Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Kaibab National Forest

We camped in the Kaibab National Forest in Williams, AZ for my friend's birthday and it was absolutely amazing! So peaceful and relaxing! I will definetly go again!

This site was just inside the Kaibab National Forest. Beautiful trees, nice dark sky with a million stars and a stones throw to the south rim. Would highly recommend.

The Kaibab National Forest is a beautiful area; roads leading all directions, not all of them connect. We were pretty excited to camp under the stars. The skies here are BIG! So quiet, and peaceful. We were thrilled to find a camp spot in a small meadow with a pond that the wildlife used for water.

Some roads were rough, needing a four wheel drive; just our style; some are more than an hour from pavement,; again, exactly our style. It was fun to look, and then look again for just the right spot. This area is just north of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, so be sure to check that out. There is a lot to see here. If you are looking to camp on National Park property, get there early and make a reservation. We opted for primitive camping and were thrilled with it.

Nice park, plenty of amenities, dog park, pull thru sites..close but not unbearable...plenty of room for tip outs..Close to Williams, hour drive to Grand canyon NP. Seems like there's abundant KOA bashing going on these days...This park is not one of them...

Brought our motorcycle for day trip to Sedona. Conveniently located for the gorgeous drive. Camped in site 6, small trailer site. Came in after office hours. Paperwork, including park map, ready for us next to office. It was dark, so not super easy to find site, but little street signs helped. All dirt, so glad it wasn't muddy. All sites show wheelchair accessible, but don't see how. Charcoal grills and picnic benches scattered everywhere. Community grill area, laundry, clean bathrooms, dog park and newer playground. They are currently improving campground, so lots of tractor noise. We chose an electric and water only site. Dump station next to dog park/laundry/bathroom area. Didn't go to General Store, but they advertise a coffee and wine bar, and breakfast sandwiches. Right on Hwy 66, so a bit of traffic, and we could hear the train, but it wasn't bad. We will definitely be back and look forward to seeing the planned improvements.

This is one of those parks that mostly have RV camping & a few tent sites. There wasn't any availability at other spots since we are floating around in our little RV... the spots aren't too close together, there is shade from pine trees, bathrooms with showers & flushing toilets. Road noise & train noise (we don't mind trains). It's convenient to exploring Flagstaff. Easy hiking trail within park & small dog park.

FR688 

Tusayan, AZ

35.9252565, -112.1247050

Ponderosa Pines in Kaibab National Forest. 

Saw at least a dozen bigger rigs with better backing skills than us tucked away from the road. 

Lovely to see trees after 2 months  of desert. Had cows fairly close, deer in the distance. Lots of birds.

Verizon 1-2 bars, ATT showed 1 bar but was unusable. This was fairly close to the entrance with no booster.

Grounds reasonably clean, I've  seen worse. 2 grocery bags over 14 days of broken glass, nails, plastic, used foil, beer caps, shell casings etc on my walks.

Several spots have nice firepits.

There is some road noise, but not bad.

Close to GCNP & free. If you have a pass, use the left lane for quicker entry.

Restaurants & groceries  in the area are at tourist prices, bring what you need or be prepared for sticker shock.

Propane is available at the RV park just past the general store. 

We refilled water jugs inside the park at their Spring Water stations each time we went. Laundry at Mather Campground. 

Definitely do Desert View Drive while in the area. Gorgeous views & able to get away from the masses at Grand Canyon Village.

Would stay again if in the area.

If coming in late for longer than 1-2nts. Take the 1st spot you can fit into & scout out the next morning. Lots of car/van campers were just here for the night, and there are many easy spaces tucked back from the road that are hard to see from the road when towing. We parked just off the road near the entrance and grabbed a great spot 48hrs later when some neighbors left.

The views here are epic as we all know. But honestly the camping is nearby to all the action, pets allowed, fun for kids, plenty of room to run free, lots of shade and tables.

I would say that this review may be different from most. We arrived March 21 and departed on ‘March 24. We were able to call and get reservations last minute, probably due to the fact that most people did their research and knew there was a snowstorm coming. I knew we were supposed to get bad weather, but the day after we arrived, we woke up to about 4” of snow. The south rim and visitors center were closed. We made the best of our day and went out that afternoon during a break in the storm and we’re able to get to a viewpoint from El Tovar. I was very excited to see the canyon for my first time. Nope - Denied! The canyon itself was socked in with either a cloud or fog. The next day it snowed off and on, and the Grand Canyon remained closed. We drove over to Mather Point and were able to see some views! I really wish we could have seen the whole south rim, but we will have to come back. As far as the campground - we had full hook ups, which was very nice considering the weather. Water, Sewer, 50 Amp. No dog park, you just walk the dog and pick up after them. We had enough cell service that we could watch YouTube. ATT. No Wi-Fi, which is to be expected. My suspicions are that during good weather, you would have a very difficult time getting a spot at this campground as it is very convenient to the park. I think I would have loved it here if I was able to get out and enjoy it more, but we were basically stuck in the fifth wheel. We are a 40’ fifth wheel and the space was 50’ and easy to pull into. Also easy to get out of. I would recommend this park.

We were pleased to get our family's RV & tent sites adjacent under the pines. Got to set up our new Napier Sportz SUV tent & our Subaru Forester. Wonderful clean bathrooms and warm showers. Pet friendly & warm welcome at check-in.

Campground was a decent size. Did not feel over crowded for it being filled. Lots of grass areas and hiking trails for families and pets to roam. The creek near by was a huge plus and a cute and fun little bridge to play on with kids.

