Garrison Dam Power Plant Tours Ticket Facility

The Garrison Dam was completed in 1954 and holds back the waters of the Missouri River creating the third largest manmade reservoir in the United States. The reservoir known as Lake Sakakawea is 178 miles long and up to 14 miles wide in places. The Garrison Dam itself is 2.5 miles long and 210 feet high and .5 miles wide at its base. The Garrison Power Plant is located directly below the dam on the West side. 

The Garrison Power Plant is one of the many Hydroelectric Plants owned and operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers along the main stem of the Missouri River System. Our Power Plant is 522 ft long, 163 ft tall, and 134 ft wide on offers 5 power generating turbines that feed power to homes across multiple states.

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Downstream Campground (ND) Campground

List of Campsites

Overview

The Downstream Campground is located on the East bank of the Missouri River below the Garrison Dam, which forms Lake Sakakawea. The area offers a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, scuba diving, bird watching, and hunting. In the winter time the area offers a cross country ski trails and bow hunting opportunities.  

For more information, please visit the Garrision Dam & Lake Sakakawea website here . 

Recreation

The Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea offers excellent boating, fishing, and hunting opportunities.

Several state record fish have been caught down below the Garrison Dam on the Missouri River Tailrace and in Lake Sakakawea. Anglers fish for walleye, sauger, northern pike, bass, bluegill, crappie, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, white bass, large mouth and small mouth bass. Chinook salmon can be also found in the lake, the only body of water in the state with this species. The best catfishing around is found directly below Garrison Dam on the Missouri River.

Younger visitors love the three playgrounds in the campground, while the volleyball courts and horseshoe pits are enjoyed by campers of all ages. There is an amphiteater located in the campground which offers events for families with kids. Saturday nights usually show a outdoor movie and offer games or ranger staff to provide a interpretive program. The nearby trout fishing pond has a fishing pier for easy access along miles of hiking and biking trails leading to the National Fish Hatchery for hours of family filled fun!

The Riverdale State Wildlife Management Area is also located directly across the campground and offers great hunting opportunities, its 2,250 wooded acres are open to hunting for deer, pheasants, sharp-tail grouse, cottontail rabbits, and tree squirrels during open seasons.

Facilities

The campground consists of three loops with 98 electrical sites with either a 50/30/20 amp or 30/20 amp service and one loop for primitive camping with 16 primitive campsites; all sites have picnic tables and grills. Several amenities include flush and vault toilets, showers, drinking water, a fill and dump station, paved roads, paved sites, playground equipment, volleyball, and horseshoe pits.

Natural Features

The campground is located in a beautiful nautral cottonwood forest and is situated along the Missouri River with open grassy areas. Walk along the sand dunes along the Missouri River or the miles of walking trails leading to the National Fish Hatchery and trout fishing pond.

Nearby Attractions

• Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery is minutes from the campground and is open to the public. A visitor center, complete with five 400-gallon aquariums, provides great opportunities to view the fish of North Dakota in their environment.  
• The Garrison Dam Power Plant offers tours during the months of June, July and the first part of August on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 2pm.
• Lake Sakakawea State Park 
• Audubon National Wildlife Refuge

contact_info

For facility specific information, please call (701) 654-7411.

Charges & Cancellations

Reservation changes and cancellations can be made on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.  

For more information on rules and policies regarding reservation cancellations and changes, please visit: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies .  

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Lake Sakakawea State Park Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Douglas Creek Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Lewis and Clark State Park Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Tobacco Garden Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Mckenzie Bay Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Beulah Bay Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Parshall Bay Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Van Hook Area Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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New Town Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Hazen Bay Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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American Legion Park Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Lake Trenton Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Little Beaver Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Sportsmen's Centennial Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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White Earth Bay Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Beaver Creek Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Pouch Point Bay Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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White Tail Bay Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Indian Hills Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Lake Shore Park Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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Fort Stevenson State Park Facility

This recreation area is part of Sakakawea Lake

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WOLF CREEK CAMPGROUND (ND) Campground

List of Campsites

Overview

The Wolf Creek Campground is located along the southern shore of beautiful Lake Sakakawea. The recreation area offers a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, scuba diving, bird watching, and hunting. In the winter the area offers great ice fishing access opportunites.

For more information about Lake Sakakawea, please visit the Garrison Project website here . 

