Best Dispersed Camping near Fredonia, AZ

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!

This is an area of free dispersed camping along the FS Rd #117 (Tom Best Spring Rd). It is midway between Bryce NP and Red Canyon Recreation Area on the Dixie NF. The dispersed camping is along FS RD #117 ( good graded gravel road) for about the first 1.1 miles, after that camping restrictions are posted. Some of the side roads are dirt two track and also have many camping spots but beware wet weather on side roads. Cell service is very good for all providers. This area has no designated sites (yet) and there are no tables, metal fire rings, garbage dumpsters or toilets. However, at the main hwy across there is a rest area with a vault toilet.

The pin is at the TH where folks park. Rough slickrock past this point. Free dispersed camps are in this TH area and back down the access road in several spots. This road is rough rocky but AWD SUVs seem to get there. Cell is very good. No info kiosk or signage at TH. No water, no dumpsters, no toilets, no fire-rings. Access road from hwy #89 is 8.4 miles. At mile 3.1 you are on BLM. At mile 6.4 is a juct that you need to go RIGHT, not straight. Camping is best for tenters and truck campers. Hauling a TT or large RV up there on the rough rocky would be risky, but some get up there still!

Take the exit from 89 and cross the remnants of the old 89 road. You will find several spots with previously used fire rings. We took our 30ft RV up the hill right on top of what seems to be a sand pit of some sort. You could also follow the old 89 and find some spots in between the trees. We chose to stay up too with the view. Obviously there are no amenities of any sort here as this is BLM land for dispersed camping. We will stay here for one night on our way to Zion.

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.

Bryce Canyon campgrounds were full, as well as the nearby designated campsites at Red Canyon.   We showed up at the nearby forest ranger's office who directed us to some nearby dispersed camping on the edge of Dixie National Forest.

This is dispersed camping, so no:

• Restrooms
• Water
• Trash
• Hookups/dumps
• Shops

Although since there is a designated campground just down the road, you can easily go there for water, restrooms, and trash.

This CG provided a good alternative to getting to Bryce Canyon without the mess of trying to get a reservation.  Red Canyon is also in between this site and the national park, which had some nice hikes and views of the hoodoos

Very open and beautiful landscape, there are plenty of sites on the BLM land so we didn’t have trouble finding one. The Milky Way was visible across the entire sky.

Small turnout, maybe 3 cars and an RV. Not much to do or see except a nice small river. Met a local that told me it is okay to stay overnight. Not sure if it is BLM land though.

There is actually very little BLM land along this particular stretch of La Verkin Overlook Rd and no designated sites. However, there are lots of rigs camping. If you do camp be respectful of private property signs and pack out your garbage

First of all, these GPS coordinates take you to a place called Kolob Gate Gardens, which you can also find on the Dyrt. Kolob gate gardens is private property, but on the outside of Kolob Gate Gardens, it is BLM land. The people squatting there who identify themselves as “hosts” want you to think it’s all private property and pay between $31 and $50 a night for their place, which is a complete dump. There there are several dogs on the loose who will come running at you. Mind you, we are staying on the BLM portion of this property. But you can’t tell other than that no one is staying on the private property - the outside edges of the property, where it is BLM, are full of campers and tents. Steve, the person who runs the Kolob gate gardens part, is nice enough but the place is run down. In addition, there is a guy who has been squatting on the BLM property ( by his own admission) who wanted us to leave because he thought we took too much of his space. We are parked prob at least 300-400 yards from him. I thought the coordinates given here would take us to Kolob dispersed site # 2 as advertised on this app but it is not clear. Do not pay no matter what they try to tell you unless you are on one of their numbered ugly sites. Their site says they offer toilets but they are portapotties that haven’t been emptied in years prob- and they tried to make a shower by diverting water from the creek near by. The shower is not functional now. Either way, this place is no good, whether you are on BLM land or not

Really easy to find. Just need to pass through some homes to get to the BLM land. You will pass the sign for hurricane cliffs and continue for about a mile or so and you will see the first sites available. This place is called hurricane cliffs for a reason. Tons and tons of wind!

The blm lands we a great way to camp close to the park but outside of designated camping. It’s centrally located between La Verkin and Zion which makes accessibility great! it’s just flat open planes perfect to set up for the night or pull up an rv for some time. there’s trails out there for bikes and the sunsets are breathtaking!

I agree with a couple other reviewers that say the pin for this campground is slightly off - the good BLM campsite is slightly up the road, about a mile or a bit more, and is marked by an old, run-down abandoned RV right at the front of the camp.

We stayed here in June of 2020 and it was HOT! But nevertheless not unbearable. The little stream that runs across the campground was our saving grace; just deep enough to put our chairs in and dip in our toes. Also great for showering with biodegradable soap.

