North Rim Campground — Grand Canyon National Park

The north rim may be less “grand” than the south rim, but it’s way quieter with less tourist. Our site (19), was pull thru, no hookups. Not very level & you may have trouble getting a bigger rig into this campground. Very nice camp store. Lots of trail heads w/in walking distance. Bath rooms were just OK. Books up fast of course, be ready 6 months(to the minute) to reserve a site.

Great views. Smaller crowds. Comfortably spaced campgrounds.

Not too far away from the visitor’s center and Kaibab trailhead. Will remember this place.

90% chance of rain was the forecast.  We journeyed on thinking the views would be limited.  Okay, it rained three times that day - all for about an hour each.  The rest of the time was sunny with unbelievable spectacular views.  The campground and its general store was everything we could have wanted (except electric hookup).  Taking the Transept Trail from the campground (Entrance between sites 15 & 16) to the lodge was a great golden nuggets we got from the Ranger.  For years I've said "If you don't believe in a higher being you have to visit the South Island of New Zealand."  Little did I know there's a place much closer to home.....This is IT!!!!

This medium sized campground is well planned, very quiet and generally well maintained except for the shower facilities and laundry room which need upgrades. That said, the bathrooms were always clean, if outdated.

Campground host, Bill, was absolutely excellent--- best I've met.

Campground spaces were generally level except along the outside spaces in the development.

It takes real planning to reach this campground and lots of gas.

Wifi and cell service were only available at the North Rim Lodge which was the center of activity. However, the food at the Lodge was awful--- bring your own & cook your own.

The Cape Royal Road and Point Imperial are must-do. We did the road twice, 2 mornings in succession. A prettier forest is hard to imagine.

We planned our road trip a little late so there was only one night left here during the week we'd hoped to visit. The campground is very nice, huge spaces, nice walk to a view, and clean bathrooms. There was laundry, which we did not use, and showers, which we did use. Half the showers were out of order, very dirty, and cost a quarter a minute. That was the only drawback. It was a quiet spot that we would stay at again

Very peaceful & breathtaking views. The store has everything you could need.

The North Rim campground is great. The guy who checked us in was very helpful, the camp store had plenty of supplies and firewood, and the bathrooms were clean and well-lit. It is extremely quiet. Even at about 8:30 pm, you couldn’t hear the other campers (and the CG is full)! I would love to stay here again! Note: the showers and laundry are closed due to COVID-19.

Anyone interested in National Parks has the Grand Canyon on their list. But, I’ll admit, that it wasn’t one I prioritized.

It far exceeded my expectations, especially the North Rim and the campground associated with it. It’s a must see for anyone with a love for the outdoors. It’s stunning.

The campground itself was the best campground I’ve ever been to, at least for what it is trying to be.

This isn’t a rough-it campground. It has immaculate bathrooms with flush toilets, dish cleaning stations, a general store just a few hundred feet from campsites with virtually anything you would need from groceries to camping supplies, the sites are decently dispersed, and the staff is attentive and caring. The setting is beautiful. You are surrounded by pine tree forest at 8,000+ elevation. You can tent camp or RV camp. We tent camped.

For a camping experience that still feels like camping but has amenities too, this spot can’t be beat.

North Rim is the best and this campground makes it better. Far less traffic than the South Rim, although more difficult to get to. Sites are all pull-through, so getting in and out is easy. On site store with plenty of supplies. Multiple trails nearby, most within waking distance.

We didn't have a campground reservation, but there were plenty of available spots. Two trails lead to the lodge and visitors center along the north rim. Beautiful treed campground with quiet hours, generator free hours, bathrooms, showers and laundry. Lovely, just lovely.

Super clean bathrooms, drinking water, and right against the north rim of the Grand Canyon, great location!

Spacious and comfortable, not overly busy. WiFi available at the general store, but it’s usually very busy so not as useful as you might like. Was able to get cell service also at general store, and nearby at the village and on Bright Angel Trail. Showers clean and functional, laundry machines available.

Nearby to stunning views, conveniences, and short drives from amazing overlooks. Well worth the stay.

