USFS · National forest · North Dakota, South Dakota

Dakota Prairie Grasslands

The Dakota Prairie Grasslands (DPG) are a collection of grasslands in North Dakota and South Dakota, United States. It was formed in 1998 and consists of four U.S. Forest Service Ranger District offices that manage four National Grasslands:North Dakota Cedar River National Grassland Little Missouri National Grassland Sheyenne National Grassland South Dakota Grand River National Grassland

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Grassland1.4 million acresUSFSNDSD13 campgrounds within 10 mi17 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Grassland
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StatesNorth Dakota, South Dakota
Size1.4 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0118, region 01
Center point47.3903, -103.4858
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 26)

Boundary map

42 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

9 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 4 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Buffalo Gap Campground
Reservable36 sites
FS · Inside
Ccc Campground
Reservable25 sites
FS · Inside
Hankinson Hills Campground
First-come15 sites
FS · Inside
Jorgen's Hollow Campground
Reservable14 sites
NPS · Inside
Juniper Campground
Reservable48 sites
FS · Inside
Magpie Campground
First-come8 sites
FS · Inside
Sather Lake Campground
Reservable18 sites
FS · Inside
Summit Campground
First-come5 sites
Show 4 more

1 more within ten miles is not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 17

The Forest Service lists 17 recreation sites in this forest, among them 12 campgrounds, 3 interpretive sites, 1 trailhead, 1 picnic area. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 17

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Park · Adjacent
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
National Historic Site · 10 mi
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
National Register listings within 15 miles · 59 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Dakota Prairie Grasslands?

1.4 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Dakota Prairie Grasslands?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Dakota Prairie Grasslands in?

The boundary crosses North Dakota and South Dakota.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Dakota Prairie Grasslands?

9 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Buffalo Gap Campground, Ccc Campground and Hankinson Hills Campground. 13 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Dakota Prairie Grasslands?

The Forest Service lists 17 recreation sites here, including 12 campground campgrounds, 3 interpretive areass and 1 trailhead. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Dakota Prairie Grasslands?

A point inside the boundary is at 47.390, -103.486. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

How dark is the night sky at Dakota Prairie Grasslands?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 26 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Dakota Prairie Grasslands?

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (adjacent) and Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (10 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Dakota Prairie Grasslands?

59 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Initial Rock and Rockford No. 40 School.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Dakota Prairie Grasslands on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.