Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Medora? Equestrian camping is the best way to experience nature. Search horse campsites and discover top-rated spots, as reviewed by other campers.
If you're looking for campgrounds in Medora, ND, consider Medora Campground. Conveniently located on the west side of Medora, the Medora Campground is the perfect place to set up your basecamp for adventure in the Badlands. You can choose between our hook-up spaces or our primitive camping area, whichever makes your Medora experience perfect. Facility amenities include: -150 campsites of varying sizes. -FREE Wi-Fi -Access to bathroom and shower facilities -RV waste station -Playground for the kids -And a new General Store with many of the provisions you might need -- plus a laundry facility to help clean up your gear after a day in the Badlands.
$30 - $60 / night
Just south of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and a couple miles from the town of Medora, Sully Creek State Park is located in the heart of North Dakota’s Badlands. This small park provides easy access to the Little Missouri River for paddlers and anglers, and serves as a launch point for the 170-mile Maah Daah Hey and the 50-mile Maah Daah Hey II trails. These two scenic trails invite hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders to discover the Badlands’ peaks, plateaus, prairies, and wetlands—just as Roosevelt saw them more than a century ago. Sully Creek also makes an ideal basecamp for exploring the nearby national park in a quieter setting, or if the park’s facilities are full.
Sully Creek offers 41 spacious campsites in three open, grassy areas: Whitetail Flats, Cedar, and Little Muddy Breaks. Whitetail Flats offers open, grassy, pull-through sites that can accommodate large RVs; Cedar is a wooded loop with pull-through and back-in sites for smaller RVs and tent campers; Little Muddy Breaks is an open area designated for horse campers, and features corrals and a round pen. All sites are equipped with picnic tables, and there are vault toilets, a shower house, drinking water, and a dump station available; hookups are not available at this location. Dogs are permitted in the park, but must remain leashed. Camping is available from April through November. Campsites are $12/night; reservations accepted.
Buffalo Gap campground, located in the heart of western North Dakota.
There is a trail near by that is called the Buffalo Gap Trail, perfect for a day hike. You can also it to the Maah Daah Hey trail using the Buffalo Gap Trail for longer hikes.
Here you are surrounded by colorful buttes. During your stay you may have Prong horns, Mule deer and White tail deer come through your site. This area is good for birders and plant enthusiast during the sping and summer months. Perfect for all year outdoor adventures.
It a short drive to the small town of Medora and enterance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
$20 / night
Turn west on Road #712 at the Magpie Camp sign, located 1.5 miles north of Fairfield on Highway 85; travel 15.5 miles on gravel road #712. The campground is located ¼ mile northeast off road # 712. A day use parking lot right adjacent to the MDH trail is located ½ mile south of the campground. This fenced camp features 11 camp spurs. A handicap accessible vault toilet and a potable water well are available during the summer months. A convenient meeting area for those traveling to Devil's Pass or the Ice Caves. A great shaded area in the summer!
$6 / night
Boots RV and Cabin Campground is located one mile outside of Historic Medora, ND. We have 16 RV spots with full electrical and water hookups, as well as 3 cabins for daily VRBO/Airbnb rentals. This is the perfect campground if you’re looking for a spacious place to stay with beautiful views of the badlands outside Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Indulge yourself in Medora’s activities full of history, incredible scenery, inspiring hikes, and camping! We can accommodate RVs up to 60 ft with 30/50 amp, full hookups, pull-throughs and back-ins. WiFi available!
$40 / night
A great meeting area for the north end of the Buffalo Gap Trail. The switchbacks located on the Maah Daah Hey Trail offer a sweeping vista of the region, including a scenic view of many large buttes.
Enjoy the scenic lookout from the Columnar Juniper area or the Ponderosa Pines just south and west of the campground.
For groups with or without horses visiting the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Roundup Horse Campground is a great place to stay. Located 12 miles (19 km) from the entrance to the South Unit of the park, the campground is open from May 1 to October 31.
Hikers and horseback riders can access the estimated 70 miles (113 km) of trails within a short distance of the campground. Visit the Hiking and Trail Information page on the park website or stop at a Visitor Center for more details.
Hikers and horseback riders can access the estimated 70 miles (113 km) of trails within a short distance of the campground. Visit the Hiking and Trail Information page on the park website or stop at a Visitor Center for more details.
The Little Missouri River is the central, unifying feature of this wild and broken land where, as a young man, Theodore Roosevelt ranched and hunted in the 1880s. The park is part of both the Northern Great Plains and the West, blending a rich natural beauty with diverse human history. The rugged topography, with its flora and fauna, also provides an opportunity to discover the badlands environment as Roosevelt once did. It is a place to experience a land and way of life that helped shape Theodore Roosevelt's attitudes and philosophy regarding conservation. Cottonwood trees surrounding the campsite turn golden in the fall.
