Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Garrison, ND

I love this campground, it was like a breath of fresh air after getting lost in northeast north dakota and not seeing a soul for hours and sleeping on the side of the highway, driving up to Roughrider was like seeing an oasis in the desert. It is the nicest campsite we have been to in a while, $15/ night for primitive tent camping and pets allowed on leashes. The showers got hot INSTANTLY. We were welcomed so warmly after freezing in the car all night. 1000/10.

This is my favorite campground in North Dakota ! Always clean and neat. The waters are beautiful. National fish hatchery nearby, along with the Garrison dam. Breath taking views from the Elbowwoods loop!

Great service, full hook ups, and kids/pet friendly. If you’re camping in the area it is the best place BY FAR!!!

We stayed 3 nights in early September, Fri-Sun. I was a bit surprised at how few people were there - 2 or 3 long campers and we were the only tent campers. It was nice for privacy but felt a little eerie at times. That being said it was nicely maintained and I have to mention the bathrooms are replenished and cleaned daily and fully stocked with CHARMIN ULTRA toilet paper which is an absolute luxury at a simple campground lol. The showers are also pretty nice and the facility is heated. So appreciated. It has a little pavilion, a playground, “beach”, a couple cute bridges, a big grassy field for stargazing or throwing the ball around, a disc golf course, and of course you’re right on the river which is cool. Swimming is allowed at your own risk. I’m giving it five stars mostly for how well kept the bathrooms were, but it did feel a little desolate at times. I get it’s the end of camping season though and it was a little cold at night so that’s probably why. There are a few stray cats and dogs wandering about at times. We are good sleepers and this didn’t bother us much but there are heavily trafficked train tracks a couple hundred yards away from the campground so if you are a light sleeper or are bothered by trains this might not be the place for you. Umm all in all it’s a cute and peaceful little park that made a nice home for a few nights. It’s patrolled by police throughout the day too. We’d probably stay there again if we ever happen to go to Minot. Oh! There’s a decent North Dakota style winery (sweet fruit wines) a couple miles down the road with a lovely view and even some hikes. Worth a visit - Pointe of View. Ok, done now I promise.

This is our first visit here, North Dakota does a great job with their state parks campgrounds. Our 3rd SP visited on this trip ( Lake Metigoshe & Sully Creek were the others).

Huge, well spaced campsites. Pretty much in immaculate condition. The park was busy, hardly any vacant spots but still very quiet. Plenty of folks had their boats, & plenty of room to park them. Very scenic area.

We've been to plenty of state parks across the USA. Looks like North Dakota might have the best ones.

Great campground. If you have a chance head into garrison and do some shopping on their main street. They have some great shops there. The park is wonderful and the sites are roomy.

We’ve camped here a handful of times and have always enjoyed it. It’s below garrison dam and has many big trees, so it’s protected from the wind which makes bugs an issue at times so be prepared for that! Loop 1 - 3 are all paved and have very nice level pads for campers and all have fire rings. Loop 4 is primitive and usually always has space even if you arrive without reservations. Loop 1 cannot be reserved and is a first come first serve, vs loops 2-4 can be reserved 6 months in advance. Showers and bathroom facilities are kept up nice and are clean. There are also playgrounds and theaters there for kid/family activities.

This place has it all! Beautiful, well-groomed, shaded hiking paths everywhere. Playgrounds. Big fields. Clean water access to the river for swimming, dogs, fishing. Good sized sights, well sheltered by trees. Outhouses near all sights. Well kept showers. Helpful park services. Our fave place so far!

I really enjoyed my stay at this campground. I had a large tent and brought my dog. I chose to stay with electricity and water since I had my pup. I had a very clear view of the water and the place was very clean. The sites were spaced out well enough where my neighbors weren't too close to me and I hardly heard any of them throughout the day or night. I stay for 4 days and had a wonderful experience. Highly recommend.

While there were very few tent sites available, we had our choice of sites as we were the only tent campers. Bathrooms were great, the trails around the lake were great and the food at the marina was OK. This park is surrounded by beautiful lakes and fields of wheat. Shower was great.

This site is BEAUTIFUL! Surround all the way around by Lake Sakakawea it makes a great spot for boating, fishing, and also has a sand beach spot for a day of play in the water. They have spots for group camping that you can have 2-3 rv’s on or private single camp spots. There is a fun llaygyfor the kids and and amazing hiking trail around the entire state park. While your there check out Fort Stevenson and read the history of the area. We will definitely be visiting this spot again and again.

This is a very well kept campground with clean bathrooms and showers, well maintained tent, camper, and RV sites, and excellent mountain biking and hiking trails. It also has lake front camping sites for both tents and campers. There are multiple swimming beaches on property, playgrounds, an ice cream and general store, and boat rentals available. Very enjoyable camping experience.

The campsites are spacious. There are few great hikes that are kid friendly. There is a swimming beach (quite rocky, but large) and there is usually another beach with red rocks (lots have leaf fossils!) that you can get to pending the water level. There is a nice marina if you bring a boat.

Very open but when you get to your spots they are nice and private. Really cool thing is when you want to have adult time the bar/restaurant is not far and you can all take a walk there and do that for the night if you want. Easy access to the water as well

Great view right by the water. Nice and quiet. The outhouse toilets we're not the best. There were an insane amount of flies there. You get attacked by a hoard of flies by just opening in the door.

We were on site 35 and it was not fit for a camper. Very Hilly and goose droppings everywhere. Will not camp there again with our camper.  We ended up leaving it unleveled while camping.

I've been camping at this campground since I was a kid, and it's always been wonderful. It has something for everyone. A boat marina, a swimming beach, tent-only sites, primitive grounds, water and electrical sites, hiking trails, playgrounds, clean shower facilities and flushing toilets! Not to mention the outstanding views of Lake Sakakawea!

Absolutley love this campground! (Note this is the primitive section.) Primitive campsites are very spacious and most having sections of shade during the entire day. Clean and well kept primative toilets. Beach is amazing with little bay area that is calm even on windy days for the kayaker or paddleboarder. Boat dock with ample parking. A must stay for the water enthusiasts!

This is a beautiful campground with friendly people. The modern sites are well maintained and showers and bathrooms are clean. There is a lot to do here and within short driving distance. Primitive sites are also very nice but the generator rule (off after 8:00 p.m.) is ridiculous. It is sweltering hot (thank goodness for nice breezes) and people are up playing and having fun until 11:00 p.m. It would be near perfect if generator use was more reasonable.

The sites are well spaced, some with beautiful views of the lake. Great breezes from the water. There is a marina with a fish cleaning station and a store. Loved this campground!!

Every year I head up to ND and make sure a camping trip to Lake Sakakawea is on the agenda. I always stay in the primitive no hook up section. It is nicely mowed (if you stay more than 3 days in a row there is a good chance they will mow around your site) and they also spray for bugs. Each site has a picnic table as well as a fire pit. There is good off-shore fishing as well as a swim beach with a bathroom. Nearby is a marina and store.

This is a great campground that is well maintained. Elbow woods, sanish, and van hook loops all have 30/50 amp and water for campers, there is also a primitive loop. Elbow woods is more spaced out and has great views of the lake. Group spots here are fun but you need to book the day they come available to reserve or you will miss out!

A large lake dropped into the canyon formations of the northern grasslands area of the country. Here the farm lands transition into more pocketed hills and canyons and here you’ll find this beautiful, clean and kept campsite off the main highways. Quiet and wind swept, cool and tranquil; it’s a nice Chang rod pace from the scenes of the highways.