Best Tent Camping near North Rim, AZ

This was such a quaint friendly campsite. The woman here was by far the sweetest. They sell ice cream treats and ice too, with pristine vault toilets and sinks. We had such a nice quiet stay. The tent sites are all very close together but because it was empty, we had a wonderfully quiet stay camped between some trees. And yes fire rings were amazing considering the no fire restrictions all around the area. It’s about an hour from North Rim Grand Canyon which is highly recommended. We went out onto Bright angel point. There were other camp sites further in toward the rim, but they didn’t come up on the Dyrt so not sure their availability. Overall it was a great spot.

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.

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.

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.

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... Why would anyone do this? But he was serious! I had never backpacked and slept in a tent without having some kind of civilization around or modern conveniences nearby. We began training by Keto diet and walking everyday. Since we live at sea level, we couldn't really simulate the elevation change but walked stairs at a nearby hospital frequently. We eventually progressed to carrying our weighted backpacks for 5+ miles. I lost 20 lbs, had more endurance, got stronger and a little more confident in his plan. We booked our permits, plane tickets and arranged for the care of our 4 boys to get to school, soccer, etc. while we were gone. We left on October 31 and flew to Phoenix, AZ. After a few days of sightseeing with Jason's parents around the south rim, we drove up & left our rental car on the North rim. It was closed for transportation and all services already.

On November 2nd, we began our hike from South Kaibab trail to North Rim which was about 20.5 miles. The first stop was Bright Angel Campground that night which was about 7 miles into our hike and an elevation change of 4,780 feet. Going down was mostly easy but hard on the knees and toes. The view was amazing and I took lots of pics along the way. By the time we made it to Bright Angel campground, all of the creek sites were taken. We found another one quickly because it appeared to be filling fast. Each site had a picnic table, backpack / gear hanging pole and locking military-type box to store food and toiletries. The sites were level and there was a separation between them by vegetation. There was a ranger station and toilets in campground. Deer walked around freely nearby. There was a water spigot next to us to fill our bottles and bags. We didn't encounter a rude person there- everyone was willing to answer questions and offer advice from their own experiences. After a mountain house meal and an attempt to clean off in Bright Angel Creek(way too cold), we went to bed exhausted and ready for the next day of hiking...