There are a decent amount of sites, if I had to guess, I’d say twenty or even more. It is dispersed but there isn’t a ton of privacy. Not a ton of places to dig your daily foxhole. If you are unfortunate to get some noisy neighbors, it won’t be fun. We had some VERY noisy and inconsiderate neighbors that played “I Got Loaded” on repeat for like two days. Every other group, however, was very respectful. Saw groups of children and adults alike on horseback many times. Several of the occupied spaces seemed to be occupied by at least semi-permanent residents.

Reasonably close to Zion and perfect for the price. Also super close to other amazing hikes on BLM land. Actual road into campsite can be a little tricky depending on which way you go, we did see one person in a 2WD vehicle get stuck in sand, but our neighbor made it in and out many times in a Volkswagen Jetta. Highly recommend this campsite when visiting Zion! Good proximity to Hurricane (pronounced Hurricin, lol) for essentials.

October 15, 2020

We wanted to be close to Bryce Canyon but not in all of the hub and chaos of people. This location is about a 10 minute drive away from Bryce.  This is the perfect location to get away from it all.  When you first arrive, you will see plenty of spots for RV's and travel trailers.  We traveled 1.8 miles and took a left turn on a small dirt road and found 5 or 6 campsites that were level and far away from each other. (We were the only one down this road).  

The site was level with a lot of space to spread out.  There was a firepit but no other facilities, so come prepared with everything you need. Due to fire restrictions, we didn't have a fire, and enjoyed seeing the Milky Way and shooting stars!  There is a pit toilet across the highway before you turn into the BLM land.  

We thought we would only stay for one night, but ended up there 2 nights since it was so beautiful!

This was our very first dispersed camping spot and we loved it! It was only 20 minutes to Zion. We stayed 2 nights next to the Virgin River. It rained hard our second day in Zion and when we got back to camp the area was a thick, red mud that stuck to our shoes & the Virgin River rose quickly. But, it stayed well within its banks and we were able to easily pull out the next morning.

This is the larger of the BLM dispersed camp areas in this corner section along the creek. There are two main entrances and roads are rough dirt. Large TT and RVs can better use this area. No toilets! No designated sites so it is somewhat of a free for all and neighbors could be very close.

The third dispersed camping spur that BLM has established along the Sheep Bridge Road. The longer right-hand spur goes all the way out to a TH with a vault toilet. There is also a new parking area and TH with a vault toilet at the spur jct with the main Sheep Bridge Road. So if you need to use a govt vault toilet for camping, this is the dispersed camping spur for you! Note that this spur road is much better to be on in wet weather than the spur roads into the other lower # sites.

This is the 4th dispersed camping spur the BLM has established along Sheep Bridge Road. This spur road is downhill and narrow but alot of large rvs seem to manage. I would recon before venturing down. This is the closest spur to the Zion Hwy accesd

This is FS road #205/225 and is the access to an Arizona Trailhead. The FS road is very good graded gravely and runs along a wide flat forested ridge. Dispersed camp sites are scattered along this main road and down open FS spur roads. Nite that FS rules note that dispersed camping needs to be 1 mile away from developed recreation sites on open FS roads per the MVUM (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/kaibab/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd490027) but not sure if the Arizona Trailhead counts...there are several great camps within first mile on this FS road. Cell signal is mixed and dependent on your provider and line of sight to Jacob lake area. Verizon and Tmobile worked for me, but my att phone did not. This area is about 7 miles south on hwy 67 from Jacob lake on way to the GC north rim. The nonmotorized Arizona Trail is adjacent to the FS road and runs close to many of the dispersed sites, so this area is great if you want to hike or mt bike the trail.

First of all , being able to camp free on BLM land has been a huge blessing for us & we’ve lucked out so far! Please continue to take care of these places so we can continue to enjoy the solitude! This site is about 15 miles outside of the main entrance to Zion. It’s great when you want to get away & out of the people/tourist filled hustle & bustle going on around the restaurants, hotels & resorts right outside the park. While the shops & eateries looked lovely, it wasn’t doable for us with 4 pups! It was a beautiful night & a perfect night for a stroll. After hiking the park with the pups , we just wanted to settle in to some peace . Based on other reviews , we took advice on how to maneuver in & find a site. Boy oh boy was it a bumpy ride! If you have a travel trailer like us , make sure your cupboards are nice & secured shut or your stuff will go flying out! We have a plenty big truck & a 19ft trailer . The ride will likely feel more like sailing on very choppy water . More bouncy than anything. We drove in about a mile & found an empty site. It wasn’t level but we made due. It had a neat Little Rock built fire ring someone left . It was clean & completely waste free. The sites are not marked ! Just drive until you see a clearing & make it home for the night or two... It was pitch black out , others around us but also nowhere near us. Dead silence & a sky packed full of visible stars. It was a nice little layover after a day at the park & before our next destination!