Grand Canyon North Dispersed camping

As a former GCNP employee, I wanted to add a few tips for dispersed camping at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. There is no dispersed camping inside the park but the park is bordered by the Kaibab National Forest and you can dispersed camp on several of the surrounding forest service roads between the park and the Jacob Lake area. 

The most popular roads for dispersed camping are FS633 on the East side of 67 north of DeMotte Campground and a cluster of FS roads off FS22 on the west side of 67 south of DeMotte Campground.  

As of Summer 2022, dispersed camping was also allowed along FS610, 611, and 219 which are closer to the National Park. This is where the park rangers and staff at the Visitor Center would direct campers when the campgrounds were full. However, these roads are not designated as dispersed camping areas on the new MVUM (motor vehicle use map) that was printed Feb 2023, so you may want to call ahead or stop by the USFS office and doublecheck before dispersed camping there as illegal camping is subject to a $5000 fine and/or up to 18 months in jail. 

If it is still allowed, some of the sites on FS611 are right on the rim overlooking the Saddleback Mountain Wilderness. If you head south on FS610 (towards the park boundary) there are only a couple of dispersed sites which could accomodate small to mid-sized travel trailers/RVs. I would not advise going down this road with a Class A unless you scout ahead first as there are limited places to turn around. 

If you continue down FS610 south, you will have the national forest on your left and the National Park on your right. The road starts to narrow here and you will eventually come to Saddle Mountain which is a popular spot for tents, truck campers, and small travel trailers (GoPro sized or smaller) and also serves as a parking area for the Nankoweap Trailhead. 

If you have a 4x4 or high clearance vehicle, you can continue past the Saddle Mountain area on 610 or 219 which both dead end at a bluff, but these roads are very narrow with large ruts and jutting rocks at the end. We parked our vehicle near the bottom of the incline and walked up to the bluff where there is nice flat open area with a view of the Saddleback Mountain Wilderness. There are also a few smaller dispersed camping areas along the road leading up to the bluff that would be perfect for tent camping. 

If you don't mind a longer drive to the park, there are a lot more dispersed camping otpions for larger rigs around Jacob Lake. Our favorite spot is off FS257 on the north side of 89A. We boondocked here for 10 days in May before the park opened. There are only a handful of sites here but if you are lucky enough to get one, they are great!

Just be aware that as of Summer 2022, much of the dispersed area on the south side of 89A around Jacob Lake was closed due to damage from a recent forest fire. Again, it's always a good idea to call or stop in the USFS to get the most up to date information. Their office is located at the intersection of 67 and 89A at Jacob lake. The number is (928) 643-7298. They're super helpful!

Here is a link to the Motor Vehicle Use Map for the area.

What a great site! We just drove along 611 after turning off 67 and found a ton of options past the East Rim lookout. Really huge site with a big fire ring and tons of firewood around.

I tried looking for this site but never found it. Instead I was able to find dispersed camping right near the Evans for the north rim of the grand canyon.
Coordinates: 36.4017930, -112.1290934 There aren't any street names but I will post a photo of a sign that is present once you turn into the street. If your driving towards the entrance of the park, it will be past the gas station and you turn left onto the street. There was alot of options for camping. The further back you go is where you find the great view sites. The road is a bit bumpy. The last site which is where we stayed is the most beautiful with 180 degrees view of the canyon and vermillion cliffs but it will need a medium to high clearance vehicle to get to that site only but it's worth it.

The marker shown for the dispersed camping on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is incorrect, according to what we experienced this past weekend. The marker that we got here was inside the national park boundary, and dispersed camping is not allowed inside the park.

Dispersed camping is accessed from any of the roads that go east or west off highway 67, the main access road to the North Rim, outside of the park boundary (i.e. north of the park entry gate).

One of the main areas for dispersed camping access is just south of the De Motte campground, which is well marked and visible on the highway.