Humble, great hosts every time. Firewood available. Big open areas for big groups. Small spots for smaller groups(most have area for one or two cars). Amazing, updated, clean facilities. If you have pets, check them for ticks after, just a heads up! Friends and I use this area for when we don't feel like back country camping before we head out to the amazing Canyoneering along West Clear Creek (WCC) has to offer.

If you don’t have a UTV, this is probably not the place for you to go. Dusty and loud.

We reserved a spot at this campground in advance of the weekend. We showed up at 6pm, an hour after the office closed. There was an “after hours checkin” location. I looked for a reservation with our name on it telling us which spot we should be going to. None of the slips had any names on them just a sticky note saying “one night only pay in the AM” since we had received 2 confirmation emails, I based our reservation off of the second confirmation stating we got full hookups - assuming they upgraded us from the electric/water because someone had cancelled. In the AM I went to go pay/check in since we were there from Thursday-Sunday. They acted like I was an idiot for not going to our assigned spot, even though we did not know where that was and demanded we moved. I asked them why I got a second email stating they were charging us for the full hook ups and they stated someone messed up and there’s nothing they could do about just go move to the correct location. I went and verified and at least they charged my credit card for the correct amount. Later that second day they called me and requested I come back to the office because they forgot to fully check us in and I needed to pay them. I ended up standing at their check in window for a long period of time before they came to assist me.

If you have to dump after your trip- or even during your trip— be warned it’s an additional $10 each time you want to dump.

The location is close to I-17 which has its pluses and minuses. Easy to find and get around, but truck noise throughout the night when you attempt to sleep.

The dog park is nice sized and has poop bags and garbages. The whole RV park has poop bags and garbages around it- which is awesome!

They do have propane fill on site, and typically a general store. The store was not open due to COVID-19.

The people staying at the campground were all friendly, which made the stay a little more enjoyable. Although there is not a lot of privacy within the different sites.

Turning onto FS-222 is probably the worst part of the road that we experienced. Decent gravel with some slight washboard. There are practically infinite camping spots out here, big rigs included.

We had checked out two other sites in the Flagstaff area before landing here. We liked the selection of sites here the best and also have pretty good cell service. Great location to explore the area!

We were able to secure a super secluded spot for our 36 ft rig about a mile in with some tricky maneuvering. A little bit of garbage, but it wasn't trashed. I wouldn't bring anyone here that isn't comfortable with guns, as there is tons of noise coming from a nearby range. I would recommend camping near the beginning or take a right when the road forks and camp past there. The gun range is to the left and people shoot until around 11pm in our experience.

Also be careful of kids and pets bear the road, especially on weekends. Idiots were flying by going at least 60 mph on dirt bikes. Most riders were respectful though.

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.

We have a 30ft Skoolie (2002 bluebird) and tow a 17ft cargo trailer conversion and there were countless spots for us to fit in without having to drop the trailer! This area is VAST and breathtaking. There were a lot of campers when you first enter, but if you drive around you will find something perfect for your setup no doubt.

The only thing I would say to be mindful of and I say this with regard to pets is that there were jeeps, trucks and 4x4s driving past occasionally during the night and they FLY down the gravel roads. We were not at all bothered by it - they’re out there having a good time enjoying the mountains and forests in their way just like we are but just keep your doggos and cattos close 🐾

The roads are gravel and they are pitchy and rutted in areas. Some roads have a several inches droop off too but our bus did great through it. If you pay attention and arrive in daylight you’re absolutely fine. There are VERY few spots to turn around and to take the loop is several miles of gravel road out of the way so just look at the satellite on maps, take it slow and enjoy the view. We only had the time to stay one night but we will absolutely be back. CAUTION: elevation is 7500ft. If you are prone to altitude sickness be wary. You ascend from about 5000 to 7000 pretty quickly. Other than that watch the weather. The roads flood and wash out with rain from the mountains so be alert and plan accordingly and you will be fine. ENJOY and remember to LEAVE NO TRACE 🫶🏻

Campsite 107

Was able to secure a reservation about two weeks in advance for a Saturday night stay in July. If you weren't able to get a reservation in advance, check back a week or two prior to your desired dates for cancellations.

The check in was easy, only took a few seconds to find our reservation and give us directions to the site.

The site was mostly level, clean, and fairly large considering the size of the campground. There was a good mix of shade to put the tent and chairs, and open sky to view the stars. Looking around, we probably had one of the least shaded sites, but it wasn't too bad. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring with a grill.

The site was fairly close to a restroom and there was some noise from the air dryers and the door opening and closing throughout the night. They were clean though, and there's a sink around back for dishwashing. I would not pick a site right next to a bathroom: there was a site maybe 15 feet away and that's too close.

All of our neighbors were nice and quiet, but we could hear a couple loud groups coming from the far parts of the campground. The hosts are very strict about the generator curfew (love it!) and not stringing stuff from trees. Hammocks are fine, but you need to take it down when you're not actually in it. This is to protect the animals who will wander through your site.

Watch for lots of pedestrians walking down the road to and from the showers. We didn't use those facilities.

There are lots of elk and deer that are waaay too comfortable around humans, so make sure you keep all food put away, watch your pets, and take your trash to the dumpsters. It was interesting seeing the elk, but sad at the same time. One of our neighbors left a trash bag out overnight and the elk (and later the crows) destroyed it.

The campground is about a 20 minute walk from Mather Point and the visitors center via a paved walking path that starts just past the Juniper Loop. There's a whole network of paths, mostly paved, some dirt, around the Village that connects most everything, plus the shuttle bus. The general store is about 1/4 mile from the campground entrance.

Near zero cell service with Sprint. Just enough to get an occasional push notification.