Best Tent Camping near Grand Canyon, AZ

Tent campsites within and surrounding Grand Canyon National Park range from established campgrounds to remote backcountry sites, offering varied experiences for tent campers. Forest Service Road 328 Dispersed camping provides free tent sites just outside the park boundary, while Bright Angel Campground offers designated tent camping at the bottom of the canyon along Bright Angel Creek. Havasupai Gardens and Cottonwood Campground provide additional backcountry tent camping options for hikers venturing into the canyon.

Most primitive tent sites require campers to pack in all necessary supplies, including water and waste disposal tools. Dispersed camping areas like Forest Road 328 feature informal fire rings but no facilities, requiring strict adherence to Leave No Trace principles. As one camper noted, "There are no showers, toilets, or running water. Practice LNT and pack in pack out." Backcountry tent camping within the canyon requires permits, which are strictly enforced and should be secured well in advance. Sites at Bright Angel and other canyon-bottom campgrounds include picnic tables, designated tent pads, and access to potable water, though space is limited and sites are often close together.

Areas farther from the South Rim entrance offer deeper seclusion and less noise for tent campers seeking solitude. Tent sites at Cottonwood Campground provide more privacy than the more popular Bright Angel area, with reviews indicating "much better spacing on campsites, more privacy, and you cannot tell when people at the campground are using their headlamps." Backcountry tent camping experiences vary dramatically by season, with summer bringing extreme heat to canyon-bottom sites and winter delivering freezing nighttime temperatures. Wildlife encounters are common at tent sites throughout the region, with elk frequently seen near dispersed camping areas and smaller creatures like ringtails and ravens active around established campgrounds. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, tent campers should be prepared for temperature extremes, limited shade, and the need to secure food properly from wildlife.

Best Tent Sites Near Grand Canyon, Arizona (24)

    1. Forest Service Road 328 Dispersed

    120 Reviews
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    5 miles

    "We are on our way home to Tulsa from Grand Canyon and needed to stay overnight. Perfect secluded spot"

    "Peaceful wooded area literally right outside the grand canyon park boundary. don’t be fooled by the no camping signs around the entrance, about half a mile down the road sites start popping up."

    2. Bright Angel Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

    13 Reviews
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 638-7888

    "In the summer of 2016, my husband expressed interest in hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim with me. Immediately I thought, "no way"! No showers, no electricity, no cell phone service..."

    "It gets hot quickly during the day; shade is valuable and limited depending on site and season."

    3. Phantom Ranch — Grand Canyon National Park

    9 Reviews
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 297-2757

    $52 - $253 / night

    "I had never hiked the Grand Canyon before and didn't know what to expect. We hiked from the south rim down Kaibab and were really lucky to have amazing weather."

    "It's located on Bright Angel Creek, just a little bit from the Colorado River."

    4. Havasupai Gardens Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

    8 Reviews
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    2 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 638-7888

    $10 - $40 / night

    "There were picnic tables and neat hangers to hold your backpack so the pesty squirrels couldn't get into them. The views are amazing, and we set up a tent although it would be great for hammocks."

    "There is plenty of shade, good drinking water, and modern out house bathrooms. It can get a little noisy. When the first camp wakes up in the morning, everyone wakes up."

    5. Cottonwood Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

    9 Reviews
    North Rim, AZ
    10 miles
    Website

    "It followed a river along on the canyon floor with mostly shade and level ground."

    "At the second-most visited national park, getting away from the hustle and bustle takes a little more work."

    6. Forest Road 305 - Dispersed Camping

    10 Reviews
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    15 miles
    Website

    "Here are the coordinates for the place I slept. 35.8428720, -112.1266171 There's a fire ring and privacy. I did not see any people. I arrived after dark and I left at dawn."

    "Doesn't look designated, but plenty of space to park in. Pretty close to the main road and town, so you're not too far away from everything."

    7. Horn Creek Campsites — Grand Canyon National Park

    1 Review
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    2 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 638-2443

    "To get to this backcountry campsite one must hike along the Tonto Plateau to reach this primitive site. The site is nestled within a riparian zone."

    8. Granite Rapids Area Campsites — Grand Canyon National Park

    1 Review
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 638-2443

    "We hiked from the Grand Canyon South Rim starting at the Hermit Trail trailhead, down the Hermit Trail, to the Granite Rapids campsite."

    9. Hermit Rapids

    1 Review
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 638-2443

    "There are only two ways to get to the Hermit Rapids Primitive Campsite - hike a trail or ride a raft. This campsite may be reserved through the National Park System (NPS)."

