Turtle River State Park — Attraction in North Dakota

Just camped at Turtle River for the first time, and we'll definitely be back! The park was beautiful– not too busy, well spaced out, lots of trees, easy but great trails, a pretty little river. There's no lake or designated swimming area, but it's easy to find spots along the river to splash around in.

We stayed in one of the woodland cabins (Elm), and our friends stayed in the adjoining cabin. We went in a little blind because the ND Parks & Rec website has far less info/photos than it used to, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the cabins equipped with heat/AC and electricity. I'm not sure if staff cleaning protocols are currently heightened because of the pandemic, but the place was spotless when we arrived, which was also a pleasant surprise! The sleeping arrangements– twin bunk beds + 1 twin bed– were a not-as-pleasant surprise for the family camping with us (the website lists only how many it sleeps but not what kind of beds), but comfortable nonetheless. We wished there had been some kind of table(s) inside the cabins (even a small end table), but we simply used the provided metal folding chairs to set belongings on, which made a good alternative.

We liked that the cabins are kind of secluded (aside from a small strip of tent camping spots across from us that were all vacant this weekend). There's a nice, big fire pit in the middle of the three-cabin cluster, but each cabin also has a smaller fire pit behind it, which is a nice option for more privacy.

Note that you are expected to clean the cabin prior to checking out (so plan time for this); supplies and a detailed list are left in the cabin.

Overall, would camp here again and recommend to others!

Hope this helps give more info for anyone who has lingering questions from the Parks & Rec website! :)

Bonus tip if you made it this far: If you don't have an annual ND Parks pass (for your vehicle), most libraries will check them out to you (if you have a library card) for free so you don't have to buy daily...

I was accosted by a barking growling aggressive dog on Wednesday May 17 early in the morning. I was walking on the trail that leads from the cc bathhouse along the river. There were employee cabins to my left and the river to my right. All of a sudden I was accosted by a barking and growling sound from a dog who sounded like he/she meant business so I stopped in my tracks. I couldn't see the dog at first and didn't really know what to do. At first I thought it could be a dog in a fenced in area. Further aggressive behavior continued. I then saw the dog. It looked like an Akita. It didn't appear that the dog was fenced in or on a tether. All I could do at the time was stop and stay still in one spot. I am a handicapped senior and could put up little or no defense. I waited to see if the owner was around to take charge of the dog. It took awhile and a woman appeared from the rear of a cabin and called the dog. The dog did not want to come when called. She finally put the dog inside. When I first saw the woman, I asked if the dog was tethered. She said nothing, as the dog was not indeed tethered. I told her I was not happy with the situation. She said, "Oh, it's no big deal." I told her I thought it was a "big deal." I was out taking morning pictures. I took a picture of her with her dog at the cabin stoop. She slammed the cabin door and stayed inside the cabin. I have a picture of the car parked by the cabin she was in. It would seem to me that a park employee should not be breaking park rules and miffing...

DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU LIKE TO BRING YOUR GOLF CART WITH. Recently my family and I brought our camper and golf cart with to this Campground, then as we were riding it around the campsite. We got caught by a park ranger and asked, "Is this street legal?" And we all said "yes". The park ranger then also asked "Does this have a license?" and we said "No". Then park ranger said, "In order for this to be street legal it must have a license also". According to Google, "Golf Carts are exempt from title, registration, and equipment requirements". So if you like to go camping and like to bring your golf cart or any other vehicles alike with you, consider doing research and see if there's vehicle (golf cart) friendly campgrounds in your area. Because we were actually able to ride around in our golf cart many other times at this Campground and never seen signs or anything saying that no golf carts allowed or anything like that. Plus we've also seen other people around our campsite riding their golf cart around the campsite as well and noticed that their golf cart didn't have a license. So just be aware if you want...