Hankinson Hills Campground

The Hankinson Hills Campground is located within the Hankinson Hills Recreation Area, part of the 2,833 acres of designated public lands managed by the US Forest Service - Sheyenne National Grassland. The surrounding public lands are managed for multiple use to include cattle grazing, wildlife, recreation, and prescribed fire activities. The campground provides a semi-primitive camping opportunity with fifteen designated campsites separated into two loops: sites 1-9 are designated non-equestrian and sites 10-15 are designated equestrian. Three vault toilets and two potable water hand-pumps are available. A covered day-use pavilion with four picnic tables is in the non-equestrian loop, and each loop has a community fire ring surrounded by four benches for group use. There are no electric or water hookups at any location, no RV dump station and no manure pit. All activities follow a pack-in pack-out policy. Recreation opportunities include hiking, biking, equestrian use, wildlife viewing, and hunting. Non-motorized activities are allowed on the 8-mile gravel surface Hankinson Hills Trail, reached by three trailheads and the campground. Motor vehicle use is allowed on a network of designated forest roads, and all hunting activities follow North Dakota Game and Fish regulations. The geology of the Hankinson Hills Recreation Area is characterized by shifting sand dunes and sandsheets. The sand was deposited in an underflow fan in early stages of former glacial Lake Agassiz, and as the water of the great glacial lake receded, the sand was exposed to the air. As a result, low-relief dunes up to 30 feet high formed, stabilized by vegetation. Today, native and non-native grasses cover the landscape with pockets of Bur Oak and Aspen stands. The small town of Hankinson, ND is located about seven miles southeast of the campground and provides dining, shopping, and fuel. Nearby Lake Elsie is a spring fed lake with a sandy public beach, restrooms, and boat dock. The Dakota Magic Casino and Dakota Winds Golf Course are located nineteen miles south.