Desert View Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

Great location to enjoy the east side of Grand Canyon NP.  There is a fantastic trail right from the campground for unbelievable views and no crowds.  Trail is unmarked but easy to find and follow.  The edge of the canyon is right there, so caution is warranted for young kids and pets. 

Campground hosts had left for the season, but the friendly Park Rangers filled in and did a  great job, going above the call of duty keeping the older restrooms super clean.  We appreciate you! 

Would have given 5 stars, but there were quiet hour issues as campers ran their generators during the middle of the night and there were multiple late night arrivals or 4 am departures.  Otherwise, the night skies were amazing and lows in the 30s made for great campfires and sleeping.

This is an older smaller campground.  It is not a fit for most RV's, but great for vans, truck campers, small trailers, and tents.  It is within walking distance of the watch tower and east visitor center (long walk or very short drive). 

We will visit again when we want to enjoy the wonder of the Grand Canyon without the crowds.

Nice campground a little ways from the main village. Has a short walk from your camp site right to the edge of the canyon with amazing views. Super clean bathroom and has fresh spring water to fill up with

If you’re lucky enough to camp here, it’s absolutely amazing! There’s 40+ sites varying from car to RV, but they’re spaced nicely to allow privacy. I stayed at site 24 and had a completely open wilderness behind me. So much so that a family of deer came within feet of my tent and I could hear the wild horses at night! Picnic table and fire ring at each site. Facilities are nice and the Rangers were extremely helpful. I went in the middle of June and the temps still dropped into the lower 30’s, so be sure to plan accordingly.

Overall this is a great campground. Our spot was directed next to the camp host and close to the restrooms. There was plenty of space between us and the neighbors with some privacy.

The campground is located directly next to the tower and is a short walk to the edge of the canyon. It’s about a 30 minute drive to the village with several view points along the way.

One day while eating lunch at the site we had a group of wild horses come into the campground, which was pretty cool to see.

The weather was nice overall. Mid 70’s during the day and 40’s at night. The last night we were there we did experience high winds. We packed up our chairs and a few things before bed so they wouldn’t fly away.

We will definitely keep this campground on our list of places to go back to.

Helpful camp host, easy to find site and set up. We were one of the few tents at that point- lots of small RVs/vans but a quite campground overall. No showers- closest we found were in Grand Canyon Village. Dish sink behind bathrooms, which were fairly clean and had TP. Would absolutely come again just for the views- you can walk to the edge of the canyon in less than 5 minutes.

Max of 30 ft RV, definitely reserve a spot before, distance between spots, trees for shadow, fire ring, table, great host, everything is well maintained, clean and you get all information and flyers from him. And a 5 minutes hikes where you can enjoy an awesome view!

Busy but quiet campground, just a 5-minute walk from the rim of the Grand Canyon and a 10-minute walk to the Desert View Watchtower. Inner loop sites are very close together, would be great to book adjacent sites if you are traveling with a group or large family. If you don’t like people, reserve a site on the outer loop between 22-44. Only one set of bathrooms, but they’re clean and well-stocked. Sink for washing dishes behind restrooms. BYO dish soap. Camp host is very friendly and helpful. Watch out for ravens — they will steal anything resembling food. We lost two scrubbing sponges because we left them out to dry and ravens stole them.

We had site 8, which I would not recommend unless you like being very close to the restrooms. I prefer more solitude. Too much foot traffic and people walking through our campsite.

If you bring your dogs, please keep an eye on them and make sure they are secured in your tent or camper at night. There are coyotes.

Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. BYO firewood but if you need more, they sell it at the Market by the watchtower for $6.98/bundle at the time of this writing.

Do not miss the sunrise over the canyon! There is a short trail between sites 46/48 that takes you right to the rim. Beautiful, quiet campsite that is the perfect location and home base for your GC adventure!

Beautiful campsite with a hidden viewpoint. The camphost was so kind! Had a great stay, would definitely recommend!

We camped here in mid June and loved the campsite!

We stayed in site 45 for one night but accidentally reserved a day off from our plans. We were able to reserve a nearby site for the 2nd night and moved our tents over that morning. 

The sites were both great for 2 x 2 person tents. There were no fires allowed and the fire pits had caution tape on them. The tent spots were flat and well maintained. While you are close enough to see other campers people were never too noticeable. We found that a lot of people were gone by 5 AM but were not loud enough to wake us up. 

