No open fires are permitted on park lands. Most of the land that boarders the river outside the park is private. Contact landowner in advance for permission to camp. As a courtesy, please pick up all litter and carry your non-combustible trash with you until you can properly dispose of it in a suitable waste receptacle. If you plan to camp in the park at locations other than the designated campgrounds, you must obtain a free backcountry use permit at one of the park visitor centers.
Campsite selection is sometimes difficult.
Also, after the channel is ice free early in the season, it is common to have large heaps of mud-covered ice slabs lining the shores. Please notify park personnel if you intend to leave a vehicle in the park so that they can help you find a suitable parking place. The use of outboard motors is permitted but not recommended because the channel is frequently too shallow for their use, and the river's heavy silt load may destroy the engine's water pumps after a very brief running time. Fishing for channel catfish, goldeyes and sauger is permitted, but the quantity and quality of these fishes is unpredictable. North Dakota state laws and license requirements apply.