Just spent one night tent camping, but it was a wonderful experience.

Campsite Review:

The North Rim Campground is the only campground located on the North Rim, and although massive, you HAVE to reserve your campsite 6 months in advance or it is likely you will not get one. We had planned our road trip way in advance for this reason. There are some “prime view” sites but they go very quickly. We ended up with a tent-only site which was on its own loop off to the side, but you only had to walk a few yards to look out over the rim. The whole park is beautiful, so don’t stress on getting a particular view.

The tent-only sites had their own designated parking spot not far from the site itself. The sites were close together but staggered so that you were not right up next to your neighbor. They each came with a fire pit, picnic table, and a leveled tent space. There are many bathroom locations around the sites, I did however look at the map online beforehand to get a site close to one. We were next to not only the “original” vault toilets but also “real” toilets that had sinks and a small mirror, plus a dish washing station.

There were a few potable water stations throughout, but keep in mind, if the weather is below freezing it is likely going to freeze and not work. It was snowing while we were there (which is unusual for spring) and the water did not work, thankfully we had brought our own. There is also a camp store with all sorts of groceries and resupplying needs (food, plastic utensils, fuel, candy, beer…..you know the necessities.) They have coin showers and laundry located near the ranger hut as well.

From the campsite, there is a short 2 mile hike over to The Lodge, which has a couple restaurants, coffee hut and bar, and gift shop. This is also where you will find the paths out to a few viewing areas of the Grand Canyon. Be aware it is very crowded, but worth the hike or drive over.

Since we only had one full day to hike, we decided we would take that day to hike the North Kaibab which goes down into the canyon. On the drive in we noticed the trailhead parking lot was completely full and overflowing so we woke up around 5 AM, made breakfast and got to the trailhead around 5:45 AM so we could get a parking spot. We went a total of 12 miles, 6 down (easy peasy) and 6 up (not so easy peasy), but the views were unlike anything I have ever seen! Keep in mind when going down that Yes, you do have to go back up and that last 2 miles from the top is nothing but switchbacks and they WILL murder you.

We did not see much wildlife while we were there, but it was snowing most of the time. They warned against leaving food out because of the ravens, so we made sure to keep our food up in the car. Take some time to visit the North Rim, we only had 3 days and I wished we had much much more!

Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test products from time to time. At North Rim Campground, I tested the Primus Primetech 2.3 Liter Stove Set.

Now for the past few years I have been using my MSR Pocket Rocket for all my backpacking needs, but this trip was with my husband and was more like car camping than anything, so we opted to choose a little bigger stove. Primus has many variety of stoves, but we very much liked the sound of the new Primetech stove that has a nonstick pan and wind guard. It comes in a 1.3 Liter as well, but we eat a lot…

Never having used anything by Primus, I did not quite know what to expect. I ordered directly from the Primus website and received the product within the week. The stove and parts came all packed together in a nice carrying pouch that makes it very easy handle. It is bigger than the stove I am used to and probably not the best for backpacking with, but it is great if you have some extra room to spare and a few bodies to cook for!

At first, I will tell you, I got very frustrated. I could not for the life of me figure it out. I read the instructions over and over again, doing EXACTLY what they said to do. Well…that was the problem.

The set up was nice and easy, but lighting it was the issue. The instructions say to turn the valve 2 whole turns, then use the Piezo Lighter to light. Well I can tell you, after much trial and error, it needed much more than 2 turns. I originally thought it was the lighter itself, so we tried a different lighter and failed again. Long story short, I found that that you need to turn the valve until you hear a light stream of gas then use the Piezo Lighter (could be upwards of 5 whole turns.)

Once I figured out how to light the thing, I fell in LOVE!  The Primetech stove is Awesome!

Things I LOVE!! :

1. The whole thing packs up into itself and comes in a nice carrying case!

2. The gas valve makes it feel like you are cooking over your gas stove at home. You can decrease and increase the flame to you cooking needs without any effort at all!