Unfortunately we didn't get to try out the dispersed camping because we had limited time and stayed in the developed campground at the North Rim. That was an exquisite experience, even though the campground was booked solid. There's plenty of room between sites and you're literally a couple hundred yards from the rim of the Grand Canyon. I'll write a separate review on that site and see if I can get the waypoint marker shown for this entry changed to be more accurate.

We loved this spot! Right off the road and very secluded. Not one other person camped next to us. It cooled off at night which made sleeping even better!

We went out FR67 until we hit Cape Royal road, and turned left on it until we hit the North Rim trail. We camped at the trailhead (there are 3 spots) and had incredible sunset and sunrise views of the canyon.

My wife hiked from the South Rim to the North Rim and I needed to park the motor home to camp there a few nights. The campground in Grand Canyon park is best for smaller vehicles and you have to reserve well in advance of your visit. If you don’t mind a bit of a bumpy gravel road, then this is for you. It’s free! Found at least a dozen sites big enough for my 38’ motor home towing a car. If you go down farther than say 2 miles, the spaces start getting a bit smaller and would recommend a higher clearance/shorter vehicle. Saw a few Mercedes 4x4 vans up there. If you can make it near the end, you can park right next to the edge and have the most spectacular views! My motor home is too big for that but I parked in a very secluded wooded spot. It was quiet the few days we were there. Definitely recommend this spot. The roads are maintained. Your rig will get dusty but it’s worth it. I am usually pretty leery about taking a diesel pusher down forest or mountain roads but this was no problem. You are a few miles from the Grand Canyon entrance gate. The campground in GC has a free dump station and potable water. It’s a bit tricky for a big rig but doable. I had about 3-4” between trees and mirrors entering the dump station. Just be aware. ALSO THERE IS NO CELL SERVICE AT ALL! AT LEAST AT&T. Cell service doesn’t become available until you are near the Grand Canyon campground and village.

Few people know you can camp right on the rim of the Grand Canyon. We used a map the backcountry info center gave us and found a spot 10 or so minutes into the woods right on the rim. Beautiful views of course and privacy. Highly recommend. It’s the first left after the general goods store headed toward the north rim. I’ve attached the map we used. If you have a Garmin it’ll show the road numbers you need to find a spot. Don’t hesitate. Do it. Regular campsite is crowded and nearly always full. Weather here was perfect.

Never dispersed before, everywhere was full and the visitors centre suggested it, wow.

I was shocked at how close this free, dispersed camping spot was to the entrance to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon!

The location is off the main road, headed to the canyon, about 1 mile south of the Demotte campground.

This spot is only a few miles from the entrance to the Grand Canyon (but about 23 miles to the rim).

Located off a gravel road, somewhat rough but our minivan did fine.

Several dispersed camping spots available along the road as you head into the area. About 3 miles back is a view point of the East Rim with camp bathrooms. Will take about 15 mins to drive there from main road.

I did feel rather secluded here with a large distance between camping spots and not many people camping at the time. We were there in mid June. Weather was nice and cool for us at night at that time to be able to sleep comfortably in our van.

Overall, great spot for free camping!

The proximity to the north rim is unrivaled. The road was endless washboard by our small Chevy van was fine. We came in at dark and were unable to find a spot with a Canyon view. Regardless, good and quiet place to camp for a night.

Honestly we were really disappointed when we arrived because it is hours away from the Grand Canyon. We made the most of the location but we were WAAAAYYY out in the woods! No cell reception & for a Friday night there were no other campers around us which made us a little uneasy.

It was nice for backpacking trails down into the East Rim Canyon.

Lots of spots to camp. Great views very quiet.

Loved this site. I marked the first one we came to which is where we stayed, but there should be much more just down the road. There's at least one that you can drive to that's practically on the rim. The position marked is near a paved trail head and parking area that includes a vault toilet, we chose that spot for that reason alone. If you want to be closer to the rim, there are many more FS roads off the main road further south that I'm certain has more opportunities for dispersed/car camping. Highly recommend getting up early and catching that sunrise over the rim.

Since the drive in is so specific only to the North Rim, here's our approach to the site, and a little bit of the sunrise.