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Theodore Roosevelt National ParkCottonwood Campground in South Unit
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Camping
 

After nightfall the face of the country seems to alter marvelously, and the clear moonlight only intensifies the change. The river gleams like running quicksilver, and the moonbeams play over the grassy stretches of the plateaus...The Bad Lands seem to be stranger and wilder than ever, the silvery rays turning the country into a kind of grim fairyland.

Theodore Roosevelt

 

Campgrounds in Park

There are three campgrounds in the park: Cottonwood and Roundup in the South Unit and Juniper in the North Unit.

Juniper Campground and Cottonwood Campground accommodate tents, trailers and recreational vehicles. No hook-ups are available. Check out time is 12 noon.

Camping fees are non-refundable and are $10 per night per site. $5 per night per site for America The Beautiful Senior Pass or Access Pass card holders. Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days per year. Campsites are available on a first come, first served basis.

A group campsite is also available in both Juniper and Cottonwood Campgrounds. Reservations are recommended.

The Roundup Horse Campground is a group site that can accomodate one group at a time. Horses are permitted at this campground. Maximum group size is 20 people with 20 horses or 30 people without horses. Minimum group size is 6 people. Groups are limited to 5 nights during a calendar year. Reservations are required.

 

General Campground Regulations for Juniper & Cottonwood Campground

CAMPSITES Campsites are available on a first come, first serve basis. Only the group campsite can be reserved. To demonstrate your occupancy, display your envelope stub on the campsite post. Occupancy of any one site is limited to 6 persons and 2 vehicles. Do not tie ropes or tent lines to trees or structures.
SANITATION Wash your dishes at your site, not in the comfort stations or at the faucets. Recreational vehicles must dispose of waste water by either a holding tank and or a catch bucket. Dumping of any waste on the ground is prohibited. A sanitary dump station is located near the entrance of Juniper Campground and in the town of Medora. Both are open seasonally (approx. May - Sept).
CAMPFIRES Open fires are permitted only in charcoal grates located at each site. Fires should be kept small. Fires may not be left unattended. All coals must be extinguished before leaving the site. Gathering of firewood in the Park is prohibited.
QUIET HOURS Quiet hours are from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Picnic areas are closed to the public during these hours. The use of radios or tape players in such a manner that would disturb others, is prohibited.
GENERATORS Generator hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Generators must be equipped with an effective muffler.
PETS Pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet in length or otherwise physically restrained. Please clean up after your pet. Do not leave your pet unattended. Bison and pets do not mix.
VEHICLES AND BICYCLES All wheeled vehicles must remain on the paved roadways and pads. This includes trailers, motorcycles and bicycles. The speed limit in the campground is 10 m.p.h. All roads in the campground are one way. Skates, roller blades, skateboards and fireworks are prohibited.
PRESERVATION AND WILDLIFE All plants, animals and other natural resources are protected in the park. The destruction or defacement of any facility is prohibited. Do not feed, frighten or disturb bison or other wildlife.
OTHER REGULATIONS The possession of firearms, bows and arrows, air guns and any other device designed to discharge missiles is prohibited.
The use or possession of intoxicating beverages by anyone under the age of 21 is prohibited.
Horses and stock animals are not allowed in the Juniper Campground/Squaw Creek area or Cottonwood Campground area.
 
The Little Missouri River has carved the badlands over the last 600,000 years.  

Did You Know?
The Little Missouri River began to carve the badlands about 600,000 years ago during Pleistocene time after the river was diverted by glaciers from its once northerly route to Hudson Bay.

Last Updated: September 27, 2007 at 00:27 EST