The town of Medora has shopping, restaurants, amenities and the Medora Musical is located approximately 12 miles to the south. The Little Missouri National Grasslands is the largest National Grassland in the nation at 1.03 million acres. It is located in western North Dakota and is managed by the Medora Ranger District in Dickinson, ND and the McKenzie Ranger District in Watford City, ND. The National Grassland provides additional recreation opportunities in the area.
$40 / night
A stay at this campground provides visitors with the sense of sleeping under the stars in a remote location while being an easy 10-mile drive away from historic Medora, ND! Explore the rugged badlands, hike the Maah Daah Hey Trail, or take a drive and enjoy the Custer Auto Tour.
$10 / night
Enjoy the breathtaking view of a scenic canyon from this campground.
Ranger
Medora Campground boasts a prime location near Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the charming town of Medora. With spacious sites along the Little Missouri River, it’s a tranquil spot with easy access to hiking, wildlife viewing, and the Medora Musical. Amenities are basic but sufficient, and the views of the surrounding badlands make it a picturesque choice for nature enthusiasts.
A little pricey for our taste, but the hook ups in the August heat were worth it.
Legend
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). We arrived on a Thursday afternoon in late August with no reservation and had no problem securing a site, although it filled almost to capacity by evening.
Site Quality: Many are in direct sun, but we found one that had some afternoon shade. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. All camper pads are paved.
Bath/Shower house: There were six vault toilets (two by the entrance and two in each loop) that had sinks but no soap; they were reasonably clean. Two showers were in the other loop from where we stayed, and we did not use them.
Activities: There is access to the Buffalo Gap Trail, but we did not hike it as this was an overnight stop for us and quite hot. It is not far from the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
It was hot when we were there (high 80s) so we just kind of collapsed upon arrival and took off the next day. The good news is you are close to the highway, but you will hear some road noise. $20 or$10 with the senior pass makes it a good deal. Cash or check if you cannot register online (no service with Verizon).
Traveler
Traveled about 35 miles on unpaved road in RAV4 AWD. Campsite was empty, so we had different sites to choose from. We were in a spot with some shade for our tent. Close to clean pit toilet. Hand pump was hard to pump which produced light brown water which wasn't something we wanted to drink, so bring in your own water. Site had large picnic table and fire ring. Nice view of landscape and Trailhead nearby. Nearby is Elkhorn Ranch Unit trail leading to Theodore Roosevelt Ranch site. No buildings but interpretive signage.
Guide
We did not personally camp here but we cruised through on a motorcycle. The sites looked to be spaced out fairly well, many of them had a picnic table, there is a bathroom on site and also a water pump that did not seem accessible by vehicle, so I doubt you could fill an rv with it. The sign seemed to say $10 a night, pay with cash in an envelope. We passed a forest ranger coming out to check on the campground while we were there. The short road in was in need of a bit of repair, but most vehicles could get through it, just a bit of a rut from people getting stuck in mud. Rather narrow as well, could definitely only accommodate one way traffic as a time.
LegendA tidy easy in and out campground right in town and next to the NP. Super easy to walk over to the np or into Thiel for coffee, breakfast, dinner. Feeling adventurous go check out the Medora musical and steak fondue dinner. Totally worth it. There’s a community pool right at the campground too. Bonus!
TravelerThe price for all the amenities provided was excellent! There was plenty of room for our tent and cooking set up!
The access to Theodore Roosevelt National Park is ideal as well as being able to explore the town of Medora!
It was hot during the day but the campground had plenty of shade to provide a cool place to hangout.
ScoutOverall a nice campsite. Many sites for tents, some for campers and trailers. Each had a picnic table and a fire ring. Pretty loud road noise from the highway but a good spot to stop for a night.
Guide
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
Guide
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
GuideWe’ve been dispersed camping a majority of our travels but my bride saw that they had free Showers there so we made a change of plans.
The campsite is right off of the highways and easy to find. (Do not recommend buffalo gap rd south of the 94 in wet seasons unless you enjoy putting your white knuckling 4 low to use)
The sites are all asphalt and offer a decent amount of privacy!
Showers were great as well as the flushing toilettes.
Really close to Medora and TRNP
Camp host was incredibly nice/friendly.
Would stay again if ever back up that way.
Ranger
Wide open spaces in the Whitetail Flats section, so no shade but the views are great. Spacious sites, very quiet. There are 3 loops, one a horsemen's camp but I think I saw a few travel trailers in there without horses. The other loop has height restrictions (10' max) so good options for the smaller trailers or tents. Shower house was always clean. If you plan on visiting TRNP south unit, this is a great option.
LegendWe did not stay here, but they allowed us to use their dump station for a $5 fee so we had the chance to take a look around. This is a great option if you cannot get a site inside the park or if you want hook ups. They have several different styles of sites from tent sites to full hook ups and cabins. Some sites were in the sun, but lots of sites had shade trees.
TravelerThis campground is easy to find, and right off the Interstate. I never heard any traffic noise during the night. There are flushing toilets and showers.
