Dispersed Camping Grand Canyon: the Best Boondocking In and Around the Park
For those who enjoy a more off-grid experience, there are multiple options for boondocking both in and around Grand Canyon National Park. This guide highlights the best dispersed camping Grand Canyon spots, including both primitive campgrounds (which are designated locations, but without any amenities) and dispersed camping in the fullest sense (pulling off a dirt road and creating your own site).
Jump to:
- Required Backcountry Permits: What to Know
- How to Get a Backcountry Permit
- Dispersed Camping – South Rim
- Dispersed Camping – North Rim
- Dispersed Camping Outside the Park
Required Backcountry Permits: What to Know
Anyone planning to camp outside the Grand Canyon’s designated three campgrounds (Mather, Desert View, and North Rim), but still within the national park, must have a backcountry permit.
Backcountry permit applications are managed through recreation.gov (more details on how to snag a permit below).
Once you obtain a permit, you can pick up it up at the Backcountry Information Center in Grand Canyon Village (directions here). A printed copy of the permit must be carried at all times while you’re in the park.
How to Get a Backcountry Permit
Option #1: Four Months Out
Your earliest chance to snag a permit is via the “Early Access Lottery,” which closes four months before the first day of the month in which you’re planning to visit the park. Applications are open for two weeks prior to the close date. So, for example, if you want to visit sometime during the month of June, the application window opens Jan. 16 and closes Feb. 1 (four months before the start of June).
Between the 16th – 1st of any given month, head to the recreation.gov Grand Canyon Backcountry Permit page and scroll down to the “Early Access” section. Follow the prompts to apply for your permit. If your application is one of the 750 accepted, you’ll be notified on the 2nd of the month.
Option #2: Three Months Out
Those who miss the Early Access Lottery can still aim to grab a permit with three months of your visit.
In this instance, simply head to the same permit page and click “Available Permits” to choose from what’s open.
Option #3: Waitlist Walk-Ups
If you still don’t have a backcountry permit by the time you arrive at the park, you can visit the Backcountry Information Center in person and request a waitlist number.
Starting at 8 a.m. the following day, the Backcountry Information Center staff will begin calling waitlist numbers for available permits.
Once your number is called, you can either accept the day’s permit or use your waitlist spot to trade for a lower number the following day (thus increasing your odds of getting a permit).
Yes, it’s all very complicated. You can learn more about Grand Canyon backcountry permits at the either the NPS or recreation.gov pages.
Dispersed Camping Grand Canyon – South Rim
Because they’re within the confines of the national park, each of these spots require a backcountry permit.
Havasupai Gardens Campground (primitive)
Havasupai Gardens (formerly Indian Gardens and renamed in 2022) sits along the Bright Angel Trail, 4.8 miles from the South Rim trailhead.
There is a serene beauty here, with a small creek dotted with cottonwoods. Havasupai also has drinking water and toilets available year-round.
Bright Angel Campground (primitive)
Bright Angel Campground is arguably the most popular of primitive options within the park.
Located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, it sits along Bright Angel Creek, just before the confluence with the Colorado River. Phantom Ranch, the famous 1920s-era hotel, is just a half mile away.
Reaching Bright Angel requires a decent trek. You can either hike 9.5 miles along the Bright Angel Trail, or 6.3 miles along the South Kaibab Trail. Once you arrive, you’ll have year-round access to drinking water and toilets.
Dispersed Camping Grand Canyon – North Rim
Because they’re within the confines of the national park, each of these spots require a backcountry permit.
Tuweep Campground (primitive)
Tucked into one of the more remote corners of the park, Tuweep offers a scenic escape for those who truly want to feel off the grid. Here, campsites are more exposed than the others, but you’ll be surrounded by the red rocks and scrub brush so iconic to the Grand Canyon.
There’s no drinking water at Tuweep, but you will have access to picnic tables and compost toilets.
From Tuweep Campground, it’s also less than a mile walk to the jaw dropping Toroweap Overlook.
Note: accessing the site requires driving down remote dirt roads that can turn extremely muddy and sometimes impassable after summer monsoons or winter snow. 4-wheel drive strongly recommended, if not required. Learn more.
Cottonwood Campground (primitive)
Situated beneath the North Rim along Bright Angel Creek, reaching Cottonwood Campground requires a 6.8-mile hike down the North Kaibab Trail.
Toilets are available, as is drinking water seasonally (between mid-May to mid-October). If you plan to camp here during the off-season, you’ll need to filter creek water.
Dispersed Camping Outside the Park
Because these spots are located outside the boundaries of the national park, you do not need a backcountry permit to camp here.
Kaibab National Forest – South Rim (dispersed)
Just beyond the park’s boundaries, on both sides of the Grand Canyon, lies Kaibab National Forest. On the south side, the vast majority of Kaibab land along Highway 64 is open to dispersed camping.
(Tip: One of our personal favorite spots is along Forest Service Road 686, on the west side of Highway 64. Here, there are lots of secluded spots tucked into the pines, well-suited to setting up camp).
Kaibab National Forest – North Rim (dispersed)
As with the South Rim, the Kaibab National Forest lands bordering the North Rim are also open to dispersed camping. Here, the higher elevation (up to 9,000 feet!) creates more rugged backcountry terrain, along with harsher elements.
You can pull off any highway to set up camp (Highway 67 is a main thoroughfare), although roads often become impassable during the winter and early spring months. Always check conditions before venturing out.
Indian Hollow Campground – North Rim (primitive)
Indian Hollow toes the line between dispersed and designated campground. With only three sites, it remains very primitive and secluded, for those wanting the solitude that comes with backcountry camping.
However, it also has picnic tables, fire rings, and a vault toilet (which may be an added amenity if you draw the line at being that connected to nature).
To access Indian Hollow, take Forest Road 232 to the very end (directions).
Have more time to explore Grand Canyon National Park? Check out our guides to the best things to do, top South Rim hikes, best designated campgrounds, and itineraries for 1, 2, and 3 days.
Featured image courtesy Chaewul Kim.
