Buffalo River State Park

Facts checked against official sources on November 11, 2026

Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Location: 14 miles east of Moorhead on US Highway 10
Campsites: 44 drive-in, back-in only (35 electric)
Trails: 12 miles, mostly flat, river and prairie
Prairie: 4,658-acre tallgrass prairie complex (DNR park map)
Vehicle permit: $7 a day or $35 a year
Park hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

In this guide

The park in brief
Camping at Buffalo River
Trails, prairie and fishing
When to go
Fees and permits
Getting there
Before you go

Short answer: Buffalo River State Park is 14 miles east of Moorhead on US Highway 10, in Clay County. People come for the prairie and the river: 12 miles of mostly flat trail wind along the Buffalo River and into one of Minnesota's largest remnant prairies. The campground has 44 drive-in sites, 35 with electricity, in the riverside forest. A vehicle permit costs $7 a day or $35 a year.

This guide is for Fargo-Moorhead residents looking for a nearby campground, for prairie and bird watchers, and for travelers on Highway 10. It covers the campground, trails, the prairie, seasons, fees and directions. Facts come from the Minnesota DNR park page, the DNR park map and the DNR fee and reservation pages, listed at the end.

The park in brief

The DNR park page opens with "Prairie lovers, this park is for you." The park's 1,355 acres sit beside the Bluestem Prairie Scientific and Natural Area (SNA), and the DNR says the combined prairie "is judged to be one of the largest and best of the state's prairie preserves," with more than 250 species of wildflowers and grasses. The DNR park map puts the whole tallgrass prairie complex at 4,658 acres, managed jointly by the park, The Nature Conservancy and the Minnesota State University Moorhead Regional Science Center.

The park was established in 1937. The DNR says WPA labor went to work on park infrastructure right away and that the beach area, bathroom building and entry road were all built within the first year; the park map notes that structures built by the Works Progress Administration can still be found in the park. The landscape is the old floor of glacial Lake Agassiz; the DNR says one of the lake's beach lines runs along the park's eastern edge.

Address	565 155th Street South, Glyndon, MN 56547
Park hours	8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Phone	218-498-2124
Office hours (fall 2026)	8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; may vary with staffing
Pets	6-foot leash; not allowed in buildings or at beaches

Camping at Buffalo River

The campground is in the hardwood forest along the river. The DNR says all sites are on flat terrain.

Site type	Count and details (DNR)
Drive-in sites	44, gravel; you must back in
Electric sites	35 (sites 0E to 34E), with 50, 30 and 20 amp hookups
Accessible sites	2 fully accessible drive-in sites; one has a 50-amp hookup
RV length limit	60 feet, tow vehicle included
Group camp	1, seasonal, up to 50 people; tents and pop-up campers only
Camper cabins	The DNR lists no camper cabins or other lodging

Seasonal accessible showers and flush toilets are in the campground, there is a seasonal dump station, and vault toilets are open year-round.

Reservations: the DNR says every campsite can be reserved up to 120 days ahead and "strongly encourage[s]" booking in advance. Call 866-857-2757 for stays 24 hours or more out, 888-990-4322 for same-day stays, or book online. Unreserved sites are open to drop-in campers, but you still have to reserve the site by phone, online or at the ranger station. On the first day a date opens, online booking starts at 8 a.m. Central, per the DNR reservation FAQ. See the state park reservations guide for how ReserveMN works.

Campground at Buffalo River State Park with picnic tables, bare trees, patches of melting snow and a clear blue sky — Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trails, prairie and fishing

The DNR lists 12 miles of hiking trail, mostly flat, along the river and through forest and prairie, including one mile of self-guided trail. The park map notes there are no bike trails in the park.

Trail	Distance (DNR map)	What it covers
River View Trail Loop	3-mile loop	Along the Buffalo River from the picnic area across the bridge; deer, beaver signs, birds
Bluestem Trail	2-mile loop	Into the Bluestem Prairie SNA and its wildflowers and grasses
Wide Sky Trail	0.75 miles one way	Open prairie from the parking lot to the MSU Moorhead Regional Science Center
Muskoda Trail	0.5-mile loop	Interpretive signs on the park's history and features

The DNR's suggestion for a short visit is the Prairie View Trail for wildflowers and grasses, or the Picnic Area Trail to fishing spots. As of November 2026, the DNR says trails are fully open, though seasonal flooding may affect lower parts of the Prairie View Trail. The science center does not keep regular public hours, but the park map says visitors are welcome on its trails and to see its sculpture.

Wildlife: the DNR says more than 200 bird species and 40 mammal species use the park each year. In spring, listen for bobolinks, and watch for prairie chickens, upland sandpipers and marbled godwits. Badgers, coyotes, jackrabbits and rare regal fritillary butterflies also live on the prairie.

Fishing: cast into the Buffalo River for white sucker, river redhorse and goldeye, according to the DNR. The ranger station lends fishing kits, birding kits, GPS units and kids discovery kits free, and an all-terrain track chair can be reserved for designated trails.

The picnic area sits between the parking lot and the river, and an enclosed, accessible shelter with electricity can be reserved.

When to go

As of November 2026 (DNR alert updated October 25, 2026), the campground and dump station are closed for the season, water is off, and the shower building is closed for the rest of 2026. Vault toilets in the picnic area stay open. The DNR says spring is when the bobolink song "brings the prairie alive."

Winter: snowshoeing is allowed anywhere in the park. The DNR says the warming house next to the picnic shelter opens only during candlelight events. The park map says office hours are limited from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

Fees and permits

From the DNR vehicle permit page and fee schedule, before tax:

Item	Price
One-day vehicle permit	$7
Year-round vehicle permit	$35
Drive-in campsite	$20 to $35 a night
Electric hookup	add $10 a night
Group campsite	$50 to $300 a night
Reservation fee	$8 online, $10 by phone; none for same-day bookings

Two nights at an electric site, booked online: camping fees come to 2 × ($20 + $10) + $8 = $68 at the low end of the DNR range, or 2 × ($35 + $10) + $8 = $98 at the high end, before tax and before your vehicle permit. ReserveMN shows each site's exact price. Buy firewood at the ranger station or through Yodel; gathering it is not allowed.

Getting there

From Moorhead, go 14 miles east on US Highway 10 and follow the signs. Moorhead is the nearest town, and the DNR notes the park is "only 14 miles" from the Fargo-Moorhead metro. For other parks in the region, see the northwest Minnesota guides, including Maplewood State Park and Itasca State Park, or use the park finder.

Before you go

Reserve a site, even for drop-in camping; every site needs a reservation.
Practice backing your trailer; the DNR says you must be able to back into the drive-in sites.
Bring binoculars for prairie birds in spring.
Expect wet spots on the Prairie View Trail after high water.
Plan to hike rather than bike; the park has no bike trails.
Check office hours before relying on the ranger station outside summer.