Camping in North Dakota

Camping rules worth knowing in North Dakota

Camping on the grassland is general, with conditions

The grasslands publish their camping guidance as one page covering developed sites and dispersed camping together. The dispersed permission is real and it is what makes western North Dakota worth the drive, but it comes with the conditions on the same page rather than as a free-for-all: stay on existing roads to reach a site, and leave the ground as you found it. Source 12

Every campground in the park is primitive

All campgrounds at Theodore Roosevelt are primitive: no hookups and no showers. Backcountry camping is by a free permit. If the trip needs power or water, the state parks and the Corps campgrounds are the answer, not the national park. Source 28

Dispersed camping: 14 days in 30, and 300 feet off the road

The Dakota Prairie Grasslands allow dispersed camping for up to 14 days within any 30-day period, free and outside the developed campgrounds, with no toilets, water, tables or trash service. Motorized vehicles may leave a designated Forest Service road by up to 300 feet to reach a campsite, and beyond that you walk. Set up within 150 to 300 feet of a designated road, camp at least 100 to 200 feet from lakes and streams, use the same track in and out, and do not drive on wet or soft ground to get there. In Theodore Roosevelt National Park the equivalent is a free backcountry permit from the North or South Unit visitor center; there are no developed backcountry sites and the park’s two campgrounds are primitive, with no hookups and no showers. Source 11

School trust land is walking access only

The Department of Trust Lands opens School Trust Lands to hiking, bird watching, berry picking for personal consumption, hunting and fishing, and states that absolutely no trucks, dirt bikes, ATVs, UTVs or specialty off-road vehicles may be driven there by the public without proper written permission. Camping and campfires are prohibited. Lessees may post three department signs at no charge: Closed to Public Access, which shuts the parcel; Notify the Lessee Before Entering; and Walking Access Only. Only signs furnished by the department may be posted, so a homemade sign on a trust parcel is not the rule. Wildlife management areas are separate ground again: vehicles stay on constructed roads, established trails and passenger-car parking areas, and camping is capped at 10 consecutive days. Source 42

Fire restrictions are posted county by county

North Dakota publishes a single Fire Declarations and Burn Restrictions map where you can check burn restrictions, fire danger ratings, red flag warnings and local declarations before you light anything. The state warns that the map may not be all-inclusive, that incorporated cities may have their own permanent restrictions under local ordinances, and that the current word comes from the local fire department or emergency management office. On the grasslands, the Forest Service asks you to check for restrictions or burn bans before any campfire, to use existing fire rings, to keep fires small and to drown, stir and feel them out. It also tells drivers never to park or drive on tall, dry grass, because hot vehicle parts can start a fire. Source 51

The full guide to overlanding North Dakota