Camping at Grand Canyon: Where Can I Go?

Grand Canyon is the 2nd most visited park in America with over 6 Million visitors a year. At that rate, less that 15% of its visitors can find a place to spend the night up there. Camping is not only a viable option, but a great way to experience the canyon area!

Top 5 Places to Camp Near The South Rim

We've ranked the following 5 places to camp in terms of their close proximity to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Our criteria is both tent camping, RV camping, and Nightly Rental Camping. Note: We are NOT ranking any of the back country permit camping locations within the park due to the restrictions of getting a permit.

1. Mather Campground

Mather is easily the most advised camping destination at Grand Canyon. It's in the middle of everything and you are within walking distance from pretty much everything. The advantages, in addition to location: The sites are developed, there are over 300 campsites, there are bathroom and shower facilities, regular sites are $25 per night, and they allow RV (non-electric). We consider the neighboring campground, Trailer Village, to be part of the system, which is a full RV hookup site with 123 sites available. Mather is open year-round. The downside to Mather: If we said that the accommodations at the canyon only cover less that 15% of the visitation, you can imaging Mather is booked up all the time. You'll need to plan your reservation well in advance, and expect the campground to be super crowded.

2. Desert View Campground

Technically, Desert View is close to the Park because it is within the park - but, Desert View is 25 miles away from Grand Canyon Village, making this the farthest campground from the village on the list. Desert View is a developed campground with 50 campsites available on a first-come first-serve basis. Everything is here from a camping perspective - flush toilets and a small gift shop with some supplies. The problem with Desert View is that it's quite a way from the main area of the village and it's not in that pristine tall ponderosa pine area that is amazing to camp in. The topography is more open, with smaller juniper and scrub oak foliage.

3. Grand Canyon Camper Village

Located just outside of Tusayan, Grand Canyon Camper Village is just 1 mile from the park entrance. They have 200 sites for motor homes, trailers, and tents. RV sites are available for less than $70 and tent sites for less than $35. Not all sites have fire rings or grills, but they do have coin showers and laundry. The sentiment about Grand Canyon Camper Village is that it is a "dirt lot with RV sites". Many campers seem to feel that the location allows this campground "flexibility" that would perhaps put other campgrounds out of business. The reputation of Camper Village is that it's a last resort spot for visitors who did not make any reservations ahead of time.

4. Farhaven Grand Canyon

Farhaven is a brand new private camping destination located 1.3 miles from the Park boundary. It's about 5 miles West of the town of Tusayan. It is not a destination for you to bring your tent or RV to, rather, it is a gated camping experience complete with nightly classic trailer rentals, decks to lounge on, fire rings, picnic tables, composting toilets, and a dedicated camp host. The trailers are heated, have kitchenettes, and dinettes. WIFI is available at the camp host location, but Farhaven is truly an off-grid experience. Access to the park is by the historic Rowe Well Road, which follows the Bright Angel Wash fault line. The park drains reclaimed water down the wash, which attracts quite a bit of wildlife. Farhaven's Western property boundary boarders the Grand Canyon Railway's right of way, so you can watch the railroad drive by each day. As of spring 2020, there are 5 trailers to rent and they are spaced far enough apart to be private. The trailers rent for $150 per night.

5. Ten X Campground

Ten X is located 4 miles South of the Grand Canyon entrance station and is managed by the Kaibab National Forest. Ten X has 70 available sites which accommodate non-electric RV and tent camping. The campground has running water and toilets, grills, and fire rings. There is group camping reservation availability, but most of the campground is on a first-come first-serve basis. Ten X suffers the same fate as Mather - it fills up quickly and with only 70 sites, tends to be booked solid.

Honorable Mentions:

Under Canvas: Located in Valle, 30 miles South of Grand Canyon. Under Canvas is a safari-inspired glamour camping ("Glamping") experience. There are over 100 tents arranged close together in an area originally designed to be a housing development behind the Valle airpark. The tents rent from $190 per night (safari tent) to over $350 (Deluxe Tent). The downside to Under Canvas is both its location and the actual tent condensation. Valle is 30 miles from the canyon and has an airstrip, a gas station, a hostel, and a former Bedrock RV Resort (soon to be an aviary), so there's really not much to Valle. The tents are oriented next to each other, so there's not a lot of privacy, but there is a common area to gather and they do have local events to attend on-site.

KOA Campgrounds: There are 2 KOA campgrounds within an hour of the park - The Grand Canyon KOA and Circle Pines KOA. They offer RV and Tent sites and there are over

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