ScoutAccomodating
LegendAs of the end of September 2022, exit 27 off I 94 was closed so we followed the signage to exit 24 where we easily followed the signs to Sully Creek SP. We were early so no one was in the check-in trailer/office. We proceeded to fill fresh water near the dump station. The potable water pressure was low, about 10 psi so it took a long time to fill our tank. While we were filling the tank, the ranger came by and let us know we were good to go as we had purchased the ND state park pass at our last stop. We then proceeded to pull through site 8 with electric only(50/30/20 AMP) in the Whitetail Flats Campground(CG). There are three campground areas: Whitetail Flats with electric, Little Muddy Breaks(horse camping only with electric plus stalls), and Cedar(dry camping with very nice campsites in a wooded setting). Whitetail Flats is essentially a large field with sites periodically set about and not crowded together. The Cedar CG has a 10’ height restriction with sites set into the trees. We received no OTA channels and satellite connection was not an issue as there are only a few trees in Whitetail Flats. We received 1 bar on both Verizon and T-Mobile. We were impressed with the shower house. Though older, the shower house had been remodeled and the fixtures were in great shape. The shower rooms have a sink and regular house-type showers. We enjoyed great water pressure and hot showers. Pls note that there are no toilets in the shower house, but there’s a vaulted toilet adjacent near the office. We were here towards the end of September, and glad we had wasp spray. Bring several cans just in case as there is no place to purchase bug spray in Medora. If you like to golf, Bully Pulpit Golf Course is a great 18-hole course with some fantastic views and challenging, but fun holes. We enjoyed our stay and would not hesitate to come back.
Traveler8 camp spaces, mostly hunters, no cell coverage
GuideThe area with electrical hookups is a wide open meadow; the sites are far apart. The Little Missouri runs right by the campground and there are bluffs on the other side.
Showers are clean and hot. Vault toilets are well maintained. Rangers we’re friendly.
Would give five stars except for lack of flush toilets.
We walked through the loop with tent sites. They are the place to be if it’s hot, all have plenty of shade.
We had to switch sites because we extended our stay and the original site was booked. Site 8 had almost zero Verizon coverage. Site 11 had great coverage.
RangerI 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!
TravelerWe stayed here for two nights on our motorcycle trip. The place is paved all the way through, including a pull in spot at each site.
Really nice bathrooms with nice free showers.
There were a lot of spots to choose from. If you pick a spot higher on the hills you can get cell reception at your site.
LegendTried to stay inside TRNP next door but learned quickly there weren’t any hookups. This place had some harsh reviews on Campendium app however we found it delightful. The biggest woe here is that the sites are extremely tight. Our site was a pull in from one road, and the neighbors sites was a pull in from the parallel road, leaving us to share space - literally two picnic tables next to one another. Other than that though, gorgeous scenery well maintained sidewalks that you can hike or bike right into town. A public dog park at the end of the street. And our section was brand new. The electric poles were new. The sewer hookup at our site seemed a bit big but we have an adapter. Overall would highly recommend if in Medora!
GuideFriendly staff, clean bathrooms and laundry. Hot shower. Power and water. The sites are tight.
LegendScenery can’t be beat. Trail makes for awesome hiking and biking. Sites are huge. If you want shade cedar campground unit is better than whitetail although can get shade on some whitetail units. Quiet when we were there.
RangerLarge campground with plenty of open spots when we got there. Nice showers and bathrooms, saw two while looking for our spot. Even can fill up your propane if needed. Cute like yurt like tents shaped like covered wagons. Free WiFi. $30 for tent spot.
GuideThis is fine for a couple night's stay passing through. For the price ($60 per night) it seems like it should be better. Feels run down (except for the really nice office building), but is a large RV park that's packed. Kind of cool area close to a lot of things - probably hence the price.
RangerWe would’ve stayed longer if the park ranger wasn’t so cranky. We called the states 800# and was on hold 30 minutes. In the meantime, I was trying to make reservations online. It was very confusing despite the nice camp hosts trying to help. A line was forming behind us and we had driven all day. We just wanted a place to land. Based on the host’s recommendation, we finally booked a site in the back under a large shade tree by the river. Apparently, this section is for horse people. The park ranger pulled up and yelled at us b/c we didn’t have a horse. I tried to soothe him and explain the situation. He grudgingly let us stay for the night and proceeded to collect another $7 for our vehicle. After park fee $25 + reservations fee $6 + vehicle fee $7 we paid $37 for electric hook up only and a crabby lecture. Thanks but no thanks -moving on.
LegendThis campground has about 1000 spots - and is pretty quiet given how many folks you're right next to! It's pricey, showers look nice and clean, bath house building is pretty new. Nice playground. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Sites are pretty close together, but not on top of each other. Beautiful setting right next to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Near a neat town with lots of old west themed sites and activities. Most of the town and park are owned by the Medora Foundation. Looks like you can rent a cabin or a Calistoga Wagon to sleep in also. $60/nt for full hook ups.
GuideWe 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.
Horse camping in North Dakota offers a unique experience for equestrian enthusiasts, combining stunning landscapes with well-equipped facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Medora, ND is Medora Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 38 reviews.
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