Buffalo Gap Campground (ND)

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).

Overall 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.

We’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.

This 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.

We 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.

Every site seemed ideal! The self check-in process was easy, the camp host was friendly, and the showers were clean!

Really loved this campground! It was not full so it was easy to find an open spot on a first come first serve basis. I'd say half the sites were open. Very close to TRNP which is why we picked it. The shower rooms were also heated which was very nice. Camp host was friendly. Can't ask for much more than a quiet, clean, and easy to find/navigate campground.

This campground is small, beautiful, well-maintained, and convenient to TRNP. We are tent campers. There are two small loops. There are two shower rooms in the Mandan loop (appears to be the RV loop) - one requires quarters and one does not and they are side-by-side). Water is hot. Flush toilets and sinks are available in a couple of locations in the loops. Showers and toilets are clean and all are individual rooms. Highly recommend this campground for the scenery (which is why I’m giving it 5-stars), however, although you cannot see the interstate, the campground is super close to I-94 and it’s loud. If you’re a light sleeper, this may not be the place for you. Sites are available on a first-come-first serve basis, but even by nightfall plenty of sites were still available in each loop.

Decent privacy for a highway campground, and great for stargazing while still being surrounded by trees

Pros: Beautiful grounds Isolated Some camp sites are real gems A variety of sites depending on what you want- camp on the hill in grassland if you want to watch sunset/sunrise- or get one of the camp sites that are nestled behind trees for more seclusion. There are toilets, one shower and a dumpster Hot water in the shower. We got site 22 on the second loop and loved the seclusion, the amount of space (enough space to set up two tents) and a short walk to the restrooms which were great since we were camping with kids. Highly recommend this site if you want a secluded spot. Short drive to Medora and TRNP

Cons: One shower on only one loop, if you’re on the other loop you’ll need to walk to the shower. But hey, at least they have a shower. Bathrooms were a bit messy when we were there (there was no camp host) but that’s due to fellow campers Highway noise was audible. Some sites are closer to the highway than others No cell service at all. You’d need to drive up to the top of the hill by the freeway entrance to get service. This could be a pro depending on what you want, but not within walking distance to Medora like the Medora camp grounds advertise.

First of all this campground is not $6 anymore. It is $20. There are no electric hook-ups and some of the parking areas are very unlevel.  Even though no hook-ups there were still a number of motorhomes and towables camping here, dominating the tent campers.  We were lucky enough to find a level site mid-week by arriving around 10 am. Sites were very clean and relatively spacious with asphalt paving. There isn't much to look at here.  Just kind of a prairie with a hill. There is a dump station. There is also a fill station by the picnic area with a threaded hose but we had to back our Class B up onto the sidewalk as we only carry a 25ft hose with us and the spigot was about 30 ft from the parking lot. We could hear traffic noise as you are right off I-94, but it wasn't obnoxious.

Nice campground in the national grassland. Conveniently close to the freeway and to TRNP. Freeway noise is the only detractor. Clean, well space and fairly private campsites. Free showers are a plus! Definitely recommend for your ND experience.

The campground is just off the interstate, but far enough that the noise isn't bad. The scenery is beautiful, and we heard coyotes after we went to bed. No AT&T coverage at our campsite, but a short walk up a dirt road got us high enough for a few bars.

We didn't have time to explore the area, but what we could see of Theodore Roosevelt National Park from the highway was stunning.

NF Campground. Pay $6 per night or less with America the Beautiful pass. First come first serve. Lovely wildflowers to admire. Right on Buffalo Gap Trail which bypasses TRNP for us MTB folk.

This was a real gem.  Very close to the entrance to Teddy Roosevelt NP, it was perfect for our camper.  Big rigs would be fine there, but I did not see any drive through sites.

First we were amazed that it was open when nearly all state, local, and federal campgrounds were closed. Next we were impressed by the quality of the sites: clean, mowed, fire pits, nice picnic tables, paved road (and I think the slabs were paved?), but the OMG was the individual shower rooms with radiant heat that was motion activated.

There are no hookups, despite what other sites may claim.  But hydrants were plentiful and the clean flush toilets and hot free showers made this a perfect place for you if you don't need to be hooked up to water and power.  It was only $6 a night and that was not a discount, that was full price!!!

The interstate was just over the ridge, out of site but you knew it was there.  This is I-90 in Western ND, so traffic noise was not an issue at all.  The first night I was woke by a plane flying overhead, so you know that the Interstate was truly not an issue at all.

Actually, being close to the interstate meant being close to the park, which is fabulous.  We loved the Grand Canyon a few years ago, but meaning no disrespect, this was a far more enjoyable experience.  You have the color, the rugged creation, but you are going in it, and through it, and on top of it.  Buffalo, prairie dogs, Big Horn Sheep, 
wild horses, deer, eagles, warblers, jack rabbits, antelope, and that is just what we saw in a day and a half!

Campground was clean and well maintained, camp hosts were friendly and knowledgeable about the area. Easy access, nice parking pads, have picnic tables and fire rings at each camp site.  Offers RV dump and potable water in campground.  Does not have hook ups and have limited times to run a generator. Great option close to Medora (7 miles) without the hustle and bustle of town.  Very beautiful views of the badlands.  Easy access to trails for hiking and biking.

From reading other reviews, this is the best you'll find in the area. Bare bones camp sites, mostly in the open. I found a nice space on a grove of trees, and there were a few others like it. $6 per night! Free showers! The water was a tad sulfuric and had a slimy feel, but I feel refreshed and I don't smell like the road. A little bit of high speed trucker freeway tire noise in the near distance, but overall a great overnight experience. FYI, I pulled in at 2am in the height of summer, and there were plenty of sites to be had.

Bbeautiful and quiet. Super close to Medora ND

Not much privacy. The site or group site that we stay at has no grass, is on top of a hill with no protection or privacy which most of the campground is similar. There is also a bar just around the corner which gets quite noisy if bands are playing on the weekends. There is one restroom facility with showers.

We were thankful to have found Buffalo Gap Campground on our return drive home from Glacier National Park. There are not a lot of options when driving the lonely highways of Northrn Montana. When we arrived at the campsite at Midnight during a thunderstorm, we were surprised to see so many available sites that were level for our small A-frame Popup. While located right off the highway, the noise was not excessive. Due to other reviews we had anticipated paying to take a shower; however the coin slots were taped over and we showered for free with plenty of pressure and hot water. We spoke to the very friendly camp host the next morning and he confirmed the nightly charge of $6 per site. If you have the National Park Senior pass it is only $3!!! Quite the bargain for a night's stay in a very clean and convenient campground. Note: The cost may increase to $10 in the future, but even that is still a bargain!