America’s Camping Report Card
North Dakota
#28 of 43 for camping
Better than 36% of graded states · overall grade B+ — campers like it.
Graded on 2,247 written reviews from North Dakota - no star ratings, just what people wrote.
The breakdown
Letter grades reflect how campers actually felt about each topic - A means they loved it, not that it beat other states.
What campers praised
- beautiful campground26
- beautiful park17
- beautiful scenery17
- beautiful place14
- beautiful location12
What campers warned about
- lake full of algae2
- not much shade2
- open field, little shelter2
- stinky weeds2
- a bit dry1
- Praised by
- 44.3%
- Warned by
- 1.7%
- Rank
- Better than 36% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment +0.426 (±0.022, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- spacious sites18
- nice sites10
- large sites9
- large campsites6
- nice campsite5
What campers warned about
- no shade3
- small sites3
- very small campground3
- cramped sites2
- more rv/camper than tent/hammock2
- Praised by
- 39.1%
- Warned by
- 11.6%
- Rank
- Better than 45% of graded states
- Confidence
- Limited sample
Net sentiment +0.275 (±0.026, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- great trails7
- nice trails5
- trails5
- wildlife viewing5
- hiking trails4
What campers warned about
- canoe/kayak access1
- family events desired1
- few trails / biking options1
- firewood gathering1
- fishing access; snags1
- Praised by
- 28.7%
- Warned by
- 1.6%
- Rank
- Better than 52% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment +0.271 (±0.020, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- clean38
- well maintained38
- very clean29
- clean campground22
- clean bathrooms21
What campers warned about
- dirty bathrooms2
- dog waste not picked up2
- dry grass, not kept up2
- grass too long2
- overflowing garbage cans2
- Praised by
- 30.4%
- Warned by
- 6.9%
- Rank
- Better than 41% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment +0.235 (±0.023, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- friendly staff14
- friendly and helpful staff8
- great camp host5
- great camp hosts5
- great host5
What campers warned about
- camp host behavior3
- host couple reprimanding2
- no attendant or ranger seen2
- no host or ranger contact2
- no ranger or campground host present2
- Praised by
- 18.0%
- Warned by
- 3.6%
- Rank
- Better than 19% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment +0.143 (±0.018, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- bathrooms and showers8
- hot showers8
- clean showers5
- restrooms and showers5
- showers and bathrooms5
What campers warned about
- no dump station9
- no showers9
- dump station closed4
- no electricity4
- no soap in bathroom4
- Praised by
- 27.1%
- Warned by
- 14.9%
- Rank
- Better than 69% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment +0.122 (±0.025, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- quiet60
- quiet campground29
- very quiet25
- peaceful atmosphere9
- quiet and peaceful9
What campers warned about
- interstate traffic noise3
- sites very close together3
- after-hours socializing2
- interstate noise2
- sites packed close together2
- Praised by
- 18.2%
- Warned by
- 5.8%
- Rank
- Better than 91% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment +0.123 (±0.020, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- friendly2
- friendly campers2
- another camper gave a push1
- child and pet friendly1
- children make friendships1
What campers warned about
- asked to leave as volunteer host1
- not comfortable, felt targeted1
- not parked with our group1
- older campers dominate; less welcoming vibe1
- rude, entitled behavior from another camper1
- Praised by
- 2.4%
- Warned by
- 0.2%
- Rank
- Better than 38% of graded states
- Confidence
- High confidence
Net sentiment +0.022 (±0.007, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- reasonable price5
- free4
- reasonably priced4
- $10 per night3
- $6 per night3
What campers warned about
- waste of money3
- price per night went up2
- $10 per night self-service fee1
- $20 for one night, seemed expensive1
- $20 total feel1
- Praised by
- 4.3%
- Warned by
- 2.6%
- Rank
- Better than 62% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment +0.017 (±0.011, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- easy access8
- easy access to the water4
- easy to get in and out4
- convenient location3
- close to medora and trnp2
What campers warned about
- no cell coverage3
- close to interstate2
- main road between loops bad2
- no cell service2
- no nearby dump stations2
- Praised by
- 7.4%
- Warned by
- 8.4%
- Rank
- Better than 29% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment -0.010 (±0.016, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- feel safe2
- avoided bison by tent1
- belongings left undisturbed1
- bright light near site 51
- campground patrolled1
What campers warned about
- almost caused a bike crash1
- another group set up at their site1
- bison near tent, not sleeping in tent1
- bison on road at night1
- boat accident, ran over fishing boat1
- Praised by
- 1.1%
- Warned by
- 1.7%
- Rank
- Better than 62% of graded states
- Confidence
- High confidence
Net sentiment -0.007 (±0.007, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- able to find a spot on holiday weekend1
- annual august booking1
- book all three sites together1
- camping without reservation easy1
- can't wait to go back1
What campers warned about
- may cancel summer reservations2
- 2-night minimum; online booking only1
- 2-night minimum; online only1
- book in advance; fills up quickly1
- cancellation/refund policy1
- Praised by
- 2.0%
- Warned by
- 3.3%
- Rank
- Better than 74% of graded states
- Confidence
- High confidence
Net sentiment -0.013 (±0.009, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- alcohol allowed at west1
- dog-friendliness1
- dog-friendly1
- extended checkout time1
- horses allowed1
What campers warned about
- many areas roped off2
- one camper per site restriction2
- quiet hours enforcement2
- $7 fee for driving through1
- 14-day booking limit1
- Praised by
- 0.5%
- Warned by
- 3.6%
- Rank
- Better than 48% of graded states
- Confidence
- High confidence
Net sentiment -0.032 (±0.008, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
What campers praised
- bison and wild horses nearby2
- mosquito control2
- bison nearby1
- buffalo meandering through site1
- bugs kept at bay1
What campers warned about
- lots of flies5
- mosquitoes4
- ticks4
- horrendous mosquitoes3
- wasps3
- Praised by
- 0.9%
- Warned by
- 7.6%
- Rank
- Better than 24% of graded states
- Confidence
- Moderate confidence
Net sentiment -0.066 (±0.012, 95% CI) from 2,247 written reviews, 50% from federal campgrounds. Graded vs. every other graded state.
We read every written review of a campground in North Dakota and used AI to label what each camper praised or complained about, across 14 topics. A topic’s score is the share who praised it minus the share who complained, and the letter is absolute: A means campers loved it, F means they were frustrated — on a fixed scale, not a curve. So a topic isn’t marked down just because another state scored higher. Switch to Raw numbers to see the share who praised vs. warned behind every grade.
The rank (North Dakota vs. other states) is shown separately, because most states are genuinely good overall — the ranking is what tells them apart. The overall grade is the average of the topic grades, weighted by how often campers raise each one.
Only states with at least 2,000 reviews are graded, and every topic carries a 95% confidence interval from its sample size.
Topic weights
- Scenery15%
- Campsites15%
- Cleanliness13%
- Facilities12%
- Staff & hosts10%
- Things to do9%
- Crowds & noise8%
- Getting there6%
- Bugs & weather3%
- Booking2%
- Value2%
- Rules & policies2%
- Safety2%
- Welcoming1%
Methodology v3-absolute-grade-plus-rank | 43 states graded | updated June 2026.