Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground)
E River Rd, Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Medora,
North Dakota
58645
Phone: Click to view
Sites: 76
Recent Rate:
$$$$
Longitude: -103.52811
Elevation: 2280' (approx.)
Park Features
- Pull-thru Sites Pull-thru Sites yes
- Pets Allowed Pets Allowed yes
- Big Rig Access Big Rig Access yes
- Tent Camping Tent Camping yes
- 55+ Only 55+ Only no
- Kid Friendly Kid Friendly yes
- Boondocking Boondocking no
- Cabins / Cottages / Yurts Cabins / Cottages / Yurts no
- Dump Station Dump Station no
- Group Camping Group Camping yes
- Water Spigot Water Spigot yes
Hookups
- Full Hookup Full Hookup no
- Electric (50 AMP) Electric (50 AMP) no
- Electric (30 AMP) Electric (30 AMP) no
- Sewer Sewer no
- Public Phone Public Phone no
- Water Water no
- Cable/Sat. TV Hookup Cable/Sat. TV Hookup no
Connectivity
- WiFi WiFi no
- ATT Cellular Provider ATT
- Verizon Cellular Provider Verizon
- Sprint Cellular Provider Sprint
- T-Mobile Cellular Provider T-Mobile
Amenities
- Restrooms Restrooms yes
- Showers Showers no
- Laundry Facilities Laundry Facilities ?
- Camp Store Camp Store no
- Pet Area Pet Area ?
- Propane Available Propane Available no
- Cafe / Snack Bar Cafe / Snack Bar no
- Clubhouse Clubhouse no
- Firewood Available Firewood Available yes
- Group Kitchen Group Kitchen no
- Horse Camp Horse Camp no
- Landing Strip Landing Strip no
- Picnic Shelter Picnic Shelter yes
- Restrooms: vault Restrooms: vault yes
Recreation
- Pool Access Pool Access no
- Playground Playground ?
- Recreational Trails Recreational Trails yes
- Rec Room Rec Room no
- Casino Casino no
- Fishing Fishing ?
- Beach Beach yes
- Biking Biking no
- Boating Boating no
- Golf Golf no
- Gym/Workout Facilities Gym/Workout Facilities no
- Horseshoes Horseshoes ?
- Mini-Golf Mini-Golf no
- Outdoor Courts Outdoor Courts no
- Pickleball Pickleball ?
- Water Access Water Access yes
0 Questions & Answers
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Ask fellow campers about "Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground)" and nearby attractions.
Review Details
Reviews by camping type
- Motorhome - 22
- Travel Trailer - 9
- Fifth Wheel - 14
- Tent Trailer - 1
- Truck Camper - 2
48 Reviews
These reviews are the opinion of an Campground Reviews' member and not the views of CampgroundReviews.com
Review
Count: 24
States
Visited: 11
Helpful
Reviews: 2
Date of Stay:
September, 2018 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
We stayed here for a week, on the first day right after we got our site up and running a very large Bison moved thru out campsite and was no more than 5 ft from our motorhome. Wildlife every where in the park. As stated the road is under construction when you enter the park, it was dusty but we had no problems coming or going and I think the longest we had to wait was less than 5 min. Not good for AT&T service in the park. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Motorhome.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Quite a bit longer than my motorhome and a towed vehicle
- Campsite Features
- Fire Ring, Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Some Shade
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Review
Count: 19
States
Visited: 17
Helpful
Reviews: 9
Date of Stay:
September, 2018 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
We did not stay at the campground, but stayed at Medora Campground just outside the National Park entrance. We took the toad through the park and I wanted to put out a warning that the entry roads is being reconstructed and it's one-way traffic most of the way to the campground. You need to wait for a pilot car to follow through the construction zone and the road has no pavement. I would expect that after a heavy rain, the road may well be closed. It looks like this may continue into the 2019 season. Just a heads up. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Motorhome.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Review
Count: 35
States
Visited: 21
Helpful
Reviews: 4
Date of Stay:
September, 2017 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
Site worked well for our travel trailer and truck, pull through and easy to navigate. Needed blocking. Ranger talk in the evening was very nice, no hiking from campgrounds, but many trails in park. Above ground grill, no fire pit. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Travel Trailer.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Long enough for my travel trailer and tow vehicle
- Campsite Features
- Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Nearby
- Sun & Foliage
- Some Shade
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Tips for other Campers:
We were there just after the Medora play had ended for the season. Not much going on in the town and many shops/restaurants had closed.
