Free & dispersed camping in North Dakota
We currently track 55 dispersed and free-camping locations in North Dakota, drawn from public OpenStreetMap data and cross-referenced against National Grassland and Little Missouri tracts. North Dakota sits in the Northern Plains and offers some of the most generous public-land access in the country for self-reliant campers. Unlike the reservation-driven world of state-park and KOA-style campgrounds, the sites listed here are largely first-come, first-served, with minimal infrastructure and a 14-day stay limit on most federal parcels. Expect dirt roads, no hookups, and zero cell service — that's the appeal. The trade-off is that you carry the responsibility for water, waste, fire safety, and respectful land use. Browse the directory below by name, then click into any listing for facility detail, GPS coordinates, and field notes specific to that pitch.
Curated regions in North Dakota
The dispersed-camping inventory in North Dakota concentrates in a handful of regional zones. Each one has its own brief — managers, named pull-outs, season, elevation.
Little Missouri Grassland
Dakota Prairie Grasslands (USFS)
Region brief →Sheyenne National Grassland
Dakota Prairie Grasslands (USFS) - Sheyenne RD
Region brief →All documented campsites in North Dakota
Sorted alphabetically. Tap any row for facilities, GPS coordinates, and a 300+ word field-grounded write-up.
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Arnegard City Park Campground
Fee: yes -
Back Country Campsite
Fee: yes -
Belfield Dam - ND GFD
Free -
Brewer Lake Recreation Area
Fee: yes -
Buffalo Gap Campground
Fee: yes -
Burning Coal Vein Campground
Fee: yes -
Chahinkapa Park Campground
Fee: yes -
Coal Creek Campground
Fee: unspecified -
Coal Creek Campground
Fee: unspecified -
Crown Butte Dam
Free -
Crystal Springs Baptist Camp
Fee: yes -
Dalen Campground
Fee: unspecified -
Dickey City Park Campground
Fee: yes -
Douglas Creek - COE
Fee: unspecified -
Earth Lodge Village
Fee: unspecified -
Elkhorn Campground
Fee: yes -
Enderlin RV Park
Fee: yes -
FFA NCT Campsite
Fee: unspecified -
First Responders City Park
Fee: unspecified -
Gackle RV Park
Fee: yes -
Galesburg City Campground
Free -
General Sibley City Park
Fee: yes -
Grand Forks AFB FamCamp
Fee: unspecified -
Grassy Butte Community Park
Fee: yes -
Hazelton City Park Campground
Fee: yes -
Hazen Bay Rec Area Campground
Fee: yes -
Hehn - Schaffer Lake - ND GFD
Fee: unspecified -
Heinrich-Martin Dam
Free -
Hoffman Horizons
Fee: unspecified -
Hunter City Park Campground
Fee: yes -
Indian Hills SRA
Fee: yes -
International Music Camp
Fee: unspecified -
Kidder Rec Area
Fee: unspecified -
Lake Ilo - ND GFD
Free -
Lake Sakakawea SP - Fishing Point
Fee: yes -
Lakeside Campground
Fee: unspecified -
Legion Athletic Camp
Fee: unspecified -
Little Missouri SP - Eastview CG
Fee: yes -
Little Missouri SP - Main CG
Fee: yes -
Little Yellowstone County Park
Fee: yes -
Magpie Campground
Fee: yes -
McKenzie Bay Rec Area
Fee: yes -
Medora City Campground
Fee: yes -
Milnor Campground
Fee: unspecified -
North City Park
Fee: yes -
Page City Park Campground
Free -
Rough Rider State Park Campground
Fee: yes -
Sacred Stone Camp
Fee: unspecified -
Sather Lake Recreation Area
Fee: yes -
Sweet Briar Lake
Fee: unspecified -
Sweetbriar Lake - Southeast Ramp - ND GFD
Fee: unspecified -
Sweetbriar Lake-Northwest Ramp - ND GFD
Fee: unspecified -
THE HONEY HUB (Free For Cyclists)
Fee: unspecified -
Wannagan Campground
Fee: unspecified -
West Lake Napoleon - ND GFD
Free