Fort Daer

Fishing the Red River draws most visitors to Fort Daer, a municipally run campground at the confluence of the Pembina River and the Red, in Pembina, North Dakota. A boat ramp and fish-cleaning station sit at the far end of the grounds, and the dock provides direct water access for anglers arriving by boat. The campground runs from late May through mid-September, giving the summer fishing season a natural frame.

The 12 RV sites have full hookups, electric, water, and sewer, and can accommodate rigs up to 40 feet. Sites are in the sun with little shade, and the campground sits close enough to town that supplies are a short walk across the bridge. Tent sites run $10 per night; full hookups are $25. Reviewers consistently describe the grounds as quiet and the toilets as clean. A picnic shelter, playground, and frisbee golf course round out the on-site facilities, and a hike along the river dike gives campers a way to stretch their legs without leaving the property.

The Pembina Historical Society museum, a few blocks away, provides context for the area's long history of settlement at this river junction, including the historic log cabin on the campground grounds. Lady Phyre ☆. notes the shower has "an outlet in the shower for hair dryers, charging power stations, etc." Paddlers finishing a run on the Red River Water Trail can use Fort Daer as a logical endpoint. Campers looking for a different experience in the region can find campgrounds near Cavalier or check out Icelandic State Park Campground to the southwest.