Campsite Sniper
North Dakota · Recreation.gov

Cottonwood Campground (ND)

46.9502° N / 103.5324° W · Data Sep 18 2026, checked hourly
Next open date Sep 19Next open weekend Sep 1995 detected openings this week71 monitored sites

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Every site at Cottonwood Campground (ND), colored by availability across the tracked window. Tap a site for its calendar.
Cottonwood Campground (ND)

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Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 95 site openings here in the last 7 days
Set a free alert →
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-251160

When Cottonwood Campground (ND) reopens

Cottonwood Campground (ND)'s openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 7 days
95
Openings · last 30 days
139
Openings · last 90 days
141

Weekday pattern

Detected openings by day of week · 90d
010203040212239291488MONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUNOPENINGS RECORDED · LAST 90 DAYS · N = 141

Wednesday accounted for the largest share of the openings Campsite Sniper detected. 39 of 141 openings detected in the last 90 days occurred on a Wednesday (27.7%), with Thursday (29) and Tuesday (22) next in line.

Hour-of-day pattern

First detected by hour · local time · last 90 days
0510152025122314000408121620HOUR OF DAY (24H) · MT · LAST 90 DAYS

The largest concentrations of detected openings were first detected during the 11:00 and 12:00 local-time hours. Those hours contained 37 of 141 detected openings (26.2%). Hours show when Campsite Sniper first detected each opening, in Mountain Time, not when the change was made upstream.

Lead-time profile

Days before stay date · percentiles
P25 · 4DMEDIAN · 10 DAYS OUTP75 · 23D0306090120150180DAYS BEFORE STAY DATE

Half of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 10 days before the stay date; the middle 50% land 4–23 days out. Set an alert if you want Campsite Sniper to monitor future openings.

Highest-churn sites

Most openings · 90d
SiteOpeningsShare of all openings
029  96.4%
049  85.7%
005  85.7%
007  85.7%
017  64.3%

Site 029 had the most detected openings in the last 90 days: 9. One free watch covers every site here.

02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027 · of 71 monitored sites

Of the 12,810 tracked site-nights (Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027): 11,580 open for online reservation · 1,230 reserved.

Where the open windows are

9.6% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 11,580 of 12,810 remain open; here is where they are.

Load status

Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027
Not open online9.6%
Open site-nights11,580 / 12,810
Reserved (of online inventory)1,230 / 12,810
Weekday openings6,639
Weekend openings4,941

Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 6,639 fall on weekdays and 4,941 on weekends (Fri–Sun).

Open dates by month

Sep 2026 – Mar 2027
05001,0001,5002,0002,500771,7822,0912,1702,1701,9601,330SEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARSOLID = OPEN SITE-NIGHTS · DASHED OUTLINE = TOTAL BOOKABLE

December holds the most room. 2,170 of 2,170 site-nights are still open there.

Holiday windows

Sites open per night · of 70 sites
WindowNightSites openStatus
Labor DaySAT Sep 50None open
SUN Sep 60None open
MON Sep 70None open
ThanksgivingTHU Nov 2670Open
FRI Nov 2770Open
SAT Nov 2870Open
ChristmasTHU Dec 2470Open
FRI Dec 2570Open
New YearTHU Dec 3170Open
FRI Jan 170Open

Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: 70 sites are available for the complete three-night stay. Christmas: 70 sites are available for the complete two-night stay. New Year: 70 sites are available for the complete two-night stay.

Best-availability sites

Most open site-nights · tracked window
SiteOpen site-nights
060  174
062  174
004  173
061  173
063  173

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.

Next windows

As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshot
Next open dateSat · Sep 19
Next open weekendSat · Sep 19

The next bookable night is Sep 19; the first open weekend starts Sep 19. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.

Stays and site detail

11,580 open site-nights across 70 sites at Cottonwood Campground (ND), from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.

Multi-night stays. 124 2-night, 108 3-night, 85 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 19 at site 057.

RV length. Longest recorded site here is 255 ft. 64 sites take 25 ft, 46 sites take 35 ft, 28 sites take 40 ft.

