Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Sentinel Butte, ND

Tried 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!

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.

We’d been staying in State parks the last few weeks, with deep toilets and showers that require quarters. Here we had flushable toilets, HOT showers with good pressure and free laundry! We also liked having the bar on site to grab snacks, drinks, food etc. Also there was cool stuff to see! There’s a one room schoolhouse exhibit across the road at the fairgrounds. White Butte (tallest point in North Dakota) is a great hike super close. You can also get to Medora for TRNP or Regent for the Enchanted Highway in about an hour. Very centrally located.

Fun little spot in the middle of the Great Plains of western North Dakota.

Just off Highway 85 at Amidon, ND. Population 25!

Great one nighter or a very quiet longer stay. Come prepared! No groceries except in small store in Bowman 21 miles away.

No trains no trucks!

We had a couple beers and a good pizza in Mo’s Bunker Bar just steps away from our trailer.

Nine average to small size spaces with water, electric, and sewer! $35

A younger couple bought this in 2006 and have done some hard work to renovate a basement into a bar . It is a sight to see and play darts or pool and have pizza or root beer floats!

Nice clean bathrooms and private showers with wonderful hot water. Laundry was available.

We just happened to show up on the first day of the Slope County 101 Annual Fair and rodeo. Got to mix with local people. Corn hole games, FFA auction, exhibits and games!

There was a demonstration of a 100 year old steam power engine and a combine working as kids threw wheat shafts on the conveyor.

White Butte, the high point of ND is very close! A mile or so hike to the top!

wow, what a find! We had planned to travel through the area but hadn’t planned to stop—until we hit the Tourist Center at the Montana border and found a brochure for thus park. If you love geology and want a quieter less crowded and more accessible experience than the Theodore Roosevelt National Park nearby, then this place is for you! There are several campgrounds and dispersed campsites to choose from, the RV campground is small and packed and a bit barren, but the tent sites are magnificent. There are incredible canyon views from the “Pine on Rocks” campground close to the park amphitheater, but the campsites are kind of on the edge of a cliff so would not be good with kids or pets. The trails are magnificent, and you can hike to all kinds of geological wonders, even some dinosaur digs in action! However, don’t do like we did as we came in August and the heat is BRUTAL and we werent able to hike as much as we wanted. However, we were pleased that our dog was able to join us as we discovered dogs arent allowed on the hiking trails over at the National Park

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)

We stayed at Red Trail campground in Medora, ND in September 2021. This is a great little park right outside Theodore Roosevelt National park. We stayed on an end site that was large and spacious with FHU. This park is dusty when the wind starts to blow but other than that, we enjoyed our stay here. Very well managed by a cheerful staff that go to great lengths to help you get your rig in safely before they leave you to set up camp. This was by far one of the easiest parks to negotiate in and out of with a big rig and is a great stop when visiting the Theodore Roosevelt National park. I would definatly recommend this park for a carefree visit to North Dakota. To see videos on this park and others, please visit our YouTube channel: Jeff & Steff’s Excellent Adventure.