three stone fire rings and a couple picnic tables. We got the spot surrounded by trees on three sides which was nice, the rest are open. Tons of birds which make some noise but aren’t a bother. Someone’s farm dogs were sniffing around our tent and howling in the night. They hung around in the morning and were friendly but a little bit of a nuisance as we were cooking and packing up. The directions we followed took us on some pretty rocky roads, we took a different way out and it was a bit smoother. If you’re in a big car you should be fine but we were in a Corolla :) Way out we took: From 94- West: Left on 106th Ave to left on 40th street to left on 109th Ave
RangerThis rec area/campground is honestly a hidden gem (not trying to be cliché!) The area is very scenic and well kept, with a stream running throughout that feeds into a multi-use lake, unique and expansive campsites, groomed trails, multiple amenities and the laidback solitude and peace of the Midwest prairie/plains. If you choose to, it's easy to have enjoyable personal time and also not feel uneasy or isolated in your experience if you choose to adventure solo.
This campground is family friendly and also still very suitable for those solo stays. The campsites exist within many settings: wooded areas, more community-type settings, open prairies, and secluded nooks far away from the center of everything. Some of these sites are massive and some are quaint and tucked into the trees, down a wooded path. There have usually been multiple sites available when I've camped there towards the end of the week.
Clausen Springs Campground is managed by the NDGF Department and Barnes County Park Board/Wildlife Federation; it is within the Clausen Springs Rec Area/Wildlife Management Area (545 acres.) This campground is about 20 miles out of Valley City, 17 miles off of I-94 and just a few miles off of ND HWY 1. (Very easy to locate, not a ton of gravel and not too far from a rural gas station/convenience store.)
The hiking trails are my favorite; they are well-maintained and interconnect with the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT.) The lake provides swimming, fishing, and boat access for electric motored boats or kayaks/canoes. There is also a playground for the kids.
The RVs or TTs have access to electric hookups and dumpsites. We all have have access to rural drinking water, shower houses/bathrooms (very well-kept IMO,) picnic tables, and fire rings. Also present are a ball diamond and horseshoe pit. (There is also a historic aspect to this area and there are some pieces of interpretative information available.)
You are allowed an RV or Camper plus a tent ( or solely two tents) per site (max 8 people) $20/night for electric sites, $15/night for primitive. Also important to note that sites 1-12, and 55 are reserve-able, all the rest are first come, first serve. There are 21 electrical sites and 57 primitive.
(I also realize I posted mainly photos of many of the sizeable, more open/exposed campsites; there are so many that are completely shaded and tucked into the trees as well! I will try to get photos in the future)
TravelerGreat spot for hiking, biking, canoeing and riding your horse. Friendly staff and clean sites. No water or sewer hookups.
GuideWifi 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!
GuideThis 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.
GuideThis 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.
GuideFirst 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.
LegendIt 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.
TravelerWe stopped here on our cross country raid trip for one night. It was the perfect place for an overnight. Beautiful sunset over the hills and lake and perfect grill setup for dinner. LOTS OF BUGS! Bugs went away a little after twilight but it was bad!
GuideWe loved this campground! Granted we were there on a Monday but were one of 4 sites occupied so very quiet and private. There are lots of sites available but many of them are still very private. We stayed at site 41a which was up on a hill with nice views of the water and land in the distance and a very large site. Only downside is the many mosquitoes at dusk and dawn so come prepared!
ScoutThis campsite has been one of our favorites that we found while traveling cross country. For only $15 you get nice, hot clean showers and a flush toilet, HUGE campsites that are private and shaded and full of small wildlife (we loved all the frogs at night), a playground for kids, well lit roads and trails, ample vault toilets for convenience and a beautiful lake that is swimmable, ample opportunity to fish and kayak. It's fun for the entire family. The camp hosts were respectful and extremely nice. We will definitely be coming back here.
Tent camping near Fort Ransom, North Dakota, offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the simplicity of outdoor living. With a variety of campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot to pitch your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Fort Ransom, ND?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fort Ransom, ND is Valley City National Fish Hatchery with a 3-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Fort Ransom, ND, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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