Juniper Campground

The National Park North Unit and Campground (CG) is easy to find off US-85. We showed our Access Passes to get into the park and then proceeded to mile marker 5, where the CG is located. We pulled up to the information and sign-in board for this first come, first serve CG at about 11:30 AM Mountain Time (interesting that when we got to the north unit area, our phones went back to central time, and after a quick Google search, we found out that the north unit runs on central time). A gentleman let us know that he had just pulled in and grabbed a campsite near the entrance/exit and that we’d probably only fit in site 8 (this CG is all dry camping) as the perimeter campsites, both back-ins and pull-throughs, were too short for us. The other longer sites were already taken. We proceeded to pull through site 8, which is a long, quarter moon-shaped asphalt site. We maneuvered around to stay away from tree branches and stay on the pad. The picnic table and stand-up barbecue were on the driver’s side, but since the sites are nicely spaced out, this was not a problem. We then filled out our registration envelope, placed $14 cash (Access Pass discount) in the folder, put the tab on our post, and deposited the envelope in the registration area. We could have also written a check or used a credit card to pay. We got on and off 1 bar on Verizon. We did have a good shot north for Starlink. They have a vaulted toilet and flush toilet building along with potable water at the dump station. There are about a half dozen sites for longer rigs, such as 32, 42, and 43, 49, with 5 being the best site. We had our two dogs with us, and there was plenty of room to walk them around the CG. There was plenty of bison poop in the CG, but we didn't see any during our two-night stay. Watford City is 17 miles north and has your major amenities. We enjoyed using this CG as a base to explore the North Unit.

100% Dry camping. Was not impressed with our river-side site (the river is a muddy mess and access is through a thicket) and place is chock full even in mid-September. All sites full, but camp host is a laid back Santa Claus type who let folks stay in the picnic area once the CG was full. Walking around the park in evening was best part. Site had good privacy screen of vegetation and was a level pull through. One intermittent bar of Verizon, mostly no cell signal, though.

First time we ever boondocked in our 5th wheel. This place is nice & peaceful, well except for the 2 steer that went through our site lol.

Trey have one modern restroom, no showers. Excellent basecamp for the north unit. Plenty of wildlife & scenery to find.

When this place was built, they never envisioned large rigs. So if you have one over 30 feet, just be aware you might have to wiggle your way into a site. Camphost was great. Watford City about 20 minutes away for groceries & gas.

Verizon speeds were 10Mbps download but nothing usable on the upload side (0.1). No usable T-Mobile or AT&T data. Verizon and T-Mobile were using a roof mounted Pepwave antenna and ATT was via phone. Depending on which site you are in, Starlink would be viable.

This place had a good state park-esque vibe meaning that it wasn't crowded to the gills and full of amenities/stores like many national park campgrounds. Id stay at the CCC campground up the road unless you really need shade/showers/flush toilets - the view is better.

The access road to get here is paved but bumpy. We arrived in the evening of July 4th and there were still spots available so I'd expect that it must never fill up all the way. It's a one way loop, so half the sites end up putting you in the wrong side but the host said we could loop the other way to have the camp side on the camp side. All sites are paved and in decent shape. Ours was reasonably level but the tree over it had an aphid infestation and they coated everything with poop.

There's a mix of shade depending on the site for solar. There's a pay station and you can fill out CC info.

There's a couple of sites backed up against the river that would be the best if you can snag one for the view.

Potable water fill is available at the dump station at the campground entrance. There's at least one potable water spigot in the campground itself as well.

We camped here in mid-June with perfect weather, our rate was $7.00 with the Lifetime Pass, otherwise the nightly rate is $14.00. We camped at site 7, a spacious pull thru with paved pad, picnic table, grill, and plenty of shade trees. The restrooms were modern and very clean, water and trash were located near the campsite. This is a very quiet and peaceful place to camp, with the awesome bonus of viewing Bison grazing nearby. The campground host was very friendly and helpful. We received 1-bar of Verizon coverage. This campground is conveniently located for exploring the beautiful Park. We would definitely return again to camp in this magnificent place.

The cost to camp is $14 a night unless you have the senior past which we have. Then it was $7 a night. This is all dry camping. No water/electricity or sewer at the sites. However, there is a dump station (free) and fresh water at the entrance to the campground. We spent two nights at the park using our 31-travel trailer. There are 44 spots in the park and each is first come with no reservations. All of them seem to be level. If you get there early in the day any FULL-size rig will fit. But only about half of them will handle a FULL-size rig. (35 feet or longer.) Check-out time is 12:00 noon. While we were there it was about half full. The spots along the west side are the closest to the river. The campground and restrooms are clean. Generators may be used from 8-8. The downside is each of the sites are close together. Verizon Cell phone only had 1 bar if that. When you pull out of the campground area the signal will jump up to full strength. You can see everything in the North unit in one day unless you are a hiker. Then you might end up spending a few days here.

We were in site 43. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and there were still several sites that would accommodate our trailer and truck. The park was fairly full by 6:00 PM. it was extremely dry in the middle of September and there were lots of flies and grasshoppers. There was a self pay station but the Rangers came around at least three times while we were there overnight. Fellow campers were good about shutting their generators off at the 8:00 PM deadline.

We were under the impression that this was not fully open due to some bad info on the internet. We decided to take a drive thru and check it out. After a conversation with the very helpful camp host, we discovered that there were plenty of openings on July 3. He also said it rarely fills up to capacity (possibly due to the fact it is in the North Unit which has less traffic and there is no electricity). Anyway, we were able to fill our fresh water tanks and use the dumping station. The bathrooms are nice and new, but no showers. In the evening we rode our bikes up the road to the “Cannonball” scenic spot to take pictures. It was like we had the entire park to ourselves at that moment. I’m so glad we allowed our curiosity to prevail and drove through the campgrounds. It turned out to be a great experience, even for just one night! By the way, we named our van Juniper, so it was meant to be!

This campground has 48 sites (used to be 50 but two are washed out and blocked off). The road in has some rough spots, but the campground roads and campsite driveways are paved. Most are pull-throughs. There is both a modern and rustic (pit) toilet. Both are near the host campsite. When we arrived there were many sites to choose from. According to the very friendly and helpful host, it rarely fills and that was the case during our visit. There are no hookups, and it was extremely hot during the day and it didn’t really cool off until well after the sun set. Needless to say, sleep came late, but it cooled off nicely. Fee was $7/night with geezer pass.