3. The lid for the pot has an integrated strainer and the wind guard on the bottom works wonders!

4. The set comes with 2 pot, one of which has a non-stick coating that actually works! I have spent too many nights scrubbing the burned noodles out of a pot in freezing cold water as my fingers go numb….not anymore!! You can literally get a paper towel and wipe the excess food out of the pot.

This is one AMAZING stove set. We brought our old stove set on the trip just in case this one didn’t hold up to our liking, we didn’t even unpack the thing. I will be using the Primetech Primus stove for many years to come!

-Quick tip: Make sure to use a Primus fuel canister if you have one available. We originally attached a leftover MSR fuel canister we had and for some reason when connecting it the fuel leaked out a got all over my hand (it didn’t feel so good), when I attached the Primus canister later I didn’t have an issue!

My wife and I took a week long road trip through Arizona, we made no plans and no reservations. Little did we know after reaching the North Rim Campground, we would find that the camp sights are books 6+ months ahead of time. The park ranger told us about the dispersed camping many mile away, as we were getting ready to leave line, a couple walks up and explained they had reserved a corner spot which contained 2 spots, because it was the only one available that weekend. they offered the unused sight to us!!!!!

We took the offer and were Blown away by the beauty that surrounded our site, we were far from others even quite far from our helpful hosts, the hiking is stunning and the lodge there makes some great food as well as a great place to buy some souvenirs.

Facilities:

Fire-ring, BBQ, Water nearby, AMAZING SPACE, plenty of tree coverage from the sun, close to hiking, and within a short drive to the best sunsets Arizona has to offer

We HIGHLY recommend catching the sunset at Angel Peak!!!! but watch out for the altitude change, its quite high at 8297 feet. Our hometown is at 2800 and the hiking got the best of me…

Very beautiful campground on the north rim. Plenty of shops and trails to hit while you're here. Great views of the canyon. I believe they are only open during the spring to summer months. Only 10 percent of the annual Grand canyon visitors go to the north rim. Beautiful visitor center with very helpful park rangers. They're are quite a few trails that take you to different view points of the canyon which I will attach. If you choose to camp here ensure you reserve a spot a few months out as they usually fill up quickly. I made a reservation about 7 months in advance.

Spectacular scenery and way more intimate than the south rim.

Campsites came with picnic tables, fire pit, water nearby, and toilets. Shower and laundry near the camp store/ restaurant. Trail from my site to the north rim where I saw the most amazing sunset and views of the canyon. There is a second area to the North rim with cabins and a lodge where they put on star parties at night with folks from NASA giving fascinating talks on Mars and land rovers followed by dozens of telescope on the deck to view the cosmos.

Stayed for a single night in late June. There were severe fire restrictions on at the time so no campfires allowed. Sites were generously sized and spaced out. Lots of sites; large campground. VERY close to the Transept Canyon, a side canyon that feeds into the Grand Canyon. We will definitely visit this campground again.

VERY cool campground that is spread out through old growth pines and is within walking distance of The North Rim, which is by far the best side of the Gran Canyon! If you are lucky enough to be there during a thunderstorm, you'll get to listen to thunder roll through The Grand Canyon. :)

The Grand Canyon is one of my favorite places, and the North Rim has the view with less crowds than the South Rim. It is a longer drive, and more remote, and closes in the winter, but the peace and beauty is worth it. There are many rim view sites, and the campground is clean and neat. Flush toilets, pay showers, and a general store provide what you need. There are several small places to eat at the lodge, which is less than a mile hike or drive. The camp hosts are friendly, and the sites are wonderfully quiet at night. We have visited every year for 10 years, and plan to continue our tradition.

Amenities include shower and laundry. Quick access to little trails. Clean bathrooms. Nice tent pad. Spacious sites.

We loved our one night stay at this epic campground. We walked from the Campground over to the saloon and lodge for a beer and to explore. The campsite was absolutely amazing and the views were perfect. You can literally walk a few short steps and look down into the Freaking Grand Canyon!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 Just Wow!