    10. Horseshoe Mesa Campsites — Grand Canyon National Park

    2 Reviews
    Grand Canyon, AZ
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 638-2443

    "Thsee sites are beautiful and you can chose to camp on the edge or more in the middle. The rodents are bad at some of these sites so you have to use a rat sack."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Grand Canyon, AZ

861 Reviews of 24 Grand Canyon Campgrounds


  • Clint  G.
    Jul. 20, 2021

    Mather Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

    Location Plus

    This campground is very close to the south rim of the Grand Canyon which is great!  Camping here is dry, no hook ups at all, which was disappointing.  There is potable water to fill your tank and a dump at exit.  Our site was unlevel on asphalt  and tight to squeeze into.  There was a fire ring and picnic table provided as well as vault toilets.

  • Troy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2021

    Granite Rapids Area Campsites — Grand Canyon National Park

    Granite Rapids Primitive Campsite

    This is a common area for rafters to run the river and take a break. It's also a good place to witness the power of the Colorado River. There are only two ways to get to the Granite Rapids Primitive Campsite- ride a raft or hike a trail. We hiked from the Grand Canyon South Rim starting at the Hermit Trail trailhead, down the Hermit Trail, to the Granite Rapids campsite. The descent down the Hermit Trail requires hiking down a rocky trail with some rough dirt or stone steps. There are segments of the trail with exposure and steep drops.

    Along the way, you'll see dramatic views of the Grand Canyon and a variety of rock formations and geological features. In the spring there were some beautiful flowers budding on the cacti. There are no real facilities at this site, the beauty of this site is that it is rustic with great views and there will likely be no one else around. There is no water available along the trail until you reach the bottom of the canyon and the Colorado River. It is possible to take a detour to collect water near the Monument Creek campsite. 

    The NPS recommends that people do not try to day hike (in one day) to this location from the South Rim trailhead. The hike down is simple enough, but the hike up is steep, rocky, has no water and is not often traveled by other hikers or the rangers. The water and rapids are fast, so exercise caution if you enter the river.The site is a primitive campsite so you simply find a clear area and pitch your tent. Leave No Trace principles should be applied.

  • Megan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 9, 2025

    Fire Rd 688 - Dispersed

    Quiet wooded camp site

    Easy to navigate even towing a vehicle behind our RV. Quiet, wooded site away from road noise. Our site had a fire pit and wood provided when we pulled in. Approx 11 miles from the town Grand canyon village/ South rim of the grand canyon. 14 days consecutive stay limit. Dry camping. Leave no trace.

  • Troy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2021

    Horn Creek Campsites — Grand Canyon National Park

    Horn Creek Primitive Campsite

    To get to this backcountry campsite one must hike along the Tonto Plateau to reach this primitive site. The site is nestled within a riparian zone. The site is a primitive campsite so you find a clear area and pitch your tent. There were some hard packed areas to pitch a tent on top of the flat rock and near the cottonwood tree. Leave No Trace principles should be applied. There is no water source at this site, so you must carry in your own water.

    We hiked from the Grand Canyon South Rim starting at the Hermit Trail trailhead, down the Hermit Trail, across the Tonto Plateau to this campsite. The hike from Monument Creek is mostly at the same elevation with some ups and downs. Be sure to load up on water when you leave Monument Creek.

    Along the way, you'll see dramatic views of the Grand Canyon and a variety of geological features such as copper shale and rock formations. In the spring there was some beautiful prairie grass along the plateau. There are no real facilities at this site, the beauty of this site is that it is rustic with great views and there will likely be no one else around.

  • Troy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2021

    Hermit Rapids

    Hermit Rapids Primitive Campsite

    There are only two ways to get to the Hermit Rapids Primitive Campsite - hike a trail or ride a raft. This campsite may be reserved through the National Park System (NPS). The NPS recommends that one not attempt to hike from the trailhead to this area and back as a day hike due to the steepness and potential mid-day temperature. You may see rafters passing through the rapids. Our group hiked from the Grand Canyon South Rim starting at the Hermit Trail trailhead, down the Hermit Trail, to the Hermit Rapids area. The descent is about 4000+ feet. The descent can be pounding on one's legs, so trekking poles are highly recommended.

    The decent down requires hiking down a rocky trail with some rough dirt and stone steps. Along the way, you'll see steep canyon walls, desert flora and amazing panoramic views of the Grand Canyon. There are no real facilities at this site, the beauty of this site is that it is rustic with great views and there will likely be no one else around. There is no water available until you reach the bottom of the canyon and the Colorado River so be sure to start your hike with 2 to 4 liters of water. It is possible to take a detour to collect water near the Monument Creek campsite.

