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Best Dog-Friendly Camping in North Dakota

1,063 Reviews

Theodore Roosevelt National Park's pet-friendly Cottonwood Campground maintains a leash policy for all dogs within the park boundaries. Pets must remain on leashes no longer than 6 feet at all times, including at campsites and along designated trails. Both Cottonwood and Juniper Campgrounds in the park accept pets without additional fees, though owners must manage their animals to prevent disturbance to wildlife and other campers. Sully Creek State Park permits pets in all accommodation types, including tent sites, RV spaces and glamping options. The campground requires pets remain leashed and supervised at all times. Dispersed camping areas like Scoria Pit provide free, pet-friendly alternatives with fewer restrictions, though owners must pack out all pet waste as these areas lack designated waste facilities.

North Dakota state parks maintain consistent pet regulations requiring leashes and proper waste disposal. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park extends pet access to cabins with specific pet-friendly units available for reservation. Lake Metigoshe State Park features designated pet walking areas along maintained trails where leashed dogs can exercise. Red Trail Campground provides full hookups for RV campers with pets and maintains clean facilities that make extended stays with animals comfortable. Buffalo Gap Campground remains operational from Memorial Day through Labor Day with consistent pet policies throughout its operating season. The campgrounds with the highest user ratings for pet owners include Medora Campground (4.13) and Turtle River State Park (4.35), both offering reliable water access and well-maintained facilities for camping with pets.

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Best Dog-Friendly Sites in North Dakota (216)

    1. Cottonwood Campground — Theodore Roosevelt National Park

    71 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 623-4466

    $10 - $60 / night

    "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."

    "Elk, deer, wild horses were common as well as hawks and prairie dogs.  "

    2. Dispersed Site - Grassland Boondocking

    58 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 227-7800

    "It was easy to come from Medora, North Dakota to the site, but it appears that you only get an entrance and exit on the Medora side."

    "It’s a little bumpy so take it slowly, but I had no problem and I drive a 2WD hatchback. A quick word of warning: rattlesnakes could be in the bushes!"

    3. Medora Campground

    45 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 623-4435

    $30 - $60 / night

    "Convenient location for exploring Medora. It has a city pool right on site that is heated, a dog park beautiful grounds with huge trees."

    "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."

    4. Juniper Campground — Theodore Roosevelt National Park

    33 Reviews
    Grassy Butte, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 842-2333

    $30 / night

    "Especially against the terrain that surrounds it. The campground is low on amenities but high on scenery, and it is very clean. The hiking in the North unit is amazing. There is so much wildlife."

    "We showed our Access Passes to get into the park and then proceeded to mile marker 5, where the CG is located."

    5. Sully Creek State Park — Sully Creek State Recreation Area

    30 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 623-2024

    "It was right next to an equestrian area, so some horses being trained and whinnying just next door."

    "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."

    6. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park Campground

    27 Reviews
    Bismarck, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 667-6340

    $15 - $85 / night

    "Planning a hike to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in North Dakota motivated me to learn more about the diverse landscapes and natural wonders of the U.S. national parks."

    "Great sites with beautiful trees and it’s a quiet relaxing place that is pet friendly. There are also a lot of history in the area from the Lewis and Clark days!"

    7. Buffalo Gap Campground (ND)

    22 Reviews
    Medora, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 227-7800

    $20 / night

    "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)."

    "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"

    8. Lake Metigoshe State Park Campground

    21 Reviews
    Bottineau, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 263-4651

    "This State Park is in North Dakota near the Canadian border. With a very large body of water that has many amenities from fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding."

    "Beautiful playground right behind us, and an amphitheater as well. There's multiple hiking trails, a dog park, swimming area, and picnic areas as well!"

    9. Turtle River State Park Campground

    20 Reviews
    Larimore, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 594-4445

    "looking to get away from the flat land of North Dakota? This park is where to be. Lots of great trails with some awesome views."

    "Campground was set up a little funny but not hard to locate site once driving around about 3 minutes. Pretty wooded area in hell hole North Dakota."

    10. Grahams Island State Park Campground

    18 Reviews
    Fort Totten, ND
    Website
    +1 (701) 766-4015

    $15 - $50 / night

    "Awesome views, swimming beach, fishing, hot showers and dog park"

    "Great campground and super clean, swimming beach,playground,dog park, fish cleaning station, and shower houses."

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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos in North Dakota

85 Photos of 216 North Dakota Campgrounds

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews in North Dakota

1063 Reviews of 216 North Dakota Campgrounds

  • Daniel S.
    Oct. 14, 2017

    Butte City Park

    Wow was it cold...and snowy

    So we decided to do some camping in North Dakota the last week of november into decmeber. It was cold and we got caught in a snow storm. We survived it was ridiculous and hard core if i do say so myself. We did have a fishing tent with a wood stove..Because it was winter there were no amenities. But in the summer it would be a pretty sweet campground. But in the winter there was no one here and we got set up for the cold. I love camping in the winter but this was pushing our luck a little bit

    Cheers!

