Desert View Campground, near [Grand Canyon National Park](https://thedyrt.com/camping/arizona/near/grand-canyon-national-park), is a fantastic spot for those who want to soak in the beauty of the canyon without the crowds. This campground offers a unique experience with its close proximity to the canyon's edge, making it easy to catch breathtaking sunrises and sunsets just a short walk from your site.

The campground features clean facilities, including well-maintained restrooms and fresh drinking water, which visitors appreciate. Each site comes with a picnic table and fire ring, perfect for evening gatherings under the stars. As one camper noted, “You can walk to the edge of the canyon in less than 5 minutes,” highlighting the convenience of the location.

For those looking to explore, there’s a fantastic unmarked trail right from the campground that leads to stunning views. The area is less busy than the South Rim, allowing for a more peaceful experience. Wildlife is abundant, with sightings of elk and even wild horses reported by campers. Just be mindful of the local ravens; they have a knack for snatching up anything that looks like food.

While the campground doesn’t have showers, the clean restrooms and friendly camp hosts make up for it. If you're planning a visit, be sure to reserve your spot ahead of time, especially during peak seasons. Desert View Campground is a great base for your Grand Canyon adventure, offering a blend of solitude and stunning natural beauty.

## Overview

 Located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park at an altitude of 7,463 ft (2,275 m), Desert View Campground is located 23 miles (37 km) to the east of Grand Canyon Village. The Desert View area offers a peaceful setting. Most sites are sized to accommodate tents or smaller RVs, or vehicles with travel trailers (30 ft./9 m total length). Vehicles over 29' in (8.8 m) total length may not be able to negotiate turns without damaging resources and/or vehicle/trailer.Due to high demand, Desert View Campground requires advanced reservations during its season, usually mid-April to mid-October. You may book reservations up to 6 months in advance. Desert View Campground does not hold back any campsites for first-come, first-served camping during peak season and does not have a wait list or call back system.\_You may book same day reservations here on Recreation.gov or through the toll-free call center at 1-877-444-6777.
## Recreation

 [Wildlife][1] Viewing [Bicycling][2] [Photography][3] Star Gazing and [Night Sky Events][4] 
## Facilities

 There are a total of 50 campsites in the Desert View Campground. Most sites can accommodate tents or SMALL RV's or travel Trailers. Sites can not accommodate RV's or travel trailers over 30 ft. maximum length - Front bumper to rear bumper). Limit of six persons; two tents; two-vehicles or one RV/Travel Trailer per site. There are no Group Sites. Affiliated Groups cannot break up into separate sites. Examples of Affiliated Group: clubs, Scouts, organizations, group of friends, large family gatherings. All campsites are dry sites. No utility, water, or sewer hook-ups are available. Each site does have a campfire grill for fires and cooking use and a picnic table. There are two water faucets located within the campground. There are men's, women's, and accessible restrooms in the campground. The restrooms have flushing toilets and sinks (no hot water). Desert View has no showers, laundromat, or dump station. The nearest are at: Mather Campground, in Grand Canyon Village, 26 miles/42 km west of Desert View. A General Store and a Gas Station are in the Desert View area; with limited groceries and firewood. 
## Natural Features

 Desert View Campground lies beneath a mixture of pinyon and juniper trees, providing most campsites with ample shade. The campground is less than 1/2 mile (.8 km) from the rim of the canyon. A visit to the canyon during sunrise and sunset yields spectacular views of yellow, orange, red and violet hues in the canyon walls. Layers of rock display billions of years of geologic history. Campers can take a short walk from the campground to the historic Desert View Watchtower. Visitors can see the mighty Colorado River, which flows 277 miles (446 km) through the bottom of the canyon. Wildlife abounds on the South Rim, including elk, mule deer, coyotes, lizards, songbirds and the endangered California condor. Although condors nest below the rim, they can be seen soaring several thousand feet above the canyon in search of carrion. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Desert View provides one of the widest views of Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert. The [Mary Colter's Desert View Watchtower][5] displays this architect's talent. The [Desert View][6] area offers an aviation memorial, a trading post and market, and Tusayan Ruin and Museum which provide glimpses into the life of a small Ancestral Puebloan village 800 years ago, all within 5 miles from the campground. 
## Charges & Cancellations

 Reservation adjustments are made online through www.recreation.gov. or by phone (877)444-6777. 

[1]: https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/nature/wildlife.htm
[2]: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/bicycling.htm
[3]: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/photography.htm
[4]: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upcoming-night-sky-events.htm
[5]: https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/mary-colter---indian-watchtower.htm
[6]: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/desert-view.htm

Desert View Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Grand Canyon. Discover great camping spots near Grand Canyon, reviewed by campers like you.

Grand Canyon

The Best Camping Near Grand Canyon, Arizona

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).


less central

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.

Desert View Indeed

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. 

Desert View at Grand Canyon

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. 

Less crowded 

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.

Excellent is you want to get away from the crowds

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!

Desert View

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.

Camping on the South Rim

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!

Good, just can't reserve a spot.

**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](https://youtu.be/GYFkZLoMflk).

**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](https://greengoohelps.com/products/dry-skin-care-4oz-jar) 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](https://youtu.be/QlWbHmC89_w).