    The site is a primitive campsite so you find a clear area along the beach and pitch your tent. Leave No Trace principles should be applied. The water and rapids are fast, so exercise caution if you enter the river.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2018

    DeMotte National Forest Campground

    Forest Feel But Close To The Canyon

    I have camped at a number of campgrounds near the Grand Canyon in pursuit of finding the best fit for my many travel associates and followers of my blog. I found that this campground checked a lot of boxes for me in that it wasn't directly in the Grand Canyon and was a little smaller than the popular sites which can become a little overcrowded feeling during peak seasons. It is located in the Kalibab Forest just outside the of the Canyon area.

    The area is green and full of life with nice pad sites equipped with fire rings and picnic tables. The area I pulled into was tent site #32 which was a couple sites over from the toilets and trash station. I like to be close enough to walk but not right beside where the traffic of other campers walking by constantly keeps me awake. This site was backed right into the trees and pretty clear overall.

    The sites here feature drinking water near the restrooms but no hook ups on sites, which is perfect for my needs. I really enjoyed the layout of the campground and the loops which made it feel a bit smaller than many other campgrounds I had checked out.

    I did notice this campground isn't one you can check out after mid October because of the weather in this area and road conditions, so I wouldn't recommend trying it out close to that deadline but when I was there in May it was perfect!!

    TIPS:

    • Walk in VS Reserved is a big question people will ask so I always suggest doing your research in advance especially if you are traveling in the more limited RV sites. All reservations for this site are made through recreation.gov and I did notice that while several of the tent loops are walk in only the RV site are not.

    • There are animals in the area so remember to leave no items loose in your camp overnight. We saw several elk and raccoons.

  • Russ M.
    May. 12, 2015

    Mather Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

    Site 145, Mather Campground, Grand Canyon National Park

    Located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon NP, Mather campground has all the amenities of a modern camp site, i.e., hot water showers, restrooms with designated sinks to wash dishes, fire rings and picnic tables. Camp site 145 is partly shaded, and a short walk from the restroom. Like all sites at this campground site 145 is also within earshot of neighboring sites so it's easy to make new friends while sharing stories of the day's activities over the campfire.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 9, 2017

    DeMotte National Forest Campground

    DeMotte Campground, North Rim Grand Canyon

    I am still amazed that we were able to get a campsite at this popular campground just seven miles from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I loved how super clean it was with very attentive hosts. There are two loops and while it's a first come first pick set up, the campers and rigs seemed to stay in the lower loop and it was tents only on the upper loop while we were there. Just vault toilets and water, no showers, but showers were available at the campground in the Park. We had quite a few mule deer hanging out on the outskirts of our campsite, and even spotted some of those cool tassel-eared Kaibab squirrels. There is more shade in the upper loop than the lower loop, and while there wasn't really enough understory for a lot of privacy, the camp sites were nicely spaced apart. There was a nice little general store/gas station a little ways down the road if you need some supplies.

  • c
    Aug. 10, 2021

    Tusayan-Montane — Grand Canyon National Park

    Premier Forest Service Campground

    Just outside of the entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park, Ten-X is tops. This place is undergoing significant expansion with new infrastructure. It looks like by 2022, there will be electric and water at the new sites (I counted at least 120 more). Right now, there is only one fill point for water and it is only for toting away water not filling RVs. I was concerned because the USFS website did not accurately describe this campground. There is indeed room for a 43 foot rig in maybe 8 spots. The expansion will include more as well. The sites are nicely spaced for privacy. I hate vault toilets but these are brand new and very clean. No dump site here but I saw indications there may be one with the expansion. This was an extraordinarily clean campground and well laid out. There are some walking trails and that was a nice touch. Big elk walking through camp! Update September 2022: expansion occurred, decent sites, no water expansion to new loops, still same set up, no hookups. Still very well maintained although they could maintain the walking trails better. Yes, yellowjackets.


Guide to Grand Canyon

Tent camping near the Grand Canyon offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in stunning natural beauty while enjoying a range of amenities and activities.

Tips for tent camping near Grand Canyon

  • Make sure to secure a permit for sites like Bright Angel Campground, as it requires advance reservations due to its popularity.
  • Pack plenty of water and snacks, especially if you're hiking to remote sites like Horn Creek Campsites, where water sources are scarce.
  • Be prepared for wildlife encounters; at Cottonwood Campground, squirrels are known to be particularly mischievous, so store food securely.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • Phantom Ranch offers unique accommodations with access to a store and dining options, making it a convenient stop for hikers.
  • Facilities at Cottonwood Campground include potable water and composting toilets, enhancing the camping experience.
  • Forest Road 305 provides free dispersed camping with fire pits, allowing for a more rustic experience while still enjoying the great outdoors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Grand Canyon, AZ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Grand Canyon, AZ is Forest Service Road 328 Dispersed with a 4.8-star rating from 120 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Grand Canyon, AZ?

TheDyrt.com has all 24 tent camping locations near Grand Canyon, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.