The real highlight of this area of the campground is that there is a trail that takes you to the rim of the grand canyon. The view there was awesome. We took night sky pictures and came back there for sun-rise. The view makes the campground awesome. 

Unfortunately there is only 1 bathroom and the water is near that. It was a bit of a walk each time we had to go. Not awful, but I've definitely been to campgrounds that had closer water.

The host was nice, but we didn't see him much. 

We hiked the South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge on our 1st morning. We really recommend getting up early for this hike as the shade was really helpful. Hiking into the canyon kicked our butts a bit. Bring lots of water!

As far as weather, June was great. It was cool enough to sleep at night and pleasant during the day.

A nice place to stay that offers tents or RV’s. The bathroom is not too far from any one location, there is water available near the sites too. A few things to take note, if the host is not available then you would have to wait until their done to fully check-in once you have arrived at your site. Also a ranger was going around inviting guests to a morning seminar but she did not come and invite my family for some reason, and this hurt my youngest son’s feelings. Lastly, there is a coyote that roams the campsite which has attacked people, so be careful.

It is so close to the south east rim at the watch tower!! The hosts are very friendly and helpful!! The sites are pretty and not crowded. And the other campers are respectful and quiet. We would definitely stay here again.

This campground in a perfect location where not many people hang around. It also has a trail that’s about a quarter mile long to a private over look of the canyon. Sunrises are the best at this spot!!

Was planning to go here but it is not first come first served anymore (according to NPS website), you now have to reserve sights

Great location, no reservation needed, but you do need to get there pretty early for a spot. Camping spots are really spacious. A little noisy. Bathrooms were clean and stocked other than soap.

We loved camping here. If you don't like a lot of people then staying on the east side of the canyon is so much better. Terrific camp ground and the host is the best you'll find!

My grandchildren and I arrived in July of 2018 and spent two nights here in my 17ft Winnebago Micro Minni Winni Camper. The campground host “Bill” was awesome! I was new to parking my camper and Bill helped to get her in position.

We enjoyed this campground so much, I decided if there was ever an opening for a campground host, I would be the first to apply!

I did and yes, I got the job!!! Come on out and visit Miss Belle and Miss Roe at Desert View Campground!

This is a great place to camp on the south rim! Walk to Navajo point snack bar/camp store and watchtower! Tent camp sites have shade and a picnic table. Go catch sunset at the tower! But get there before 6! Very quiet campground off tourist path just far enough out of high traffic areas. Highly recommend!

Great site near the Grand Canyon. Not too far from a lot of the popular sites. Also has its own general store.

Wr really enjoyed our stay here with family. Great location close to beautiful views!

Host is friendly. $6.00 a night with Senior pass. No soap so take some with you. Somewhat quiet but people (including us) wake up early to see the sunrise along the rim within walking distance. There is a pretty decent General store near the watch tower. Less crowded for sure but about 25 miles to main visitor center.

We camped at Desert View in April. We were originally hoping to book at Mather Campground, but it was totally booked for the dates we wanted. Desert View does not accept reservations, so we decided we’d head over early and try and snag a site. We got to the campground at about 12 pm on a Friday afternoon, and there were plenty of sites available. Camping at Desert View ended up being one of the best decisions we made for our Grand Canyon trip. Although it’s farther from some of the major attractions, it’s also really quiet, and the canyon views are spectacular.

At the time of our visit, my husband was recovering from a leg injury. Instead of hiking into the canyon with me and the kids, he stayed behind at the campground. He found a little trail that he could walk on with his crutches (between sites 46 and 48). He was able to walk to the edge of the canyon and relax under a tree for the whole afternoon without seeing a soul.

The Desert View General Store is within walking distance and sells food, along with a great selection of local wine and beer. The Desert View Watchtower, also walking distance from the campground, is incredibly beautiful. Beware of sneaky ravens who will steal your food the minute you leave it unattended.

Campsite Review:

When I started planning our trip to the Grand Canyon, I knew I wanted to camp somewhere close to the canyon. You can't get much closer than this. This campground is located on the south eastern rim of the canyon, and is only about 200-300 yards from the canyon. (as the crow flies)

There aren't any hookups at the sites but there are flush restrooms available. If you want to shower, you'll have to go to the other campground in the area (Mather Campground). There are no reservations for this site, and is first-come first-served only. The sites typically fill up by around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, but when we were there in June the sites were full by 10 am.

