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Sweet Briar Lake

Review Campground Win Gear

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Sweet Briar Lake, near New Salem, North Dakota, is a fantastic spot for those looking to unwind by the water. With spacious sites that come equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, it’s perfect for enjoying a cozy evening around the campfire while soaking in the serene views.

This campground is known for its peaceful atmosphere, with visitors often remarking on the beautiful scenery and the calming sounds of nature. As one camper put it, “The view was so peaceful & it was otherwise super quiet.” While you might hear a bit of distant highway noise, it’s mostly drowned out by the sounds of crickets and frogs, creating a relaxing backdrop for your stay.

For those who enjoy fishing or simply taking in the sights, the lake is a highlight, with fish jumping and plenty of wildlife to observe. The well-maintained pit toilets and regular trash collection make it easy to enjoy your time here without worrying about the little things. Plus, the fact that it’s free makes it even more appealing for travelers passing through.

Whether you’re stopping for a night or planning a longer stay, Sweet Briar Lake offers a tranquil escape with plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the great outdoors.

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Location

Sweet Briar Lake is located in North Dakota

Detail location of campground

Address

3722 Co Rd 84
New Salem, ND 58563

Coordinates

46.87324711 N
101.27379036 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Good
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Poor

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

Contact

General Info


Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

15 Reviews

Reviewed Sep. 30, 2024

Good for free

Just off I94 this location has multiple campsites, picnic tables, fire pits, a few pit toilets and picnic tables all along a lake. Depending on the wind direction you will hear highway noise, but it appears to be well maintained and not busy during the weekday. Great one night spot for thru travelers

SiteNW side of lake
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Eric A., September 30, 2024
  • view from camp
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  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Eric A., September 30, 2024
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2024

Good but traffic noise

Loved how spaced the sites are. There are not many bathrooms (pit toilets). Has a small swing set by the boat lunch. The sites are grass or dirt. Has places to put trash. You can heat the interstate traffic all night. To me it was just noise and had no problems falling asleep. I will be back. With the lake and the wildlife it was just relaxing.

AT&T and Verizon have good coverage.

Siteundefined
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Tim , August 12, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Tim , August 12, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Tim , August 12, 2024
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Oct. 5, 2023

Beautiful and quiet

Gorgeous lake/reservoir, fish were jumping all night. Drove in with our 34' bus and had no issue finding a nice level spot with a fire ring and picnic table. Good seperation between spots. Even though it's close to the highway which is handy there was very little traffic noise.

Sitenorth west corner
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Brad J., October 5, 2023
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Brad J., October 5, 2023
Reviewed Sep. 5, 2022

Quiet, convenient and beautiful

This campground had plenty of availability, even for our class C+toad (total length 44 ft). The put toilets were well kept, dumpsters were emptied regularly and the shelters were a welcome respite on windy days.

SiteNear shelter 3
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Katie W., September 5, 2022
  • Play button icon
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2022

Beautiful, peaceful and free!

We arrived late at night, drove in to find a lovely campsite by the lake. Some distant highway noise but mostly drowned out by crickets and frogs.

Sitenot numbered - right next to lake
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 21, 2022

Uh-amazing

Like others before me said - how is this free!? We’re traveling thru North Dakota to Montana & just needed a place to rest overnight. The very few campgrounds around were all full & it was looking like we were staying at Walmart. But thanks to this nifty app, we were introduced to this very nifty spot! It’s right off the 94. Is there a little highway noise, yes. Did it bother us? Nope. We were in a huge spot right on a lake ! The view was so peaceful & it was otherwise super quiet. In fact , there are several spots all around the lake & hardly anyone at all. This place is actually better than some campgrounds we’ve paid too much for . No hook ups , of course , but that’s what a generator is for ! So glad places like this exist.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by PJ F., August 21, 2022
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by PJ F., August 21, 2022
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by PJ F., August 21, 2022
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jul. 10, 2022

Beautiful, free, and very uncrowded

Stopped over for a day on the way to glacier. Large, open, well spaced campgrounds with fire pits and picnic tables. Beautiful lake and scenery and absolutely free. Only drawback is road noise, but I didn't hear anything in the camper.

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by jordan S., July 10, 2022
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2021

What a gem!!

Happened upon this spot. What a beautiful spot. Multiple Boondocking areas along the lake. Only see 2 other campers and they aren’t even in view of where we are. Best part…..it’s FREE!!

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2021

Oddly nice for a free site

This is literally our first night in a rented camper-van. You can see/hear the highway, but we kinda like that. Lake is full of birds. We haven’t seen another human. The spots are really nice.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by bryan , August 5, 2021
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by bryan , August 5, 2021
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by bryan , August 5, 2021
Reviewed Sep. 11, 2020

Gem of a campsite

Why is this free?! Perfect overnight on our road trip. Spacious, easy and the cleanest pit toilet I’ve ever used!

  • Easy to get to. We followed Waze to “Sweet Briar Lake” and looked at Apple Maps to get a sense of the layout. From the highway there are signs to the lake recreation area. Lots of site choices with fire rings and picnic tables. Looking at the map, the little lakefront loops have sites. We arrived after dark and had no problem finding a great waterfront spot.
  • Lots of space, super clean and, when we were there Thurs night early Sept, we saw a camper on the far end of “our” loop and one across the lake. That’s it and that’s about how we like it.
  • Very clean pit toilet with tp. No water or electric, per another reviewer (we weren’t looking for it).
  • Bonus: Great stars with the Milky Way spread out above. Sunrise was gorgeous. Big fish jumping in the lake.
  • Light highway rumbling but nothing to keep you awake (not at all like most KOAs :)

Edit: Drove 10 mins towards town and got a flat tire. Can’t tell how or why. Probably not anything we picked up by the lake but worth mentioning.

  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by BigRed Overlander O., September 11, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by BigRed Overlander O., September 11, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by BigRed Overlander O., September 11, 2020
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2020

Scenic spot right off the highway

Multiple places to pull off and set up around a scenic lake. A few minutes off the highway on well maintained roads- you can’t ask for a better spot than this on a road trip! Water pump at the first boat ramp you pass, pit toilets scattered around, picnic shelters, fire rings, and picnic tables, dumpsters. No fee. The spot marked on this map is under a cell tower, but there are plenty of spots when you drive around the lake.

  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Carmen , August 30, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Carmen , August 30, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Carmen , August 30, 2020
Reviewed Aug. 10, 2020

Great, spacious campsites right off the freeway

This place was great! Only stayed here one night passing through on our way back to MN. Very well maintained and clean, huge campsites that are well spaced from others. There are campsites all around the lake/park, some in their own little private nook. Great sunset and the bugs were minimal too. Very surprised that a place as nice as this one is free. The freeway is somewhat close just across the lake and can be heard, but it didn't bother us at all. Campsites have a picnic table and fire ring. Vault toilets are scattered around the lake, and there are water spigots too. Happy we found this place!

  • Review photo of Sweet Briar Lake by Stephanie S., August 10, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 17, 2019

Good camping and fishing

A number of good spots to camp is a little hilly as trying to find a tent spot out of the open is challenging but fun. Plenty of fishing spots even has a fishing dock. Only real down side is that it's right off the interstate so there's some traffic noise.

Reviewed Jun. 2, 2019

Primitive

This camping spot is a free for all. Not check in or registration. Not water fill station or sewer dump and no water or electric on site. However if you are in the mood to go sleep by the lake and do some weekend fishing away from town this is a good spot.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are fires allowed at Sweet Briar Lake?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Sweet Briar Lake, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Sweet Briar Lake?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is poor.