Showing 60 of 70 sites with current availability
SiteMax RVHookupsOpen site-nightsLongest runDates
06025 ftNone174174 nightsSep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +162 more
06225 ftNone174173 nightsSep 23, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +162 more
00438 ftNone173172 nightsSep 27, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9 +161 more
0618 ftNone173153 nightsSep 21, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +161 more
06310 ftNone173173 nightsSep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9 +161 more
01240 ftNone172171 nightsSep 28, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10 +160 more
0659 ftNone172169 nightsSep 26, Sep 27, Sep 29, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10 +160 more
06625 ftNone172172 nightsSep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10 +160 more
072255 ftNone172160 nightsSep 19, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9 +160 more
07525 ftNone172171 nightsSep 25, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10 +160 more
01438 ftNone171171 nightsSep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +159 more
048255 ftNone171165 nightsSep 28, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +159 more
0558 ftNone171157 nightsSep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10 +159 more
06425 ftNone171171 nightsSep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +159 more
07025 ftNone171168 nightsSep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +159 more
07638 ftNone171170 nightsSep 25, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +159 more
01970 ftNone170170 nightsOct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12 +158 more
02946 ftNone170170 nightsOct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12 +158 more
05625 ftNone170165 nightsSep 23, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12 +158 more
06825 ftNone170167 nightsSep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12 +158 more
06925 ftNone170169 nightsSep 27, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12 +158 more
074255 ftNone170170 nightsOct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12 +158 more
00138 ftNone169164 nightsSep 24, Sep 25, Sep 28, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +157 more
03177 ftNone169165 nightsSep 25, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +157 more
03638 ftNone169169 nightsOct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +157 more
03838 ftNone169169 nightsOct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +157 more
046255 ftNone169167 nightsSep 24, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +157 more
07325 ftNone169161 nightsSep 27, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +157 more
01638 ftNone168164 nightsSep 29, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 +156 more
02438 ftNone168159 nightsOct 1, Oct 2, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 +156 more
02638 ftNone168168 nightsOct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 +156 more
03965 ftNone168167 nightsSep 27, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 +156 more
05710 ftNone168153 nightsSep 19, Sep 20, Sep 25, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 12, Oct 13 +156 more
01041 ftNone167167 nightsOct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15 +155 more
01868 ftNone167153 nightsOct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +155 more
02760 ftNone167159 nightsOct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15 +155 more
05910 ftNone167158 nightsSep 21, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15 +155 more
00238 ftNone166160 nightsSep 25, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16 +154 more
050255 ftNone166158 nightsOct 1, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16 +154 more
05825 ftNone166160 nightsSep 25, Oct 1, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16 +154 more
06725 ftNone166159 nightsOct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16 +154 more
00340 ftNone165160 nightsOct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17 +153 more
00638 ftNone165161 nightsOct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17 +153 more
00840 ftNone165162 nightsSep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17 +153 more
02838 ftNone165163 nightsSep 28, Oct 4, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17 +153 more
03038 ftNone164163 nightsSep 30, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18 +152 more
045255 ftNone164161 nightsOct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18 +152 more
00545 ftNone163159 nightsSep 23, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19 +151 more
01535 ftNone163160 nightsOct 2, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19 +151 more
02238 ftNone163163 nightsOct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19 +151 more
03238 ftNone163158 nightsOct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19 +151 more
03438 ftNone163157 nightsSep 29, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19 +151 more
07125 ftNone163160 nightsOct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19 +151 more
01125 ftNone162146 nightsSep 30, Oct 4, Oct 8, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18 +150 more
04355 ftNone162158 nightsOct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20 +150 more
01335 ftNone161154 nightsSep 27, Oct 5, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21 +149 more
03345 ftNone161156 nightsOct 1, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21 +149 more
03593 ftNone161154 nightsOct 5, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21 +149 more
02044 ftNone159155 nightsOct 1, Oct 2, Oct 8, Oct 13, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21, Oct 22, Oct 23 +147 more
054255 ftNone159153 nightsOct 2, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 15, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21, Oct 22, Oct 23 +147 more

About Cottonwood Campground (ND)

Overview

For people visiting the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Cottonwood Campground is a great place to stay. Located five miles (8 km) from the entrance to the South Unit of the park, the campground is open year-round. To make a reservation for the group site please visit this the Cottonwood Group Site (ND ) page.

