This is a primitive campground in the American Prairie Reserve. It seems to be a relatively unknown place and we were the only people in the campground for the night (there are 6 tent sites and 7 RV). It was about 40 miles of high-quality gravel road to get here. Near the campground, there is a research HQ for the reserve which is not open to the public and otherwise we didn't see anyone else the entire time.
Tent sites are walk-in and and on platforms, which you are required to use. This means if you have two tents like us, you'll need two sites. You tie the tents down to lashing points on on the side of the platform. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table and there is a community covered picnic area and fire pit as well. Free firewood is available next to the toilets. There are vault toilets and non-potable water sources in the loop. The walk-in is only about 15-50 yards, depending on the site. From the campground, there is a small auditorium and nature trail available. Bugs were pretty bad the night we were there, so we didn't try much of the nature trail.
Everything felt new and almost unused, like the campground had just opened. The toilets were only okay in cleanliness, the main reason I took off a star. It was a fantastic experience for the kids. A buffalo herd roamed the area and even through the campground at night and in the morning. Prairie dog towns were all over. It was one of our most memorable camping experiences but definitely come prepared since nothing is available on site or nearby. Many of the roads in the preserve are in pretty primitive shape so 4WD is recommended to get around the preserve, but you won’t need it to access the camp site. We had a big windstorm come through during the night, so lash down carefully!
