Camping in Grand Canyon National Park: Campgrounds, Reservations and Tips

What has changed for fall 2026

A flash flood on August 29, 2026, damaged the Transcanyon Waterline that supplies the South Rim, and the park is under Stage 4 water restrictions. NPS lists Mather and Desert View campgrounds as open for dry camping only, with no outdoor wood fires at either. Trailer Village, the park's only RV park with hookups, is closed until further notice, and Camper Services (showers and laundry) is closed. In-park lodging is closed to overnight guests.

NPS projected on September 19 that it could start pumping water by November 16 and begin distributing it around Thanksgiving, with a phased return of overnight services about then. Those dates are tentative. Until NPS announces otherwise, plan to arrive with drinking, cooking and washing water for your whole stay.

Grand Canyon campgrounds at a glance

These are the developed campgrounds inside the park. None of the NPS campgrounds has hookups. Fees are for a standard site per night; Senior and Access pass holders get a discount on standard sites.

Mather Campground (South Rim)

Mather is the park's largest campground and the only one open all year. It sits in Grand Canyon Village under tall pines, a short ride on the free Village (Blue) shuttle from the visitor center, markets and the Bright Angel Trailhead. Each site has a fire ring with a grate, a picnic table and parking, and holds up to 6 people, 3 tents and 2 vehicles. Check-in is at noon and check-out at 11 a.m.

In normal times Mather has flush toilets and water spigots. Under current restrictions it is dry camping with portable toilets, and no outdoor wood fires are allowed. RVs and trailers up to 30 feet fit some sites; check each site's length on Recreation.gov. Generators run only during set hours and are not allowed in Pine Loop in peak season.

Desert View Campground (South Rim)

Desert View is 23 miles east of the Village, near the Desert View Watchtower and the East Entrance. Its 50 sites sit on one loop and fit tents and smaller rigs; the total vehicle length limit is 30 feet, some sites take nothing over 19 feet, and vehicles over 29 feet may struggle with the turns. Reservations are required for the 2026 season, which ends October 18, and there are no first-come sites or wait list.

There are no showers, laundry or dump station even in normal years, and in fall 2026 it is dry camping. A camper store and the Desert View gas station are at the campground entrance. Lipan Point, a short drive west, is closed through December 23, 2026, but Navajo Point and Desert View are open for sunset.

North Rim Campground

The North Rim Campground is open through October 15, 2026, on Recreation.gov. The North Rim has no potable water this season and no lodging after the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed Grand Canyon Lodge. There is no dump station, showers and laundry are closed for 2026, and all wood and charcoal fires are prohibited, so cook on a camp stove. Buy water at the General Store, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until it closes October 15.

Standard sites hold six people, three tents and two vehicles. Three tent-only group sites take up to 25 people. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and generators may run only 7 to 9 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., never in the tent-only area. The North Rim gas station closed September 19; the nearest fuel is at Jacob Lake. After October 15, a backcountry permit is required to camp anywhere on the North Rim.

Reservations, same-day sites and group camping

All three NPS campgrounds book on Recreation.gov or by phone at 877-444-6777, up to 6 months in advance, and NPS says they fill well ahead. For 2027 dates, the booking window simply rolls forward a day at a time. NPS has not announced 2027 season dates for Desert View or the North Rim yet, so check the NPS camping page before planning a 2027 trip around them.

Mather sells a small number of same-day sites in person at the campground office during peak season (Recreation.gov says about 20; the NPS campground page says 10 to 15), and they usually sell out by 11 a.m. In winter, December 1 to February 28, some Mather sites are first come, first served.

For groups, Mather has seven group sites in Sage Loop for 7 to 50 people, plus two horse sites; group fees are higher than standard sites and are listed on Recreation.gov. Desert View has no group sites, and groups cannot split across individual sites there.

RV camping: hookups, dump stations and showers

No NPS campground in the park has hookups. The only full-hookup option, Trailer Village in the Village, is closed with no announced reopening date. Arrive with full fresh-water tanks and empty holding tanks, and do not count on filling water inside the park while Stage 4 restrictions last. Recreation.gov lists a free dump station and water fill at Camper Services near Mather in normal years; confirm their status at the campground before you rely on them.

Vehicle length is the other limit. Mather and Desert View top out at 30 feet total, and the North Rim varies by site. Cape Royal Road on the North Rim is limited to vehicles 22 feet or shorter.

Backcountry camping and food storage

Any overnight stay below the rim, or outside the three developed campgrounds, requires a backcountry permit. Apply on Recreation.gov: the early-access lottery opens on the 16th of the month five months before your start month, and remaining dates open on the 1st of the following month. Fees are $10 per permit plus $15 per person per night below the rim. The Backcountry Information Center on the South Rim sells limited one-night walk-up permits for Havasupai Gardens from March 1 to November 30, though NPS says availability is not guaranteed after the flood.

In fall 2026, Bright Angel Campground at Phantom Ranch and Cottonwood Campground are closed, and the North Kaibab Trail and river bridges are closed, so corridor trips are limited to Havasupai Gardens and the open trail segments. Water is off at Havasupai Gardens.

At Havasupai Gardens, use the metal food boxes at each site. Elsewhere below the rim, carry a critter-proof container, and do not hang food, since ringtails, mice and ravens can still reach it. In rim campgrounds, keep food and trash in your vehicle or a hard-sided container. Rock squirrels are the park's leading cause of animal bites.

Camping outside the park

Kaibab National Forest surrounds both rims. Ten-X Campground, about 9 miles south of the Village near Tusayan, closed for the season October 10, 2026; it normally opens in mid-May with standard sites at $20 a night. Dispersed camping is allowed on national forest land outside the park at least a quarter mile from Highway 64, but a Kaibab forest order bans camping within one mile of developed campgrounds on the Tusayan district. Fire restrictions change often, so check with the Tusayan Ranger District at 928-638-2443.

Near the North Rim, DeMotte Campground, about 7 miles north of the park boundary, is first come, first served from September 18 through October 31, 2026. It has 38 sites at $30 a night and limited drinking water, but RV tanks cannot be filled there.

More Grand Canyon guides

• Best Time to Visit Grand Canyon National ParkWhen to visit Grand Canyon: South Rim and North Rim seasons, inner-canyon heat, monsoon storms, winter snow, crowds, and what is open in fall 2026.
• Grand Canyon South Rim Itinerary: How to Spend 1 or 2 DaysA 1- or 2-day South Rim plan: free shuttle routes, Hermit Road, the best viewpoints, rim and below-rim day hikes, sunrise and sunset spots, and where to stay.
• Best Hikes in Grand Canyon National Park15 Grand Canyon hikes from the paved Rim Trail to Plateau Point, with NPS distances, elevation, fall 2026 flood closures, water status and heat safety.