Recreation

Hikers can access the estimated 70 miles (21 km) of trails within a short distance of the campground. Visit the Hiking and Trail Information page on the park website or stop at a Visitor Center for more details. Located immediately adjacent to the Little Missouri River and filled with Cottonwood trees bird watching in the campground can be a rewarding experience. Watch for Bison that can be seen traveling through the campground on their way to a stop at the river. Just a few miles from the campground is the Peaceful Valley Ranch. A former ranch from Theodore Roosevelt's time, the location also serves as one of the best sites in the park for outstanding night sky viewing.

Facilities

Toilets, drinking water and picnic tables are provided at this facility. The site can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Sites can accommodate up to six people and two vehicles. There are no hookups or a dump station. A water fill station is available for campers (through October 1 each year). All wheeled vehicles and trailers must remain on roadways or pads. The Group Site (site #25) can accomodate 7-20 people and reservations are available the first business day of March for the upcoming summer season. Go to the Cottonwood Group Site (ND) to make reservations for the group site.

Natural Features

The Little Missouri River is the central, unifying feature of this wild and broken land where, as a young man, Theodore Roosevelt ranched and hunted in the 1880s. The park is part of both the Northern Great Plains and the West, blending a rich natural beauty with diverse human history. The rugged topography, with its flora and fauna, also provides an opportunity to discover the badlands environment as Roosevelt once did. It is a place to experience a land and way of life that helped shape Theodore Roosevelt's attitudes and philosophy regarding conservation. Cottonwood trees surrounding the campsite turn golden in the fall. Although the campground is moderately forested, most of the campsites are in partial to full sun but visitors can cool off in the cold river when temperatures peak during summer.

Nearby Attractions

The town of Medora has shopping, restaurants, amenities and the Medora Musical is located approximately five miles (8 km) to the south. The Little Missouri National Grassland is the largest National Grassland in the nation at 1.03 million acres (416,826 ha). It is located in western North Dakota and is managed by the Medora Ranger District in Dickinson, ND and the McKenzie Ranger District in Watford City, ND. The National Grassland provides additional recreation opportunities in the area.

71 monitored sitesRVs up to 255 ftNo hookups42 shadedPets OKMax party 6

Getting there

The South Unit entrance is in Medora, ND. Medora is accessible via Interstate 94 Exits 24 and 27 in North Dakota. Please note exit 27 is a westbound exit only. Medora is 133 miles (214 km) west of Bismarck, ND and 27 miles (43 km) east of the Montana state line.

315 2Nd Ave, Medora, ND 58645701-623-4466 (NOTE PARK DOES NOT TAKE RESERVATIONS)
AmphitheaterAuto TouringBikingBirdingCampingDay Use AreaHikingHistoric & Cultural SiteWildlife Viewing

View on Recreation.gov ↗   Get directions ↗

FAQ

How do I get a reservation at Cottonwood Campground (ND)?

Reservations for Cottonwood Campground (ND) are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 11,580 of 12,810 tracked site-nights are open (90.4%), though availability can change. Campsite Sniper has also detected 141 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site 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 campground 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 15:19 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 Cottonwood Campground (ND)?

Campsite Sniper detected 95 site-date openings at Cottonwood Campground (ND) in the last 7 days, 139 over 30 days and 141 over the last 90.

Which day of the week had the most detected openings at Cottonwood Campground (ND)?

Wednesday accounted for the largest share of the openings Campsite Sniper detected in the last 90 days: 39 of 141 (27.7%). Days reflect when Campsite Sniper first detected each opening, not when the change occurred upstream.

Can I get a multi-night stay at Cottonwood Campground (ND)?

108 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 26 at site 061. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.

Which sites at Cottonwood Campground (ND) fit a 35-foot RV?

46 of the 70 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 255 ft.

Which month has the most availability at Cottonwood Campground (ND)?

December 2026, with 2,170 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 2,170.

How far ahead of a stay do openings appear at Cottonwood Campground (ND)?

Half of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 10 days before the stay date; the middle 50% landed 4-23 days out. Campsite Sniper can monitor future changes for dates you select.

When is the next open date at Cottonwood Campground (ND)?

As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Sat, Sep 19 and the next open weekend starts Sat, Sep 19. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.

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