Best Dispersed Camping near Jacob Lake, 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 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.

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.

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.

FS Road #205 at Hwy 89ais also a trailhead for the Arizona Trail. There is a kiosk and a vault toilet of at the trailhead area. The dispersed sites are along FS road #205 as you head west. Several very nice ones along the road, however FS dispersed rules note no camping within 1 mile of a developed recreation site and not sure if that includes a trailhead? Need to consult the Kaibab NF MVUM for open roads for dispersed camping. The #205 road is a very good condition gravel road but side spurs are usually diet two track. No designated sites, no water, trash, or metal fire rings. Cell signal is dependent on camp site and line of sight to cell towers north of Jacob Lake. This area is in a timbered draw so most sites not likely good for cell signal. The vault toilet at the trailhead is a bonus.

The FS road #247 is a nice gravel road in for about a mile, after that it narrows just past an open area with gravel piles...would not go much past with a TT without a recon first. 3-4 nice sites on the flats along the road...no toilets, water, trash dumpsters or metal fire rings. Cell signal was surprising ok due to close proximity to the towers just north of Jacob Lake. Dispersed Camping is allowed along open FS roads per the Kaibab NF MVUM (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/kaibab/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd490027).

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.

Decided to camp here in late October. There’s vault toilets to the left just after you turn right (south) from 89a.

It was COLD…which was to be expected at this time of year. But be prepared if you choose to enjoy this area in the “off season.” You can definitely expect snow at these elevations in October! :)

This area was exceptionally clean, even for dispersed camping. I only saw one other person turn off the highway and travel down the road while I was there.

From the looks of it, this forest road should be suitable for any vehicle, and eventually “loops” around to another forest road. I managed just fine on a motorcycle, but didn’t venture too far back as I knew I’d eventually encounter ice in shaded areas of the roadway.

You’re not far from the Jacob Lake Inn if you fancy yourself a hot meal or a pastry when they’re open. 😊

Aspens are nice but small. This area is part of the Warm Fire that burned in 2006. It is all young aspens now. No shade and somewhat exposed. No cell signal either. This area is also a trailhead for the Arizona trail but no vault toilet here. This is not a good site for dispersed camping IMO. Do not know why anyone would add this area to the dyrt database. A much better dispersed camping area is back toward the north a few miles on hwy to the FS road #205/225. Another Arizona TH is there but area is nicely forested and the TH has a vault toilet. Note that dispersed camping rules say a camp has to be 1 mile from a developed recreation site, and on an open FS road via the Forest MVUM, but not sure if that includes a TH only.

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.

This is FS road #225 and from hwy 89a jct on way to Jacob lake about 2-3 miles away. This site is across hwy 89a from another FS Rd is #257 dispersed area Nice large camp sites in trees along the first mile or so. Road is gravel but a bit lumpy in spots. Cell signal is good if you are on flat ridge area toward top. FS road 225 is part of the Great Western motorized trail. Note that FS dispersed rules note you have to be along an open road per the FS MVUM ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/kaibab/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd490027) and 1 mile from a developed recreation site like a FS campground.

Amazing spot that gets you right up to the river blasted walls of the mountain. I followed the path to the spot deeper. We can hear coyotes howling in the distance. I have dispersed camped for the last 8 months straight over 9k miles now, and I’m so happy with this spot. It’s one of my favorites so far. It’s clean, secluded. I am here in June, and it’s hot. BEWARE you need 4x4 and high clearance. You absolutely will get very stuck if you attempt it in anything else. Enjoy!

We loved this free camping area! 

There aren't tons of spots(most of it is an open area), but we never had an issue getting one, even during spring break. 

It's close to Kanab and the east entrance of Zion.

Please Leave No Trace! Take care of this place so it can be enjoyed by many for as long as possible!

I loved this primitive camp site!! No internet, beautiful landscape, some trails to explore, fire rings, and plenty of space!! This place is definitely popular for OHVs and ATVs during the day, so be sure to avoid OHV and ATV trails. Definitely need 4WD to get through sand. We have a 4WD, but we were still worried about getting through much of the sandy trails that led to our campsite.

Forest Service #200 road is about 4 miles south of Jacob Lake on Hwy 67. This is a nice flat ridge that is forested and has dispersed sites with good shade and good cell signal on Verizon. No toilets, water, designated sites, tables, metal fire rings or dumpsters. This area is a good choice if staging to go to the north rim of GC due to cell signal. Road is good condition gravel, but side spurs can be two track dirt.

This was our first try at dispersed camping and we hit the jackpot! Beautiful, up on a hill with great views of the sunrise and sunset. Took the advice of the first reviewer to take the second left and the road was easily accessible with our SUV and pop-up. Lots of kindling for a fire and lots of spots to park.

This site offers dispersed camping along forest road with drive up sites. The site had a fire ring and was near a trail that offered about a 15 minute walk (or 3 minute drive from the road we came in on) to a vault toliet bathroom. There were a few other campers in RV's and camper shells but we never heard or saw them from our site since the sites were so widely spaced. If you like a private spot under the stars and surrounded by large pines then this is for you.