Cottonwood Campground (ND)

315 2 Nd Ave, Medora, North Dakota, United States

View of Cottonwood Campground from the main park road. There are buttes in the background with a large stand of cottonwoods and a field in between.
Cottonwood Preview Image shows a campsite with a picnic table framed by cottonwood trees and a bluff in the background
Leafy Cottonwood Trees

Sites & Rates

70 total sites · $20 avg/night

About Cottonwood Campground (ND)

For people visiting the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Cottonwood Campground is a great place to stay. Located five miles (8 km) from the entrance to the South Unit of the park, the campground is open year-round. To make a reservation for the group site please visit this the Cottonwood Group Site (ND ) page.

Number of accommodations: 70

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Fishing

Fishing

Year-round
Hiking

Hiking

Year-round

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - Jul 11 to Sep 30

Campground Amenities

RV Utilities and Hookups

RV Utilities and Hookups

  • Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

70 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 001, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 002, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 003, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 004, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 005, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 006, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 007, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 008, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 009, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 010, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 011, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 012, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 013, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 014, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 015, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 016, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 017, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 018, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 019, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 020, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 021, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 022, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 023, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 024, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 026, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 027, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 028, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 029, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 030, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 031, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 032, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 033, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 034, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 035, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 036, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 038, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 039, Loop: North Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 043, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 045, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 046, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 047, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 048, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 049, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 050, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 051, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 052, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 053, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 054, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
⛺ 055, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 056, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 057, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 058, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 059, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 060, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 061, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 062, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 063, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 064, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 065, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
⛺ 066, Loop: South Loop
6 guests · Pet Friendly
$20
/ per night
🚐 067, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 068, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 069, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 070, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 071, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 072, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 073, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 074, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 075, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night
🚐 076, Loop: South Loop
No Hookups
$20
/ per night

Reviews (2203)

Verified Only

What Guests Are Saying

Cottonwood Campground offers a beautiful and peaceful setting, with ample wildlife sightings, including bison and wild horses. The facilities are generally clean, with friendly staff and a convenient location for exploring Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Some reviews mention layout issues and occasional maintenance concerns, but overall, visitors highly recommend this campground for its scenic views and enjoyable atmosphere.

Review Summary

4.5
2203 reviews
5
67.0%
1476
4
22.5%
496
3
5.1%
113
2
2.6%
57
1
2.8%
61

Philip S

Verified

June 10, 2026 • Stayed at: 008, Loop: North Loop

4

Wonderful campground and the Park drive had amazing views

John M

Verified

June 9, 2026 • Stayed at: 063, Loop: South Loop

5

Convenient location, clean, well arranged and lots of wildlife! We have returned to camp here since we like it so much! Bison close, wild horses, bald eagles, and of course, golden gophers!

steve s

Verified

June 9, 2026 • Stayed at: 031, Loop: North Loop

4

Very nice clean campground and restrooms. We did have a camper next to use with a very loud generator, campground host spoke to them about it. Then another later in the day also very loud. Please do NOT allow generators.

steve s

Verified

June 9, 2026 • Stayed at: 031, Loop: North Loop

4

Very nice clean campground and restrooms. We did have a camper next to use with a very loud generator, campground host spoke to them about it. Then another later in the day also very loud. Please do NOT allow generators.

John M

Verified

June 9, 2026 • Stayed at: 063, Loop: South Loop

5

Convenient location, clean, well arranged and lots of wildlife! We have returned to camp here since we like it so much! Bison close, wild horses, bald eagles, and of course, golden gophers!

Kari S

Verified

June 8, 2026 • Stayed at: 053, Loop: South Loop

5

I think this site is one of the best sites in the non-RV loop. This site fit our large tent (something like 8X12). *** If you have a large tent I think site 52 would work as well*** The site is right across from the bathrooms, but there are trees blocking the lights at night, so we didn't have an issue with the lights keeping us awake. The site overlooks the Little Missouri- we saw bison every morning and evening, feral horses as well! There is water available to clean dishes, but bring in water for drinking- the visitor center is out 5-10 minutes away and we filled water bottles there when we went in to town. We also brought in gallons of water and refilled a couple of those there as well. We went to Medora Campground in town to shower ($5 each), but the shower pressure was pitiful, and temperatures were all over the place. The people who worked there were super nice, and laundry was available there as well. I later saw there were showers at the Buffalo Gap Campground US Forest Service, which might have been a better option?? With all that being said, the bathrooms at Cottonwood are some of the nicest and cleanest at any NP we've been to.

Most people we saw were just there for the day, the park gets quiet at night and most campers seemed to just stay one night (we were there 4 nights). We heard coyotes every night!

Highly recommend the Big Plateau Trail- just bring a pair of shoes you can get wet when you cross the river, unless you are OK to hike in wet shoes.

Gretchen R

Verified

June 8, 2026 • Stayed at: 029, Loop: North Loop

3

site was a nice pull through. They are facing the opposite direction of the picnic table however, so our door opened out the the table of the campsite next door. Very quiet campground

Gretchen R

Verified

June 8, 2026 • Stayed at: 029, Loop: North Loop

3

site was a nice pull through. They are facing the opposite direction of the picnic table however, so our door opened out the the table of the campsite next door. Very quiet campground

Kari S

Verified

June 8, 2026 • Stayed at: 053, Loop: South Loop

5

I think this site is one of the best sites in the non-RV loop. This site fit our large tent (something like 8X12). *** If you have a large tent I think site 52 would work as well*** The site is right across from the bathrooms, but there are trees blocking the lights at night, so we didn't have an issue with the lights keeping us awake. The site overlooks the Little Missouri- we saw bison every morning and evening, feral horses as well! There is water available to clean dishes, but bring in water for drinking- the visitor center is out 5-10 minutes away and we filled water bottles there when we went in to town. We also brought in gallons of water and refilled a couple of those there as well. We went to Medora Campground in town to shower ($5 each), but the shower pressure was pitiful, and temperatures were all over the place. The people who worked there were super nice, and laundry was available there as well. I later saw there were showers at the Buffalo Gap Campground US Forest Service, which might have been a better option?? With all that being said, the bathrooms at Cottonwood are some of the nicest and cleanest at any NP we've been to.

Most people we saw were just there for the day, the park gets quiet at night and most campers seemed to just stay one night (we were there 4 nights). We heard coyotes every night!

Highly recommend the Big Plateau Trail- just bring a pair of shoes you can get wet when you cross the river, unless you are OK to hike in wet shoes.

August E

Verified

June 6, 2026 • Stayed at: 017, Loop: North Loop

5

It was a great campsite, well secluded with a good view of the bluffs across the Little Missouri river.

Location Cottonwood Campground (ND)

Address:
315 2 Nd Ave
Medora, ND, 58645
United States

Highway access

Cottonwood Campground is accessible via Interstate 94, with exits 24 and 27 located in Medora, ND.

Latitude & Longitude: 46.95 / -103.532

Elevation: 690 feet

Map of Cottonwood Campground (ND) location at Medora, ND, United States
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Nearby destinations

Medora
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Golden Valley

Last updated: July 11, 2026

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