Review
Count: 3
States
Visited: 2
Helpful
Reviews: 1
Date of Stay:
August, 2017 -
$14.00
Overall Rating:
We stayed at site #23 in the Cottonwood Campground in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It was a very large pull-thru site with an excellent view of the Badlands. There are no services at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. There is a dump station in the North Unit, but if you are in the South Unit you are out of luck. The North Unit and the South Unit are 70 miles apart. There are washrooms with flush toilets, but there are no shower facilities in the Park at all. There is also nowhere to buy wood, or ice, and even though you are allowed to have fires, there are no fire pits. You are expected to use the camp grill for your fires- bringing your own fire dish is not allowed. The sites though, are huge- especially the pull-thru ones. The people occupying the site across from us parked a 35ft. motorhome AND a trailer on their site! The campground is fairly shaded as it is set among the Cottonwoods along the Little Missouri River. So while short on amenities, you can't beat this place for wildlife- you are literally camping amongst it. Several times buffalo were walking up and down the campground roads and between the sites, and the wild horses were seen grazing along the river from our site. Not to mention the easy access to the wildlife driving loop where more wildlife could be observed. We have a generator which we used during the appropriate times so the lack of hook-ups was not as issue, and we only stayed for 2 days.I loved the nature and the size of the sites but as far as the campground I probably wouldn't spend much more time here than we allotted. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Motorhome.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 23
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Quite a bit longer than my motorhome and a towed vehicle
- Campsite Features
- Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Some Shade
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Featured Campgrounds Near Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground)
Review
Count: 119
States
Visited: 34
Helpful
Reviews: 26
Date of Stay:
August, 2017 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
Inside the South Unit of Roosevelt NP. No hook ups, potable water available, but no dump site. Marginal Verizon wireless connection. Roads inside campground are narrow with lots of low hanging branches. Many pull through sites, but difficult to get the trailer in and out. No fire pit they provide a charcoal grill, but couldn't use it due to burn ban. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Fifth Wheel.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 17
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Just long enough for my 5th wheel (had to disconnect)
- Campsite Features
- Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Some Shade
- Interior Roads
- Tight Turns, Scraping Branches, Obstacles
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Review
Count: 16
States
Visited: 11
Helpful
Reviews: 3
Date of Stay:
July, 2017 -
$14.00
Overall Rating:
Boondocking sites. No hookups. Large enough for a 40' Motorhome but strangely shaped (think crescent moon) so a bit of a challenge to get in and may not be large enough to use accessories like awning, etc. Otherwise there was plenty of room to find space for camp chairs and your grill. Quiet campground and the animals walking through were a huge plus factor. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Motorhome.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 27
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Back in
- Site Space
- Long enough for my motorhome and a towed vehicle
- Campsite Features
- Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Some Shade
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Tips for other Campers:
Late afternoon/dusk was the best time to drive the scenic loops in the National Park because so many animals were out and about.
Review
Count: 70
States
Visited: 37
Helpful
Reviews: 13
Date of Stay:
July, 2017 -
$14.00
Overall Rating:
LOVED this campground. Lots of room between sites. Incredible views at each turn. We even had a bison come through our campsite (a whole herd came through the campground), which added to the ambience. Yes, it is dry camping, but you can't beat the views. Take a dip in the Little Missouri River to cool off on the hot summer days. You might get to swim with the wild horses, like we did (from quite a distance however). Site 43 was a pull up site--easy to park a big rig like our 43' toy hauler. HUGE "yard" for the site. Right next to the amphitheater parking, which I worried would be busy, but it was not, and made for an easy walk down the trail to hear the ranger's presentations. And, it got wonderful shade from the hot afternoon sun. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Fifth Wheel.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 43
- Site Surface
- Concrete
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Quite a bit longer (plenty of space) for my 5th wheel and truck (I didn't have to disconnect
- Campsite Features
- Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Some Shade
- Interior Roads
- Scraping Branches
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Tips for other Campers:
Some tight spots when going around the loop, some branches. Water fill by the camp hosts with both threaded hook up and gravity fill options.
Review
Count: 31
States
Visited: 26
Helpful
Reviews: 1
Date of Stay:
June, 2017 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
Very nice staff. Not many sites for large 5th wheels. No reservations (1st come, 1st serve basis). Need to get there early to get site to accommodate large RV. No hook-ups (can use generator from 8am-8pm). Picnic table and private setting. Would return. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Fifth Wheel.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Site Number
- 38
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Quite a bit longer (plenty of space) for my 5th wheel and truck (I didn't have to disconnect
- Campsite Features
- Fire Ring, Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Mostly Shady
- Interior Roads
- Tight Turns, Scraping Branches
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Tips for other Campers:
Theodore Roosevelt Park Loop - 33 miles (a must do). Town of Medora (shops, restaurants & gas stations).
Review
Count: 91
States
Visited: 26
Helpful
Reviews: 20
Date of Stay:
May, 2017 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
Use Recreation.gov to look at the available sites and believe the measurements. You can get a large class A in SOME sites. Although tenters seem to like the big sites. It is an attractive quiet campground with cold water sinks and flush toilets in clean restrooms. Be aware you might find a bison or some other critter in you campsite. The vegetation might well brush your rig so be aware. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Travel Trailer.
