Juniper Campground

Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit does not disappoint from the bison to the trails, and the scenic views this park is a National treasure. I have been here multiple times, two times camping once recently in December 2015 and in Spring 2013. This last trip I wanted to try camping in an RV in Winter without hookups. Both days in the campground the weather was perfect. Clear sunny days and clear nights highs 20 F, lows 0 F. It is wise to find some way to warm vault toilet seats in Winter before use! I bundled up and used my telescope in the campground and it was amazing. No light interference. All sites are typical National park, flat and gravel. This site was level and I did not need to drive onto blocks. I was able to unhook, put down the stabilizers and get busy relaxing. This time of year there is no one at the main gate and I haven't caught anyone at the visitors center. I had an annual park pass so I did not worry about it. You are free to enter the park if no one is at the gate, if they are there when you leave you will be asked to pay, which did happen to me my first visit and was happy to do so. It is a drive to the campground, all paved, up and down hills, semi tight turns at spots, but I wouldn't hesitate to bring any type of rig out here. Being it was December there was a few spots of compacted snow, and frost on the road in the shaded areas, but I didn't spin my tires once negotiating my travel trailer to the campground. Once set up on a spot all you have to do is go back to the campground info display and fill out your card and put a payment in the envelope, it slides into a locked post, and you attach your card to the post with the site number by your spot. Usually the campground host or park ranger will come by read your card and put a large number on the back to represent when you will be leaving. The park ranger came by my campsite twice, the first time he brought my bumper cap which he saw fell off at the cattle guard near the entrance (Thanks!) The second time he just drove past. I never ran into anyone in the campground but there were people driving through the park and stopping at the lookout points, so the park wasn't completely deserted. I enjoy this park and visit at least once a year as I am within 10 miles. Generator hours are limited I believe 8 AM - 8 PM. I used mine only a couple hours each day as I brought extra batteries to keep the furnace going. If it allows me I have a video review of my trip if you follow the links below. Also I have a few pictures from this trip and from my spring trip two years ago. There is one area where you can get cell signal, but if I remember right is only good enough for text, no calls or data. So i did not put any bars verizon, and I didn't try a cell booster.

December North Unit trip video
part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvRqYtnL9Tk
part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VKMOHtYD44
part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCWmt4jiGJc

Thanks

Jed

Juniper Campground was an unscheduled stop for us, but we are so glad we came! The campground is a notch above many national park campgrounds. There are lots of long, level pull-throughs, some shorter back-in sites, and a tenting only area. Pull-throughs are along the both sides of the road, those on the outside are more private, oriented toward the meadows and stands of cottonwoods and those on the inside are oriented more toward a large grassy central area perfect for the kids. All sites are first come/first serve, and we snagged an exterior pull-through at 4pm on a Friday. There are two designated ADA sites near an ADA bathroom. The camp hosts were super friendly, and there were evening ranger programs in the amphitheater on the weekends.

All roads and sites were paved and well maintained. Trash and recycle bins in the park. There were bathrooms, but no shower facility. No hook ups, but there is a dump station with potable water.

Juniper Campground is 5 miles from the park entrance and right across from an awesome display of “cannonball” concretions. You can access the “Little Mo Nature Trail” from the park, the short route is .7 miles and ADA friendly, the loop is 1.4 miles. We enjoyed the 14-mile scenic drive (twice!); take your time and count on a bison jam. There are lots of hikes, but we only had time for a couple of the shorter ones. We’ve read that the North Unit of TRNP isn’t as scenic, but we thought it was awesome. Heading to the South Unit next for a little comparative analysis. 

The Maah Daah Hey trail is accessible from the CCC Campground one mile from the park entrance, as well as other campgrounds further away.

No Verizon service in the campground, we drove to the Riverview or Oxbow scenic overlooks for 3 bars of 4G.

This is a very nice small campground right in TR National Park North. This campground is well maintained and had a very welcoming host.

There is one loop with a mid-way cut through. Sites towards the back are smaller and shaded. Several pull through sites towards the front but with little shade. Solar panels loved it.