If you want to explore the North Rim, this is the best...and only...campground in the park. Otherwise, there is Demotte or dispersed camping outside the park. You can roll out of bed and be looking at the Canyon or on the trail to the lodge in a few minutes from this campground. Or a quick walk on the Transept Trail gets you to the North Kaibab Trail in 15 minutes. There is a trailhead for the Ken Patrick Trail (with a cutoff to the Uncle Jim Trail) over that way. You'll have to drive to the Widforss Trail but it's worth it.

We camped on 4 sites in 5 nights. Why? This place gets booked solid way ahead of time, and we don't do that kind of planning. When we decided we wanted to get to the North Rim on opening day (5/15), I started stalking recreation.gov. That was early May. I quickly got sites for 5/15 and then 5/18 for 2 nights. People cancel! By the time we got to the park, I had secured a site for 5/17. Then we got 5/16 on a walkup. We would have gone out to Demotte or dispersed camping if we hadn't gotten the 16th. Only frustrating part is that there are empty sites EVERY night. Not everyone cancels when their plans change!

Anyway....great campground! Showers and laundry are up at the entrance. Showers got dirty fast but they clean a couple times each day. There are bathrooms and water throughout the park. The store has ice and beer with good prices for craft beer. Those are essentials but there are other things at the store.

Wifi is kinda iffy. It's best up by the store. And it's better in the early morning.

Campground is so quiet because everyone is exhausted from an active day!

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a beautiful area with all levels of hiking trails. It is only open May 15th to October 15th. Reservations are a must and should be made as soon into the season as you can. It fills quickly. The road is paved and the pull ins and throughs are also paved. The NPS website is the place to go for information. I went after the season was over, which means that the store, the Lodge and the one and only gas station are all closed. If you are riding a motorcycle take gas.

#77 was my scheduled site but someone was in it. The ranger was great and found me a different one right away.

Aabsolutely beautiful and well worth the drive. The north rim offers great trails, beautiful views, awesome dining, laundry room, showers, country store and less crowded then the south rim. I can't wait to go back!

Amazing place to camp! If you've seen the south rim it's time to venture to the less crowded forested North Rim! The camp grounds were well spread out, quiet, amazing staff, and clean restrooms, showers, and coin laundry. 1 mile hike to the lodge (you can also drive) - I've added a picture to the map. We were in 10, but I would reccomend any of the T (tent) sites - they were on their own peak with wonderful views - but the park has strict generator rules so it won't be loud even if you're next to an RV. Be prepared for a long drive in and a long touring drive to see all the views, it is amazing but a little harder to navigate. The staff at the visitors center is wonderful though and they'll help you see what you want to see.

Nice campground with abundant sites (reservable, which I recommend), clean bathrooms, and pay shower and laundry close by. More importantly, there are fewer people here at the North Rim, so you feel less claustrophobic. The camp sites have the typical fire rings and picnic tables and are clean and level and shaded by huge ponderosa pines (I think thats the right tree species). There is a nice trail that you can take from the campground along the rim to the visitors center (about 1.5 miles). Be sure to fill up on water before you go hiking (which is just a good idea in general) because then you can drink water that's piped up from Roaring Springs, inside the canyon. Pretty cool! It was cool, rainy, and overcast while I was here, but I didn't let that stop me from hiking. The trees did a great job of sheltering me from most of the rain.

This spot is just so unbelievable.

We should never have questioned the 4.5 hour drive from the South Rim because in all honesty - this was the best campground in or on or around the Grand Canyon.

It is so quiet, its beautiful, and you have space! You don't feel like you are part of a huge cattle herd either! There are a fraction of the number of campsites compared to Mather Campground too, so you have space and the quiet you are looking for when camping!

My favorite part about this place was the proximity to the rim. You have to of course remember to approach at your own risk (and I probably wouldnt recommend going after dark), but we were a 3 minute walk from the North Rim edge. We didn't get as spectacular of a sunset as we did on the South Rim but thats ok.

Each campsite comes with a picnic bench and grill. The bathrooms were pristine compared to Mather. The general store was amazing! They had everything we needed (that we forgot!)