Most of the individuals who where camping there were in tents, but the sites have access to campers/RVs that are 30ft or less (truck and trailer)

We loved the few nights we had there, and nothing beats waking up and walking over to the canyon to see the sunrise. Definitely a must camp.

For a video of this review click here.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for TheDyrt, I occasionally get products to test, and on this I trip was able to test out Green Goo's Dry Skin products. During the summers my hands and feet really dry out from being outside so much and wearing sandals. Typically, by around the middle of June my feet have already begun to crack and split, which is both annoying and painful.

I was excited to try out the Dry Skin products from Green Goo, hoping that these would keep my feet and hands from cracking on our road trip, but I started off wrong. My problem was that I waited to put the Dry Skin on my feet after they had already begun to split. So, the lotion didn't work as well as I wished. Next time I'll definitely need to start using the lotion as a preventative instead of it being the problem solver.

For an extended video about this product click here.

Camping with the GO: Day 4

During our road trip around the US, I was able to try out the GO camper from SylvanSport. This was the 4th night camping the GO and we are still finding out little things that we love about this camper. Today it was the maneuverability of the GO. When we got to the site we were having trouble getting the GO exactly where we wanted it while it was hooked to the Jeep, but once we unhooked it we were able to steer it exactly into position with no fuss.

This campsite is good although you can not reserve a spot, aka it is on a first come first serve basis and it can/does fill up. It is kind of busy but no where near as busy as the main campground in the center of the southern rim "town". The camp host were friendly and knowledgeable, so if you get the chance talk with them! There is an observation area/tower that is a moderate walk and a small gas station that is close as well. There is flush toilets but no showers here. I was impressed with the quality of water coming from the pumps. Overall, if I were to come to the south rim again, I would without-a-doubt be staying at this campground!

A quick trip exploring the eastern south rim of the grand canyon, from Desert View Watchtower to Grand Canyon Village. Only got to hike the Rim Trail and Grandview Point Trail but it being my 1st time to the Grand Canyon I couldn't complain and still spent the next few days in awe. Can't wait to go back.

Desert View is a hidden gem at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Although many people tend to lean toward the more common parts of the south rim, this is a place that will give you more of a nature feel to the camping experience! Would recommend!

Great first come first serve site on the eastern end of the park which is actually great for catching the sunset from the watchtower. I bit away from Mather and the main overlooks, but makes the sites so much less crowded!

Great for tents because the large monster RVs can't fit (although some smaller one's and popups would be fine)

Clean restrooms (because it's less crowded) drinking water and your site will have a fire ring and table. You're not under huge trees, but there are a bunch which help separate out the sites so you're even more private.

The fact that it's not in Grand Canyon Village means it won't be so crowded, which is usually what campers are looking for. The sites are fairly close together, but pretty private considering. It's a very small ground so getting to the loo is easy enough. The terrain is also totally different from the Village, much more desert-y (as the name implies, though there is plenty of shade) & so offers a different experience. If/when we go back, we'll be looking to stay here.

This is an option for those who don't have a reservation at Mather campground located in the Grand Canyon Village. Sites are available first come first served. Arrive by noon or before to get a site. Sites are close together. Drinking water and flush toilets. Wood available at a store nearby. The drive to the Grand Canyon village takes about 30 minutes. It is a winding road and is very dark if you drive it at night. We try to get back to camp before dark after a full day of hiking.

This campsite is first come first serve. I would not trust the rangers or boards at other parts of the park to tell you if the campsite is full. We were told it was full but thought we'd swing by just to check. Comes to find out that there were a lot of opened sites. It has clean bathrooms and water, as well as an area to clean your dishes! It is quite a distance from all the major sites of the park, BUT there are some good sites around it. If you want a site closer to a lot of the major sites plan ahead and book a site closer. The site worked great for our needs (a site big enough for our 3-man tent) in June of 2015. There's a general store near by if you need any supplies, but it does come at the increased park price. You'll also need to bring in your own firewood or purchase it at the general store.

site: good sized. Semi-private. first come, first serve- check out sites before picking on. some shaded sites. amenities: small campground. bathrooms at campground. clean. showers in Village- 20 minute drive. attractions: about 10-15 minute hike to rim of canyon. I would go camping here (just drove through checking out the campground).