Car camp near or in the Grand Canyon

[MARLIN]

Trying to find a good spot near Grand Canyon for car camping (one night).
Please let me know if you know of any safe places ... Thanks

[Jim]

Well, if you're camping in the Grand Canyon, I hope you realize that you'll be falling pretty far down in your car, so have your airbags turned on.

Seriously though, there is the NPS campground near the Market Place and Village, or a the FS campground (Ten-X) on 64 south of the park, and a bunch of safe and free USFS land south of Tusyan you can use.

[PaleoRob]

North Rim has some good spots right on the rim. Monument, Crazy Jug, Timp, Fire.

[Dave1]

In the Grand Canyon?

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - Authorities say a man has survived after apparently driving his car off the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The name of the 21-year-old motorist hasn't been released, but park officials say he was treated Monday at Flagstaff Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.

Park rangers located the man's car some 200 feet below the rim, lodged against a tree.

Authorities say a park visitor reported finding an injured man in the roadway near Twin Overlooks about 7:45 a.m. Monday. The man told the visitor that he had accidentally driven his vehicle over the South Rim.

Responding park rangers say the injured man told them he extricated himself from the crashed vehicle and climbed up to the rim to seek help.

National Park Service officials say they're investigating the incident.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... z1Kh83b9Vs

[joebartels]

This is all because of those rap videos

...or was it Thelma and Louise?

[hippiepunkpirate]

What area of the Grand Canyon? Assuming you want to be close to the south rim's corridor trails, I think my dad likes to camp out near the Red Butte TH.

[big_load]

... accidentally driven his vehicle over the South Rim.

Accidentally?

[sirena]

I like to camp by the Grandview Fire Tower.

[Canyonram]

Here's the Park Service webpage with a listing of options:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/cg-sr.htm

[Davis2001r6]

Right before you get into Tusyon there is a forest road on the right. Drive in a couple minutes and you'll see some spots that have been used for camping with established fire rings and whatnot. I've camped there a number of times.

[joebartels]

That is where I would go. It's free, convenient and a good selection of level camp spots. Just forget about having a fire unless you bring your own wood... the forest is picked clean! The helicopter traffic might scare some away. Literally dozens land at the tour cut off time, then it's pretty quite.

[azbackpackr]

Speaking of "accidents," yet another jumper off the Navajo Bridge on Sat. His body was recovered by the ranger within less than 2 hours, which is unusual. Lots of witnesses, because it was Free Week at the National Parks. Apparently he'd just been fired from his nearby job. He was from Benson, I heard.

I have always camped off to the east of 64, south of Tusayan, near Red Mtn. or Red Butte or whatever it is called. Also have camped at Crazy Jug Point, as Rob mentioned, on the N. Rim. Long dirt road to get there, but WOW! Also have camped west of Cameron and east of Desert View, just outside the park in the Kaibab NF. All of it is free, just look for a dirt road, as long as you are in the NF. Once on the dirt road, just look for a place where others have camped. Nothing would induce me to camp inside the Park, unless I am backpacking IN the Canyon.

[MARLIN]

Great… Thanks. I got what I was looking for and then some

[BobP]

forget about having a fire unless you bring your own wood

So true....but it did inspire me to write a hit song....Denny couldn't start the Fire.

[Canyonram]

The Forest Service camping south of Tusuyan is the 'Ten-X' site. Like Joe says, it used to be free and even on busy weekends at the Canyon is pretty empty---everyone's momentum carries them inside the Park. One website has this listed now as a 'pay' site. http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.as ... XFT002-006

Sirena mentioned the old fire lookout tower near Grandview. You can 'free' camp here even though you are about as close to inside the Park as you can get. There is a good road that crosses over from the National Park to the Forest Service area. Just drive over the cattle guard over the road and you are on Forest Service territory. Check your topo map and locate Grandview Point on the South Rim---you can see the lookout tower and dashed boundary line between GC Park and Forest Service.
(The NPS has been trying to keep this secret to avoid abuse of that location and overcrowding---most people just zip by not realizing on their way to the Desert View campground.) http://www.trails.com/topomap.aspx?trailid=XFT002-006

[azbackpackr]

Sirena mentioned the old fire lookout tower near Grandview. You can 'free' camp here even though you are about as close to inside the Park as you can get. There is a good road that crosses over from the National Park to the Forest Service area. Just drive over the cattle guard over the road and you are on Forest Service territory. Check your topo map and locate Grandview Point on the South Rim---you can see the lookout tower and dashed boundary line between GC Park and Forest Service.
(The NPS has been trying to keep this secret to avoid abuse of that location and overcrowding---most people just zip by not realizing on their way to the Desert View campground.) http://www.trails.com/topomap.aspx?trailid=XFT002-006

That is great info, had not heard that, love this kind of info!

[Alston_Neal]

The North Rim does offer the best locations, but for a one nighter it's a heck of a drive. If ya go latter in the summer after the monsoons start it is totally beautiful up there, cooler and much less crowded than the South.
One place we like is Parissawampitts Point. Northwest of the North Rim Lodge as the crow flies at 23.5 miles.
36 25'07.00" N
112 21'57.19"W

[PaleoRob]

I haven't found a point I didn't like on the North Rim for camping.
Another option on the east side of the Kaibab would be Marble View. Fantastic views of Marble Canyon, Houserock Valley, Vermilion and Echo Cliffs, Navajo Mountain, etc.

[joebartels]

yes looks like it is $10 for Ten-X Campground, thanks for the clarification
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsint ... Campground

[hippiepunkpirate]

@PageRob
Rob, have you ever camped at Buckfarm Point?