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 7, 2018

    Pelican Point Landing

    Poorly behaved campers

    Have to give this a low review from the experience we had while staying the night of July 6th. It was a full campground and might of been nice with the exception of several groups staying at the campground. Teens staying up till 3pm being loud and racing around on a golf cart. Intoxicated adults taking lap after lap around the campground in the back of a pickup yelling and swearing at campers that didn't wave back to them. Another group in the campground setting off fireworks until midnight. Zero attempts by camp host to quiet these individuals. Our group of Scouts were besides themselves and have no desire to ever camp in North Dakota again. Other wise this might have been a nice place to stay.

  • Janet R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 3, 2020

    Icelandic State Park Campground

    Quiet nature and hisotry on the prairie

    This is a small quiet state park in northeast North Dakota that offers a nature preserve with rare plants and birds in a cool bur oak-basswood  stand with spring fed fens around it. A nature trail with little footbridges carries you through. There is also a native prairie restoration, and historic exhibits about the different cultural groups who made their homes here from prehistoric times to today.  A nice little oasis! The campground is set on a pleasant little reservoir, as we are tent campers we loved that the tent area was in the so called "primitive" area  with only tents, with sites all along the shore and close to the nature preserve. It was a weeknight, and no one else was there so it was very peaceful! Fo folks who have campers or rvs, there are three well set up loops with hookups and all the amenities. We also appreciated that they have a dog park on site! I havent seen that in a state park before. The staff was really friendly and helpful. Due to covid restrictions there are more rules to follow and limited programming etc, but you can still swimm and fish and boat on your own. The only drawback is that you can hear road noise from trucks on the highway nearby which is noticeable at night.

  • B
    May. 4, 2021

    Roughrider RV Resort

    I love this campground, it was like a breath of fresh air after getting lost in

    I love this campground, it was like a breath of fresh air after getting lost in northeast north dakota and not seeing a soul for hours and sleeping on the side of the highway, driving up to Roughrider was like seeing an oasis in the desert. It is the nicest campsite we have been to in a while, $15/ night for primitive tent camping and pets allowed on leashes. The showers got hot INSTANTLY. We were welcomed so warmly after freezing in the car all night. 1000/10.

  • Spencer F.
    Aug. 5, 2017

    Turtle River State Park Campground

    Turtle River

    looking to get away from the flat land of North Dakota? This park is where to be. Lots of great trails with some awesome views.

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 5, 2024

    Beaver Lake State Park Campground

    Very well maintained park

    Beaver Lake also known as Red Lake is an older North Dakota State Park and it's very well done. The bathrooms are closed so I can't see in and all of the modern camping is on the same loop but there's also group camping and tent camping and cabins. They're genuinely is a lot of trails to hike and well they may seem uninteresting from a distance because they're North Dakota prairie We saw everything from prairie chickens to turkeys to deer on our walk. The lake is bigger than you think doesn't seem to have a whole lot of use We came on a Saturday we're probably going to stay and work for a week and have only seen a handful of people come in the meantime. I needed to use my Tesla Rome network I don't have good enough cell reception to work from here so keep that in mind if you're a traveler who's working.

  • Brandi M.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 31, 2020

    Lake Metigoshe State Park Campground

    Beautiful State Park

    This State Park is in North Dakota near the Canadian border. With a very large body of water that has many amenities from fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding. There are bike & canoe/kayak rentals right outside the park and a couple different campgrounds to choose from inside the park, ours was just a few feet from the lake and fishing dock. Depending on which campground you choose you will either have a vault toilet or a more convenient bathroom with toilets & showers! Staff was very nice and accommodating. There was even an Ice cream truck that rolled thru everyday for the kiddos!

  • James W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2025

    Dispersed Site - Grassland Boondocking

    Spectacular

    This is one of my favorite campsites to date. It’s totally dispersed camping, and there’s a lot of dirt road dust, however our site was super quiet and dark for beautiful stargazing. The other five star reviews are in my opinion legitimate. It was easy to come from Medora, North Dakota to the site, but it appears that you only get an entrance and exit on the Medora side. We almost went here for a second night, but got a first come first serve site inside the park for the next night.

  • Whistle P.
    Aug. 29, 2022

    Icelandic State Park Campground

    This place has really clean bathrooms.

    This campground has a lot of shady spots, a nice dog park and access to great hiking trails. The museum across the highway is also worth a visit. During the week everything was pretty quiet. They clean the bathrooms like three times a day.

    I did not see a dog off leash unless at the dog park.

    They don’t seem to have enough staff though. If you want to rent a kayak or if the rental bikes aren’t working, there isn’t anyone to help. The kayaks were all just sitting on the beach however, so you could help yourself.

Guide to North Dakota

North Dakota offers a variety of pet-friendly camping options, allowing you to enjoy the great outdoors with your furry companions. From scenic views to ample amenities, these campgrounds cater to both you and your pets.

Dog owners appreciate spacious sites and amenities

Pet-friendly campgrounds include great activities

Dog-friendly activities while camping near scenic views

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