There are many great places to camp throughout North Dakota but my family and I particularly like one site because it's close to home and on a lake that is excellent for swimming, fishing, and all activities related to camping. The site is on Lake Audubon, a man made lake created along with Lake Sakakawea when the Garrison Dam was built in 1947 to 1953 .
On occasion we are unable to get our camping spot of choice and that is what this blog post is about, how to secure the camping spot of your choice.
Not every campsite is Federally operated but our spot is, most are State, County, Municipal, or privately owned. To secure our site we must go to RECREATION.gov.
The next step is to click on the picture below that says Camping & Lodging.
Because I always log in the site recognizes me thus it comes up with sites in my area with our favorite spot on top. Until you set up a login you need to fill in your area on the next page.
You can be specific at this point or be general and give a State. A State map will come up and it will show you where the Federal sites are. At that point you can click on the location on the map and go forward from there. For me the next step looks like this:
You can click on either a picture on the left or the tent on the map to the right to get details of the campsite. Either way the campground will show up with general information and various pictures as well as a scheduling calendar. Pick the exact site you want your camper or tent to set on, scroll through the calendar for that one spot and see if it is available (A= available). For weekends you need to include 3 days, for Holidays 4 days). Once you select the days, if available, you will be asked a series of questions concerning what camping gear you will be bringing and finally after all that you will go to the checkout.
It is a complicated system so have patience as it is the ONLY way you can camp at a Federal site. You can NOT just show up and ask if they have a spot open, you have to go through the website. The advantage is that you will get a clean site with clean and safe facilities. Another advantage is safety. Several times a day an officer drives by from both State and the Sheriffs departments and the campground host.
One last note, the reservation site closes down after Memorial Day and reopens on New Years day. This is important if you want to reserve a spot on a perticular day. Many, like myself, book within days of the opening of reservations. If you wait till July 1st to book for the 4th it's NOT going to happen.
Plan and take action early!
This is my 4th and final entry into the January challenge by Leanne Smith and Will Hamm , Planning for 2025.
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