Recreation

Lake Sakakawea offers excellent boating, swimming, fishing and hunting opportunities. Several state record fish have been caught in Lake Sakakawea. Anglers fish for walleye, Sauger, northern pike, muskie, small and large mouth bass, bluegill and crappie. Chinook salmon can be also found in the lake, the only body of water in the state with this species and is very popular place to camp as a result. The best catfishing is found directly below Garrison Dam just 6 miles away.

Younger visitors love the playground in the campground. While the volleyball courts, horseshoe pits are enjoyed by campers of all ages. There are showers available in our Downstream Campground just 5 miles down the road as well as amphitheater programs in the evenings on Saturdays.

The Wolf Creek Wildlife Management Area is located east and west of the campground and offers great hunting opportunities, its full of grass and wooded areas are open to the public for deer, pheasant, sharp-tail grouse, cottontail rabbits, and tree squirrels during open season.

Facilities

The campground consists of 67 primitive campsites, each with a picnic table and grill. Amenities include brand new vault toilets, fish cleaning station, a fill and dump station, boat ramp.

Natural Features

The campground is situated in a nice open grassy area with lake views from most of the campsites with the sites being right on the water.

Nearby Attractions

Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery is minutes from the campground and is open to the public. It has a visitor center complete with five 400-gallon aquariums, provides great opportunities to view the fish of North Dakota in their environment.

The Garrison Dam Power Plant offers walking tours during the months of June, July, and first part of August on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 2pm.

The Audubon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is located about 8 miles away on the south shore of Lake Audubon off Hwy. 83. The visitor center offers a variety of guided tours and environmental education programs.

contact_info

For facility specific information, please call (701) 654-7411.

Charges & Cancellations

Reservation changes and cancellations can be made on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.  

For more information on rules and policies regarding reservation cancellations and changes, please visit: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies.  

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EAST TOTTEN TRAIL CAMPGROUND (ND) Campground

List of Campsites

Overview

East Totten Trail Campground is located on the west banks of Lake Audubon. This is the only campground on the entire lake! This campground and day use area offers a wide variety of recreation activities, including boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, scuba diving, wildlife viewing, and bird watching. In the winter time the area offers excellent access for ice fishing and other outdoor recreational opportunites.

For more information, please visit the Lake Sakakawea / Garrison Project website here. 

Recreation

Lake Audubon offers excellent boating, swimming, and fishing opportunities. Anglers fish for walleye, sauger, northern pike, muskie, white bass, small and large mouth bass, bluegill, crappie. Chinook salmon can be found in the neighboring lake of Lake Sakakawea only a stone's throw away across the hwy from Lake Audubon. The area offers a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities. The campground is next to the Audubon Wildlife Management Area and offers hunting opportunities.

Audubon Lake, a sister lake to Lake Sakakawea, was also formed with the construction of the Garrison Dam near Riverdale, N.D. The two lakes are separated by an embankment, which carries US Highway 83. Audubon Lake makes up most of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Audubon National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge and Audubon National Wildlife Complex are named in honor of John James Audubon, a naturalist and wildlife painter during the 19th century. Audubon spent the summer of 1843 collecting bird specimens and painting pictures of northern plains wildlife in the area.

Facilities

The campground consists of 30 campsites with electric hookups and developed concrete or gravel pads and 10 primitive campsites, each with a fire ring/grill. Amenities include new vault toilets, fish cleaning station, boat ramp, shoreline access area, fill and dump station, and paved roadways in the area.

Natural Features

The campground is situated in a nice grassy area with some trees with the beautiful lake view from almost every campsite. 

contact_info

For facility specific information, please call (701) 654-7411.

Nearby Attractions

• The Audubon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is located just 3 miles away on the south shore of Lake Audubon off Hwy. 83 The visitor center offers a variety of guided tours and environmental education programs.
• The Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery is just a few minutes from the Campground near Riverdale, ND and is open to the public. It has a Visitor Center, complete with five 400-gallon aquariums, provides great opportunities to view the fish of North Dakota in their environment.
• The Garrison Dam Power Plant does offer walking tours during the months of June, July, and the first part of August on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 2pm.

Charges & Cancellations

Reservation changes and cancellations can be made on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.  

For more information on rules and policies regarding reservation cancellations and changes, please visit: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies.   

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