Openings · last 7 days
10
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 10 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-233550
When Mel Rieman Rec reopens
Mel Rieman Rec's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
13
Openings · last 90 days
14
Only 14 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026 · of 28 monitored sites
Of the 364 tracked site-dates (Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026): 339 open for online reservation · 25 reserved.
Where the open windows are
6.9% of tracked site-dates are not currently open for online reservation. 339 of 364 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026Not open online6.9%
Open site-dates339 / 364
Reserved (of online inventory)25 / 364
Weekday openings185
Weekend openings141
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 185 fall on weekdays and 141 on weekends (Fri–Sun). The split covers the 326 open site-nights on mapped sites; 339 site-dates are open across all monitored inventory.
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Sep 2026September holds the most room. 339 of 364 site-dates are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 27 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Holiday windows — day use
Units open per date · of 1 day-use unit| Window | Date | Units open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked date.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 01 | 13 |
| 05 | 13 |
| 06 | 13 |
| 07 | 13 |
| 08 | 13 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Availability by day-use unit
Most open reservation dates · tracked window| Unit | Open reservation dates |
|---|---|
| 28 | 13 |
This day-use unit currently has 13 reservation dates available.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateFri · Sep 18
Next open weekendFri · Sep 18
The next bookable night is Sep 18; the first open weekend starts Sep 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
326 open site-nights across 27 sites at Mel Rieman Rec, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
27 overnight sites and 1 day-use unit are represented in the current inventory. Day-use inventory is excluded from every night-based figure on this page — site-nights, longest runs, multi-night stays, holiday stays and RV fit; its reservation dates are listed separately below.
Multi-night stays. 32 2-night, 32 3-night, 23 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 18 at site 01.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 80 ft. 20 sites take 25 ft, 18 sites take 35 ft, 18 sites take 40 ft. 7 sites of 27 have no recorded maximum and are not counted.
All 27 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 41 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 05 | 45 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 06 | 50 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 07 | 77 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 08 | 50 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 09 | 52 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 10 | 25 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 11 | 80 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 12 | 25 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 14 | 54 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 15 | 45 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 18 | 46 ft | Yes | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 21 | Not recorded | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 22 | Not recorded | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 23 | Not recorded | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 24 | Not recorded | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 25 | Not recorded | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 26 | Not recorded | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 27 | Not recorded | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 03 | 54 ft | Yes | 12 | 12 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 13 | 57 ft | Yes | 12 | 12 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 16 | 50 ft | Yes | 11 | 11 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 17 | 50 ft | Yes | 11 | 6 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 19 | 60 ft | Yes | 11 | 7 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 02 | 45 ft | Yes | 8 | 4 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 20 | 57 ft | Yes | 8 | 4 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 04 | 45 ft | Yes | 6 | 3 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
Day-use inventory
13 available reservation dates across 1 day-use unit. Day-use inventory is reserved by the date, so it carries no stay length.
All 1 day-use unit with current availability
| Unit | Open reservation dates | Consecutive dates | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 13 | 13 dates | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
About Mel Rieman Rec
Overview
The Mel Rieman Campground and Recreation Area is a 70-acre facility on the shoreline of Lake Ashtabula in eastern North Dakota. The campground is known for its spectacular sunset views. It is close to the Baldhill Dam and within walking distance of the Mel Rieman day-use area, where visitors can swim, fish and picnic.
Lake Ashtabula was created by the construction of the Baldhill Dam on the Sheyenne River in 1944, and is situated in one of the most scenic river valleys in the region. Visitors can choose from a wide range of recreation opportunities year-round, including ice fishing and cross-country skiing during winter months.
Recreation
There is no shortage of recreation opportunities and outdoor fun in and around the lake. The day-use area is adjacent to the campground and has a visitor center, playgrounds, picnic facilities, concessions, fishing spots and a boat ramp.
The name "Ashtabula" is a Native American word meaning "Fish River," which suits the lake's fish population; popular species include walleye, northern pike, white bass, yellow perch and black bullhead. With seven boat ramps, two accessible fishing piers and four automated fish cleaning stations, the lake is very convenient for anglers.
Nearly 3,000 acres of land around the lake is managed as wildlife habitat by the Corps of Engineers and open to the public for wildlife viewing, birding, hiking and hunting. Hunters and anglers should contact the North Dakota Game and Fish Department for seasons, restrictions and licenses; fishing licenses and bait may be purchased from concessionaires around the lake.
Campers can also reach the 63-mile Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway and access nearly 35 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail within a short drive.
Facilities
Mel Rieman Campground has 27 campsites, 15 of which offer electric hookups. The facility also provides drinking water, showers and flush toilets. The nearest town is Valley City, 10 miles away.
Natural Features
The lake area lies amidst the 'prairie potholes' region of glacially-carved lakes in North Dakota. Bountiful migratory water birds flock to Lake Ashtabula, including the unique white pelican, which can be seen in large quantities during summer. The region also provides habitat for white-tailed deer, sharptail grouse, wild turkey and gray partridge.
28 monitored sitesRVs up to 80 ft20 with hookups27 shadedWaterfrontLakefrontPets OKFire pitsMax party 8
Getting there
The main route to the park is via Interstate 94 to Valley City exit 292. Follow the signs through Valley City and turn left onto County Road 19. Travel for 10 miles.
2630 114Th Ave Se, Valley City, ND 58072701-845-2970
CampingFishingHikingPicnickingSwimming Site
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-233550 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-233550 · Mel Rieman Rec · Valley City ND12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Mel Rieman Rec?
Reservations for Mel Rieman Rec are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 339 of 364 tracked site-dates are open (93.1%), though availability can change. Campsite Sniper has also detected 14 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site or unit on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this facility for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Mel Rieman Rec?
Campsite Sniper detected 10 site-date openings at Mel Rieman Rec in the last 7 days, 13 over 30 days and 14 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Mel Rieman Rec?
32 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 18 at site 01. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Mel Rieman Rec fit a 35-foot RV?
18 of the 27 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 80 ft. 20 of those 27 sites have a recorded maximum length and 7 do not; they are not counted as fitting.
Which month has the most availability at Mel Rieman Rec?
September 2026, with 339 open site-dates in the current snapshot of 364.
When is the next open date at Mel Rieman Rec?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 18 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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