**Camping with the GO: Day 4**

During our road trip around the US, I was able to try out the [GO](https://www.sylvansport.com/go/) camper from [SylvanSport](https://www.sylvansport.com/). 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.

Ranger Review: Green Goo Dry Skin product at Desert View Campground, AZ

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.

Gorgeous Views, Quiet Campground

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. 

Nice campground. 

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

Great stay!

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

Grand Canyon Camping

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!

Cozy, close to everything 

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!

We absolutely loved Desert View Campground !

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!  

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.

Great location, a little noisy.

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

Not first come first serve anymore

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!!

Great spot!!

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.

Good place to stay when visiting Grand Caynon

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.

Great location for Grand Canyon South Rim 

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

Amazing!

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!

Perfect location!

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! 

Amazing 5 min hike nearby

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.

Amazing views just a short walk away

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.

Great experience 

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.

Amazing Campground on the South Rim

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 

Desert view campground

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.

The best place to see the Grand Canyon right from your campground

You must arrive at this campsite before everyone else. The rangers or boards in other areas of the park cannot be relied upon to inform you whether the campsite is filled. We were informed it was full, but we decided to drop by nevertheless.

[io games](https://io-games.onl/)

Very great

Desert View in Grand Canyon NP: This area is much less busy than the South Rim.   Pretty views, but no trails down into the canyon.  Ask the host for information for the short Sunrise Tr.  It is only a short walk to the Tower. 
(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating:  4
Price 2024: $  w interagency pass
Security: No
Usage during visit: Full over Memorial Day 
Site Privacy:  Partially obstructed w vegetation - many outside sites 
Site Spacing:  Many outside sites are nicely spaced. 
Pad surface: Blacktop 
Reservations:   Yes
Campground Noise:   Very quiet
Outside Road Noise: No
Through Traffic in campground:    No
Electric Hookup:   No
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: No
Potable Water Available: Yes, there are 2 spigots.
Generators: Allowed only during wry specific hours. 
Bathroom: Very clean flush toilets 
Showers: No
Pull Throughs: Some of the better sites are. 
Cell Service (AT&amp;T): intermittent 
Setting: Pine and juniper forest 
Recent Weather: Very sunny and warm during the day. 
Solar: We had a nice afternoon window for our fixed panels. 
Insects:    None 
Host: Yes
Sites: Roger’s favorites: pull through numbers: 46,48 – right next to the Sunrise Trail.   , 42 39,25, 22, Back ins: 44 , 25, 27,24*, 20

Desert Camping with a Short Walk to Canyon

A perfect campground for nature lovers.
Elk came by to " watch us". A short trail to the rim of the canyon for gorgeous views. 
Very nice hosts. Perfectly clean toilets and sinks.

The sites are suited for vehicles up to 30 feet. Some are pull through,  some back in, some just a pull out along the road and VERY small.
We had a pull through for a 30' RV, it fitted. Quite flat, levellers would have been convenient... Each site has an asphalt part and an enormous dirt/ stone/ sand part with many trees for shade, BBQ/ firepit and picknicktable. 

Canyon Village is about 40 miles, but being away from the crowds is priceless.

Please keep in mind that there are no showers at the campground.  Showers are at Mather campground, but they are very dirty and outdated. $2,50 for 5 minutes of warm water. 
At Mather a RV dumpstation is available as well.

Desert View is one of the nicest campsites I saw during the roadtrip with my family.

Gorgeous!!!!

A pleasant place to stay, offering both tent and RV spots. The bathrooms are conveniently close to all the sites, and there’s water available nearby. A few things to keep in mind: if the host isn’t around when you arrive, you may need to wait until they’re done to [complete your check](https://snapseedapp.xyz/)\-in. Additionally, a park ranger was inviting guests to a morning talk, but for some reason, they didn’t invite my family, which upset my youngest child. Lastly, be cautious—there’s a coyote that’s been seen around the campsite and has attacked people before.

Nice campground

A nice place to stay with tent and RV options. Bathrooms are close, and there’s water near the [sites](https://deezermodapk.com/). Just a few things: if the host isn't around when you arrive, you might have to wait to check in. A ranger was inviting guests to a morning talk, but my family wasn’t included, which made my youngest upset. Also, be careful of a coyote that’s been seen around the campsite and has attacked people before.

very nice

The max length of rv that can fit in the pull thru sites is 30. My trailer is 20 plus the truck. It hardly fit. Beautiful for tent camping and van sites. Non-electric and it got hot during the day. Drank a lot of water.

Spots are small

When we pulled in most spots were vacant. We went to dinner and returned to a full campground. With that being said, everyone was very kind and respectful to each others privacy. The sites are small and it would not be suitable for large RVs (signs say 30’ max). We have a truck camper and are hauling a trailer and barely fit into the pull through sites. Lots of wildlife! Great spot overall! 

Quite campground 

Not far from east entrance to south rim of canyon. Quiet, shorter spaces, so not too many bigger rigs, no hookups. Juniper and pinon trees offer some shade, temps were moderate, no bugs so no screens needed. Gas station nearby with visitor center and store. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets, water centrally located. Busy with tourists but not crowded. AND, no fees to enter during gov't shutdown. Level sites.

Photos of Desert View Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

Real photos from real campers