While it’s best to have reservations, believe it or not it is possible to find campsites at the Grand Canyon last-minute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":6316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,197],"tags":[],"blog_locations":[147,151],"class_list":["post-6972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-resources","category-national-parks","blog_locations-las-vegas","blog_locations-phoenix"],"acf":{"title":"","background_image":{"ID":17182,"id":17182,"title":"grand-canyon-national-park-campervan","filename":"grand-canyon-national-park-campervan.jpg","filesize":108268,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/grand-canyon-national-park-campervan.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/es\/?attachment_id=17182","alt":"Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona by camper van. The size of the Grand Canyon makes it a great camper van rental destination. 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Grand Canyon National Park is home to some of the best camping in the country and because of that, it can be difficult to find a campsite during the most popular months of May through August. <\/span>However, between the months of May and October, it is possible to get a campsite in and around the South Rim of the Grand Canyon without reserving a site 6 months in advance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve listed some of the best camping in the Grand Canyon that can be snagged without reservations <\/span>as well as a few helpful <\/span>tips below to help you out.<\/span><\/p>\n No. Grand Canyon National Park itself does not require reservations. However, some of the campgrounds throughout the park do require reservations, especially during the summer months.<\/span><\/p>\n Camping in Grand Canyon National Park will cost you at least the entrance fee to the park. You can, however, find free camping along the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Kaibab National Forest if you would rather skip the entrance fee.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some of the most popular and cost-effective campgrounds near the Grand Canyon:<\/span><\/p>\n By far the most popular and most-requested campground in the South Rim, this place books up 6 months in advance during the high tourist season. If you don\u2019t have reservations, show up at the reservations booth anyway and ask if there are any cancellations.\u00a0There are also showers at Mather. Take a bunch of quarters ($2) because they\u2019re coin operated.<\/p>\n 25 miles east of Grand Canyon Village on Desert View Drive is Desert View Campground.\u00a0 These 75 sites are on a first come, first serve basis and are less crowded, less convoluted and way more laid back than tourist-packed Mather. The drive is spectacular so you\u2019ll want to make this trip anyway. Show up in the morning and keep an eye out for people that look like they\u2019re packing up. Be bold: walk up and ask if they\u2019re leaving and if it\u2019s ok to secure their site once they\u2019re gone. Get a campsite reservation form, fill it out and wait for them to leave.<\/p>\n 4 short miles south of the town of Tusayan (Grand Canyon park entrance) is the little known Ten-X Campground. This well-run, private camping area has larger, more remote campsites than either Mather or Desert View. Between 40 to 70 of the sites are saved for first come first serve, so, like Desert View, show up around 9 am and keep an eye out for likely candidates to be moving on.<\/p>\n You may also try for a reservation at either Mather or Ten-X in case there\u2019s a cancellation during the busy months. (928) 638-2443 or try the\u00a0recreation.gov<\/a>\u00a0website.<\/p>\n Remember, it is legal to car camp within any National Forest area in the United States. Kaibab National Forest surrounds the south rim of the Grand Canyon thereby making it one HUGE, free campground. Look for the many pullouts along Hwy 64 south of Tusayan.<\/p>\n Note: Remember to choose well-maintained roads, as you\u2019re not covered by our insurance if you\u2019re off of the pavement.<\/p>\n While the Grand Canyon Village does have a fully functional supermarket, we recommend gearing up before you enter the park. There\u2019s a Safeway in the town of Williams, AZ just to the south as you exit I-40 on Highway 64. Williams is\/was a Route 66 stopover and an interesting place to check out anyway.<\/p>\n Like groceries, petrol is pretty expensive in and around the Grand Canyon. Fill up in Williams.<\/p>\n The Grand Canyon National Park Visitors Services area, located just next to the check-in booth at Mather Campground offers showers for $2. Bring quarters.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The roadways can become a parking lot during the months of June \u2013 September at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Park your campervan for a few days and rent a bike to avoid the madness. Contact the guys at\u00a0bikegrandcanyon.com<\/strong>\u00a0for more details.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dress appropriately.\u00a0<\/strong>Desert does not always = warm. Bring layers!<\/p>\n Just about wherever you can camp in a tent around the Grand Canyon, you can camp in a campervan. Plus, with a campervan, there\u2019s no worrying about setting up camp before dark or having to sleep on the ground. Simply choose the campground that works for you, drive in, and park. It\u2019s that simple! You can <\/span>book your campervan online<\/span><\/a> today and pick it up at <\/span>our <\/span>Phoenix<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Las Vegas<\/span><\/a> depots which are just about 4 hours away from Grand Canyon National Park.<\/span><\/p>\n Looking for more camping tips? Check out our post on\u00a0finding campsites in Yosemite National Park<\/a> without reservations. Or, if you\u2019re ahead of the game, read about\u00a0when to book national park campsites<\/a> for the summer. <\/em><\/p>\n"}],"sub_title":"","title_tag":false,"override_global_post_advertising":"no"},"yoast_head":"\nDoes the Grand Canyon Require Reservations?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Is Camping At the Grand Canyon Free?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Grand Canyon Campgrounds<\/h2>\n
Mather Campground<\/h3>\n
Desert View Campground (Closed in Winter)<\/h3>\n
Ten-X Campground<\/h3>\n
National Forest Land<\/h3>\n
Gearing Up<\/h2>\n
Groceries<\/h3>\n
Gasoline (Petrol)<\/h3>\n
Showers<\/h3>\n
Best Way to Enjoy the South Rim During High Season<\/h3>\n
Skip the Tent and Take a Campervan to the Grand Canyon<\/b><\/h2>\n