Site Details
- Site Number
- north loop 19
- Site Surface
- Dirt
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Just long enough for my travel trailer
- Campsite Features
- Picnic Table
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Nearby
- Sun & Foliage
- Mostly Shady
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes
Tips for other Campers:
Medora has shops and restaurants with tourist prices. The convenience store is outrageous. The park north and south units is wonderful. If you have any interest in Theodore Roosevelt you must visit this area. It shaped his character and you will understand.
Review
Count: 21
States
Visited: 9
Helpful
Reviews: 3
Date of Stay:
May, 2017 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
Arrived around 1pm on a Friday and only had two pull-through sites available that would work for our camper. Beautiful park; pull throughs are spacious and private. Quiet campground in a great NP. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Travel Trailer.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 34
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Long enough for my travel trailer and tow vehicle
- Campsite Features
- Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Some Shade
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Tips for other Campers:
On a clear night, the campground is dark enough to make star gazing wonderful. Also CG is on the scenic road that goes around the park - definitely take that and do the hikes.
Review
Count: 9
States
Visited: 6
Helpful
Reviews: 0
Date of Stay:
May, 2017 -
$4.00
Overall Rating:
May 15, 2017. For a campground with no hook ups for our 40ft MH, this was a lovely one. In the park, a number of pull-throughs to choose from, quiet during the week, good views. When we arrived on the 11th.the pull thru loop was open, 38 spots, no water in the spigots, but the next day the back-in loop was opened and water was available. We were told the even #s were first come, the odd #s were reservable. We took #24 and were very satisfied with it. The senior pass rate of 3.50/night was unbeatable. Our Verizon wifi reception was decent. This is a gem of a NP with a RV-friendly campground. Thank you! We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Motorhome.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 24
- Site Surface
- Dirt
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Long enough for my motorhome and a towed vehicle
- Campsite Features
- Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Sunny Open, Some Shade
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Tips for other Campers:
Visitors Center helpful and the town of Medora a few miles away but a number of stores were still closed. The scenic drive with it's hikes is an excellent way of seeing a lot of the park. Painted Canyon a few miles on 94 is a good visit. The weather was excellent mid May, the crowds small and we hiked about 4-5 miles a day. Bison, wild horses, mule deer and black tail deer, snakes, birds and the king of the park - the prairie dog! Hundreds of them.
Review
Count: 24
States
Visited: 11
Helpful
Reviews: 5
Date of Stay:
January, 2017 -
$25.00
Overall Rating:
The campground's location is great, a few minutes inside the park with Medora nearby for dining, etc. The single lane gravel road has many places where the trees and bushes rubbed the side of the motorhome. There are some overhead limbs that are scarred from being struck. I wouldn't recommend this park for a large motorhome. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Motorhome.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Not big enough for my motorhome
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Nearby
- Sun & Foliage
- Covered Forested
- Interior Roads
- Tight Turns, Scraping Branches, Obstacles
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes
Review
Count: 15
States
Visited: 5
Helpful
Reviews: 4
Date of Stay:
October, 2016 -
$14.00
Overall Rating:
Stayed here one night. The site was a pull through (almost all are), there were lots of trees, picnic table was separated from the pull through, there were paths to the bathrooms which were not too far. The bathrooms were clean. Campground was quiet. I would stay here again. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Travel Trailer.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 10
- Site Surface
- Gravel, Grass
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Long enough for my travel trailer and tow vehicle
- Campsite Features
- Fire Ring, Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- Spacious
- Sun & Foliage
- Mostly Shady
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Tips for other Campers:
Do the wildlife tour drive early in the morning, many buffalo and deer seen. Absolutely love the badlands, beautiful park!
Review
Count: 115
States
Visited: 37
Helpful
Reviews: 22
Date of Stay:
August, 2016 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
We were looking for a campground that would be convenient for bicycling in TRNP, south unit. We're self contained and don't use the facilities. We camped here on a weeknight in late August.
This is a beautiful, small campground within the National Park. There are no hookups. There is water at the entrance and a dump station in nearby Medora. There's quite a variety of sites, some with views, full shade, full sun, pull throughs. Half can be reserved. The other half are first come first served. We arrived at 2pm without reservations and found a nice site. The campground was full by 3pm. There is no wifi. ATT and Veriizon coverage was ok. The National Park staff was friendly and helpful and enforced all rules. We
camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Motorhome.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 32
- Site Surface
- Gravel
- Site Type
- Back in
- Campsite Features
- Fire Ring, Picnic Table
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- No Others In Sight
- Sun & Foliage
- Mostly Shady
Tips for other Campers:
The 36-mile scenic loop in the park is beautiful and we saw lots of wildlife. The Medora Musical, held daily in the town of Medora right outside the park entrance, was a delightful show.
