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Cottonwood Group Site (Nd)

Theodore Roosevelt National Park — riverside, hiking

Location: Medora, ND, ND

Price: From $60 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (2 reviews)

Season: Year-round

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. This reservation section is for reserving the group site at the Cottonwood Campground.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): strong signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas. Best carrier: T-Mobile. Verizon 4G: 100%. AT&T 4G: 100%. T-Mobile 4G: 100%.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water, Dump Station, Electric Hookups

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cottonwood-group-site-nd to be notified when sites open up.

Located 5.5 miles into Theodore Roosevelt National Park's South Unit with year-round access, this group site offers clean bathrooms, picnic tables, and fire rings. Campers report excellent wildlife viewing including buffalo walking through the campground.

Wildlife alert: Black-tailed Prairie Dog, American Bison, Pronghorn, Coyote, American Badger, Lazuli Bunting, Black-billed Magpie, Plains Hognose Snake

Insider tips for Cottonwood Group Site (Nd): Book immediately when reservations open March 1 — federal campground with high demand Arrive early morning for best wildlife viewing opportunities Verify water and bathroom facilities are operational before arrival, especially in late spring

Skip Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) if: Requiring RV hookups — no hookups available despite amenity listing. Visiting in late May — water systems may not be activated yet. Need full hookup services — bring self-contained unit or tent camp only.

Best time to visit Cottonwood Group Site (Nd): Jun-Sep — Group site reservations go on sale March 1 for camping season; late May reports indicate water and bathrooms may still be offline during shoulder season.

Nearby campgrounds: Cottonwood Campground (Nd) (Medora, ND), Roundup Group Horse Camp (MEDORA, ND), Buffalo Gap Campground (Nd) (Dickinson, ND), Juniper Campground Group Site (Nd) (WATFORD CITY, ND).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cottonwood Group Site (Nd)

Cell signal at Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) (Medora, ND): strong overall signal based on FCC broadband data. Best carrier: T-Mobile.

  • Verizon 4G LTE: 100% coverage
  • AT&T 4G LTE: 100% coverage
  • T-Mobile 4G LTE: 100% coverage · T-Mobile 5G: 100%

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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CamperWatch›ND›Cottonwood Group Site (Nd)
Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) — photo 1
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park — riverside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cottonwood Group Site (Nd)

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Medora, ND, ND★ 4.5 (2 reviews)From $60/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

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. This reservation section is for reserving the group site at the Cottonwood Campground.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonYear-round
Stay limit14 days
Max RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
Pull-throughsAvailable
ToiletsVault toilets
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDump Station
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Drinking Water

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ Requiring RV hookups — no hookups available despite amenity listing✕ Visiting in late May — water systems may not be activated yet✕ Need full hookup services — bring self-contained unit or tent camp only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book immediately when reservations open March 1

federal campground with high demand

Arrive early morning for best wildlife viewing opportunities

Verify water and bathroom facilities are operational before arrival, especially in late spring

Best: Jun-Sep

Group site reservations go on sale March 1 for camping season; late May reports indicate water and bathrooms may still be offline during shoulder season

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G + 5G · 100%
Verizon
4G · 100%
AT&T
4G · 100%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal. Best carrier: T-Mobile.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Black-tailed Prairie Dog, American Bison, Pronghorn, Coyote, American Badger, Lazuli Bunting, Black-billed Magpie, Plains Hognose Snake

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
(701) 623-4466· Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Getting there →

DIRECTIONS Enter the South Unit in Medora. Travel 5.5 miles on the scenic drive (East River Road). Cottonwood Campground is on the left.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Theodore Roosevelt National Park fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Theodore Roosevelt National Park before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) cost per night?+
Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) costs $60 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What season is Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) open?+
Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) have hookups?+
No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What is the maximum RV length at Cottonwood Group Site (Nd)?+
Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Cottonwood Group Site (Nd)?+
Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Cottonwood Group Site (Nd)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) is rated strong. Best carrier: T-Mobile. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) open, and what are check-in times?+
Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$60 /night★ 4.5 (2)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) cost per night?+
What season is Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) open?+
Does Cottonwood Group Site (Nd) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cottonwood Campground (Nd)

Medora, ND

From $10/night

Roundup Group Horse Camp

MEDORA, ND

From $100/night

Buffalo Gap Campground (Nd)

Dickinson, ND

From $20/night

Juniper Campground Group Site (Nd)

WATFORD CITY, ND

From $60/night

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