There is no cell service in the campground but when you drive the 15 mile stretch of the park, several spots had 4 and 5 bar LTE.

There is an RV dump towards the front of the campground. There is potable water but warnings are posted regarding the high levels of fluoride.

We had a great time at the park and would recommend the campground.

Our site was a pull through which was long enough. Real tight with the slides but hey it had shade trees. Enjoyed the park despite one day being close to 1oo degrees. No cell service.

If visiting the Theodore Roosevelt NP north unit, the Juniper CG in the park is the only game in town. However, it does not abuse that position and offers great sites in a nice location within the park. The main loop is pull-through sites, which are generally quite long and level. Some face the Little Missouri River area and are more densely wooded, while others are open and relatively shade-free. There's something for everyone, and we generated plenty of solar power. The outer loop (continue straight after site 8 instead of turning left) has back-in sites. Some of the best sites in the park are on the outer loop, with great views across the plains to the badlands formations, but would require backing in and parking the tow vehicle next to the trailer. All the sites have great site separation, the campground has plentiful bear-proof trash bins, and recycling is also available. The dump station is conveniently located on the main road out of the CG. A few hikes are available directly from the CG, including the LONG Achenbach Trail.

The CG is about 5 miles into the park, and most visitors will want to drive the whole scenic drive, so plan to unhitch. We had no service at our campsite on AT&T, but weirdly had a bar of LTE service when we walked down the Achenbach Trail toward the river. The park offers toilets, but no showers, which is a personal pet peeve. Most campers seemed to stay only a night or two, but we enjoyed our longer stay and having the chance to see the whole park in detail. The closest services (gas, grocery) are in Watford City, about 15 miles away.

Our $7 nightly rate is due to our senior citizen National Park pass which is half the standard rate. Being relatively new full timers we wanted an off grid experience at a National Park, and this place delivers. We are in a 35' motorhome and had no problem finding a site to fit us, although in mid July these size sites were full by mid afternoon. Anything longer than 35' would be extremely difficult. All are first come first served, so be advised the best time to arrive is before noon, although many smaller sites, and most of the tent sites, were still open as of evening. The sites right on the river have mostly been washed out and it looks to be a permanent loss. There are bathrooms available (no hot water) with flush toilets (seasonal). Wildlife in abundance -- the 14 mile Scenic Drive that runs in front of the campground is phenomenal. We drove it just before sunset (around 8 pm CDT) and were amazed at the number of bison and bighorn sheep. Fabulous photo ops. Many great hikes ranging from easy / flat to long and strenuous. If you are into history the film at the visitor center about Theodore Roosevelt's life and inspiration is well worth the time. We did achieve one to two bars of Verizon service on our laptop with our Mifi hotspot plus Netgear MIMO antenna. No cell service on our phones.

Lots of pull through sites in lovely location. We are 51 foot when attached and had plenty of room. Friendly helpful host and ranger talk was interesting. I would stay here to see the southern unit and skip the tourist trap Medora, even with a 52 mile drive.

We have a 40 ft but still got it in #30. After driving the park roads we went out of the park and across the bridge south to look a the Grassland NF park. No one there so we picked up and went there. See review.

Got to campground about noon (on a Sunday), still lots of sites to choose from. Someone pulled in about 10pm and there were still sites available. Great location for visiting the National Park. Very level site, long enough for for our 37 foot Class A with tow vehicle. There were some low hanging trees in the loop. There is a dump station and potable water. No reliable Verizon signal. Would’ve loved to stay here longer, but had reservations in the South Unit.

Got to campground about noon (on a Sunday), still lots of sites to choose from. Someone pulled in about 10pm and there were still sites available. Great location for visiting the National Park. Very level site, long enough for for our 37 foot Class A with tow vehicle. There were some low hanging trees in the loop. There is a dump station and potable water. No reliable Verizon signal. Would’ve loved to stay here longer, but had reservations in the South Unit.