Grand Canyon National Park plays host to more than six million visitors per year. It is the second most visited U.S. national park, behind Great Smoky Mountains that can receive upwards of 13 million visits in a year. If you take a trip to the Grand Canyon and want to stay overnight but don’t plan ahead—camping reservations can be made up to six months in advance—you are probably going to be out of luck. Video
Related post: Lakefront Free RV Camping Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Free RV Camping three minutes from Grand Canyon South Entrance
Ok… maybe it took me four minutes to reach the first road on the right past the Ranger Station when exiting at Grand Canyon South Entrance. But it’s super close! 🙂 There is no sign, but the road is called North Long Jim Road if you are asking Siri or looking it up. The ranger said it goes back a mile or so.
This spot is one of many locations in the Kaibab National Forest that surrounds the north and south areas of the Grand Canyon with free dispersed camping and allows you to stay up to 14 days.
I’m only highlighting this area because it’s super easy to get to, has a good access road any size rig can manage, and is five minutes or so from the small town Tusayan with supermarket, restaurants, gas station, Starbucks, etc. What’s not to love?
Watch out for the Elk!
Seriously… be on the lookout for the mammoth Elk that may wander near your campsite and be sure to steer clear.
After having a brief encounter with two elk that looked maybe 500 pounds or so—yes, I was a little nervous even though was actually a safe distance away!—I learned that the Grand Canyon park staff consider these Rocky Mountain Elk to be the most dangerous animal in the park.
Video of Free RV Camping at Grand Canyon South Entrance
A bonus of the free camping area on North Long Jim Road shown in the video, besides the great location, is that there are a ton of dispersed camping spots within this serene forest setting and the road (when not muddy) is accessible.
The location is very well known amongst RVers, of course, so does get crowded during busy season. Arrive on a weekday for the best chance of finding the perfect camping spot!
I say “Free RV Parking” in the video unintentionally. I’ve had chronic fatigue issues for decades, sometimes get wiped out and a bit spacey. Argh. This is definitely a nice, 14 day stay camping spot.
I had excellent cell coverage
I watched movies with my Verizon hotspot and 5G iPhone, made phone calls, etc. with no interruptions. When the area gets crowded—I was there in March and pretty much had the place to myself with only a few other campers nearby—that could change.