Review
Count: 344
States
Visited: 40
Helpful
Reviews: 96
Date of Stay:
August, 2016 -
$7.00
Overall Rating:
Rate reflects 50% Federal Senior Pass discount. This is dry camping at its best. There are no hookups; there is fresh water for filling a tank, which you will see as you enter the campground. There is no dump; dumping is available for $5 in Medora at the municipal campground. Half the sites are reservable, half (even numbered) are first-come. As you enter the campground, about five miles from the entrance of the Park over a rough paved road, you are faced with a choice of pull-through or back-in. Go for the pull-through, as the sites are bigger and nicer and offer more privacy. When we arrived mid-morning without reservations, there were about six sites that would have worked, to varying degrees, for us. By around noon everything was taken. Some sites have some shade. Like it or not, the generator policy is very liberal from 8 to 8. Fortunately, during our visit, campers did not abuse the policy by leaving generators running continuously. Many sites are very generous in size, pleasant, and most are very level. We were able to get satellite using our portable dish. We had weak, but usable, Verizon voice and data. This is a great base for visiting the Park and surrounding area. We would certainly stay here again. We camped at Cottonwood Campground (NPS Campground) in a Motorhome.
- Value
- Clean Restrooms
- Service
- Clean Showers
- Cleanliness
Site Details
- Campsite
- Site Number
- 34
- Site Surface
- Grass
- Site Type
- Pull through
- Site Space
- Quite a bit longer than my motorhome and a towed vehicle
- Campsite Features
- Fire Ring, Picnic Table
- Sewer Connection
- No
Campground Details
- Space Between Lots
- No Others In Sight
- Sun & Foliage
- Some Shade
- Interior Roads
- Tight Turns, Scraping Branches
- Tow Vehicle Parking
- Yes, Convenient
Tips for other Campers:
This is a great spot for visiting the park and the surrounding grassland. Arrive with full supplies as there are NO groceries in Medora.
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Top Tips for this Campground
-
We were there just after the Medora play had ended for the season. Not much going on in the town and many shops/restaurants had closed.
dalebonnie • October 2017 -
Late afternoon/dusk was the best time to drive the scenic loops in the National Park because so many animals were out and about.
Vita Vivet • July 2017 -
Theodore Roosevelt Park Loop - 33 miles (a must do). Town of Medora (shops, restaurants & gas stations).
rvgirl54 • July 2017 -
Some tight spots when going around the loop, some branches. Water fill by the camp hosts with both threaded hook up and gravity fill options.
RVerFamily • July 2017 -
Medora has shops and restaurants with tourist prices. The convenience store is outrageous. The park north and south units is wonderful. If you have any interest in Theodore Roosevelt you must visit this area. It shaped his character and you will understand.
gumper • May 2017 -
On a clear night, the campground is dark enough to make star gazing wonderful. Also CG is on the scenic road that goes around the park - definitely take that and do the hikes.
Nana-n-Pots-SC • May 2017 -
Visitors Center helpful and the town of Medora a few miles away but a number of stores were still closed. The scenic drive with it's hikes is an excellent way of seeing a lot of the park. Painted Canyon a few miles on 94 is a good visit. The weather was excellent mid May, the crowds small and we hiked about 4-5 miles a day. Bison, wild horses, mule deer and black tail deer, snakes, birds and the king of the park - the prairie dog! Hundreds of them.
TheWetzels • May 2017 -
Do the wildlife tour drive early in the morning, many buffalo and deer seen. Absolutely love the badlands, beautiful park!
mntraveler • October 2016 -
The 36-mile scenic loop in the park is beautiful and we saw lots of wildlife. The Medora Musical, held daily in the town of Medora right outside the park entrance, was a delightful show.
dsvt • September 2016 -
This is a great spot for visiting the park and the surrounding grassland. Arrive with full supplies as there are NO groceries in Medora.
TheJim • August 2016 -
Don't miss the 36 mile loop drive. If I had been able to stay longer, I might have even driven it twice to see more bison, which tend to block traffic occasionally. Looks like a pretty little nearby town, also.
judy_online • August 2016 -
While here, take time to drive up and tour the park's north unit.
CO2RV • June 2016 -
Take advantage of the park while there--drive and hike. Scenery and wildlife are amazing.
Dave F • May 2016 -
ND Cowboy Hall of Fame in Medora, small but very cool.
bukhrn • August 2015 -
Best sites are 21 & 23. If you want a campfire, bring a portable firepit - none available in site - only grills. Drive the loop road to seen the scenery and view some of the wildlife. The bison tend to be seen in singles or pairs. Go to the north unit where we saw the bison in a large herd. Medora is a quaint but touristy town. The dinner & show is OK, good to do for the experience but the food is average, but the show was well done. Great views.
Browndogs2 • July 2015