CampgroundsDB

First-come camping in North Dakota (no reservation needed)

North Dakota has 10 public campgrounds you can camp at without a reservation, 2 free and 8 charging a fee. All are run by the U.S. Forest Service.

10
Total
0
Reservable
10
First-come

noindex Fewer than 3 campgrounds here clear the indexable bar yet, so this page stays noindex.

First-come campgrounds vs. dispersed camping

Every campground below is a named, developed site that takes no reservations: show up, find an open site, pay if there's a fee. Dispersed camping (boondocking) is different: camping on open public land away from any campground. BLM limits dispersed camping to 14 days within any 28-day period (stay limits vary by field office), asks campers to stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams, and says most areas need no permit or reservation (blm.gov, read 2026-09-26).

Most first-come campgrounds by town: 2 near Belfield , 1 near Amidon , 1 near Beach , and 1 near Billings .

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Bennett Campground Grassy Butte · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Burning Coal Vein Amidon · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Coal Creek Billings · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Elkhorn Campground Beach · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Hankinson Hills Hankinson · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Jorgens Hollow Leonard · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Magpie Campground Fairfield · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Summit Watford City · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Wannagan Campground Belfield · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Whitetail Belfield · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free

Common questions

Is there free camping in North Dakota?

Yes. 2 public campgrounds here are free and first-come: Summit and Whitetail.

Can you camp on BLM land in North Dakota?

Yes, in most places. BLM limits dispersed camping to 14 days within any 28-day period (stay limits vary by field office), asks campers to stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams, and says most areas need no permit or reservation (blm.gov, read 2026-09-26).

Campgrounds you can book ahead: camping in North Dakota.