Buffalo River

Ranea Dressen

Im only giving it two stars because this was actually a great campground and fantastic walking trails. However the excessive patrolling and side eye glances from the park rangers coming by every other hour makes a person feel extremely uneasy. We are trying to go to every state park in Minnesota so this was our 8th state park and 13th campground in general since getting our 5th wheel. We have one of those mobile dog kennels for our 3 small dogs. 2 mini poodles (7 pound dogs) and a min pin (16 pound dog) It keeps them safe and they can have a more enjoyable experience camping by not having to get tangled up in each other's leashes and then pull out of their harnesses in the process. We were warned ⚠️ not 30 min into our setup they still had to be on leashes within the fenced area. And I was confused like I said this is our 8th visit to a start park and we have set their pen up at every place and not once has any park ranger said we were doing something wrong. I just thought well maybe its just there job to say something and we'd be left alone the rest of the time. We continued to have an enjoyable experience after other then the park being over ran with way too many rangers. We took the dogs for a walk around the campground so we could make note of nice spots we wouldn't mind staying at in the future. Came back had a fire, made smores, my husband and I were sitting by the fire. Our small dogs in our laps just enjoying the peaceful night. And Here comes a park ranger again. They stopped and walked up to tell us where the storm shelters were located if bad weather rolled through. And I thought that was nice. And then she said and as a reminded please keep ur dogs on a leash. I said yes thank you. Not thinking she ment at that very moment as they were on our laps. Just thought they ment in general. The next morning we were packing up for home and the park manager stops by and she's like my park intern made note that this was your second warning for your dogs being off leash within their mobile kennel. That was what finally broke the camels back. I said my peace told her this was a very nice park but they need not worry we would not be back. Moral of this story it says dog friendly but I promise you this place tolerates them at best because they have to. They will make it there whole mission of your weekend to make you feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. We have loved every state park we have visited in its own little way and have NEVER had any ill encounters with any of the park rangers we have met along the way. After reading multi reviews of Buffalo River I've seen we are not alone in our unfortunate experience. We will not go back to this one. And I will absolutely let it be known if the rangers decide to put a bulls eye on ur back it will be there all weekend. Do yourself a favor pack up and leave. They are relentless as the mosquitoes that swarm the campgrounds.

Beverly Malone

Not autism Meltdown friendly otherwise lovely I cooked hot dogs on the grill and went 2 sites down to the bathhouse to wash our dishes and take these photos. In that time, (20 minutes) my son melted down over being denied a 4th hotdog the sheriff was called and arrived. Yes he melted down. Yes he was cursing. No he didn’t leave the campsite. He was yelling at his sister. It was NOT after hours. Brandon Heide was very nice but my 13 year old was written up for disturbing the peace. No one else said anything to them and I could not hear him from the bath house. Showers clean Fire pit great Wood burned well ($8) Large site with a trail straight to the river.

Carly

Camped here for the first time last weekend and was impressed at the well maintained campground. Clean bathrooms and quiet campground, it was a great weekend getaway! Only tip: a couple inner facing campsites had no shade from the sun

Deanne Collins

Close enough to Fargo to consider it a local park. Nice clean campground that is really quiet and had nice people working and camping. I had site 3e and was pleasantly surprised at having two snall shade trees. Short and very easy trails make for a nice solo run, dog-accompanied hike or even just a leisurely family stroll. Pretty prairie and river views!

Tay J.

Highly recommend for outdoor enthusiasts or just nature loves in general. One of my favorite places!

Priyanka Kumari

Buffalo River State Park was one of those parks I visited specifically for the Hiking Club Trail. To be honest, there wasn’t much that stood out—the trail was mostly prairie, with the section along the Buffalo River being the only particularly scenic part. Aside from that, it was a flat trail with not much to look at. I also visited during ice-melting season, which made the first half of the trail quite messy and difficult to navigate. Overall, it's a decent spot if you're in the area and want to complete the trail, but not a park I’d go out of my way to revisit.

Brenda Schleske

Great little state park and campground. We went in the fall and it was beautiful! Nice campground, dog friendly, quiet and enjoyable.

Vic Castaldo

Nice state park campground. Pretty clean, has all electric hook ups, fresh water, dump station, shower, and bathroom. I am only giving 4/5 because of the excessive patrolling and staff members on and around all sites. I get the point of security but in my experience one or two patrols a day is plenty. The ranger trucks and SUVs patrols ALL day I counted 12 times in the 2 hrs I was outside. If it is warranted to patrol this much, maybe it’s not a great place to camp. So either way too much patrolling and seriousness. It’s like they kind of don’t want you there even after paying all site and vehicle fees. It’s ok to have fun while you camp. Hopefully whatever they are so concerned about gets resolved.

Patrick Baehl de Lescure

Peaceful campground in a beautiful setting. The sites are generous in size. Several hiking trails from the campground. The pleasant sound of a train can be heard in the distance. The staff at check-in was pleasant and knowledgeable of the sites in the area. The roads leading to the campground are well maintained and easily allow for trucks and trailers or large rigs to navigate.

Joel Weiss

Great trails for a moderate to long walk. At times there is a variety of wildlife. Check your trails well, occasionally I have met walkers that are a bit lost. My son and I love 🚶‍♂️ 🚶‍♂️ walking here!!!