Camping At Grand Canyon
Nov 21st, 2008, 02:31 AM
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Camping At Grand Canyon
We are renting an RV and camping for the first time at the Grand Canyon. Any ideas on the best campground? We will be there for 3 days. Any activites we should make sure not to miss? We are traveling with two teenagers 13 & 15.
Nov 21st, 2008, 04:49 AM
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Here's the sum total of information you can get about RV camping within the national park:
www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/cg-sr.htm
There is a grand total of one camping site that would be appropriate for RVs. Reservations, weeks (if not months) in advance, are a MUST. Do NOT show up at the Canyon without a reservation.
> Any activites we should make sure not to miss?
Other than viewing one of the most beautiful spots on this planet, there is not much to do at The Canyon. Unless you are planning some MAJOR hiking (read below), three days may be a bit much.
If you plan a hike, be certain to plan and prepare appropriately. Every year 100s of people start below the rim without intelligent preparation, and taxpayer money is spent getting them out of trouble.
www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/cg-sr.htm
There is a grand total of one camping site that would be appropriate for RVs. Reservations, weeks (if not months) in advance, are a MUST. Do NOT show up at the Canyon without a reservation.
> Any activites we should make sure not to miss?
Other than viewing one of the most beautiful spots on this planet, there is not much to do at The Canyon. Unless you are planning some MAJOR hiking (read below), three days may be a bit much.
If you plan a hike, be certain to plan and prepare appropriately. Every year 100s of people start below the rim without intelligent preparation, and taxpayer money is spent getting them out of trouble.
Nov 21st, 2008, 06:36 AM
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Have you done any RV camping before? I wasn't sure from your post.
If not, don't limit yourselves to campgrounds with hook ups. All RV's have large water reservoirs, batteries and generators for power and propane for the stove, heater and refrigerator.
Some of the best campgrounds do not have any hook ups at all.
It's important to know when you are going to answer questions about hiking, which is about all there is to do there if you are staying longer than one day.
www.rv.net/forums is the best forum for RV travel. They are very friendly and will answer any questions you could possibly have.
If not, don't limit yourselves to campgrounds with hook ups. All RV's have large water reservoirs, batteries and generators for power and propane for the stove, heater and refrigerator.
Some of the best campgrounds do not have any hook ups at all.
It's important to know when you are going to answer questions about hiking, which is about all there is to do there if you are staying longer than one day.
www.rv.net/forums is the best forum for RV travel. They are very friendly and will answer any questions you could possibly have.
Nov 21st, 2008, 11:20 AM
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PaulRabe, what do you mean when you say "There is a grand total of one camping site that would be appropriate for RVs"?
There are two whole campgrounds inside the national park at the south rim, and each has lots of campsites available to RV's. As mentioned, Trailer Village has full hook-ups and Mather Campground does not (but it does have showers available).
You do need to reserve either one in advance. Reserve mather CG at www.recreation.gov and reserve Trailer Village on the Xanterra website, www.grandcanyonlodges.com
There is a large, full-sevice grocery store right close to both (I'd say within walking distance, but we love to walk).
What time of year are you going? If not summer, it can be very cold, expecially at night. The South Rim is at an elevation of almost 7,000 feet.
As for activities, hiking down into the canyon is the best way to see and enjoy the splendor. But as PaulRabe suggests, there is a good amount of fitness and preparation involved. We have hiked to the bottom, spent the night, and hiked back up with our teenage daughter and she loved it. But we are experienced hikers and had all the necessary gear and fitness.
For most visitors, a short 2- or 3-hour hike down and back up one of thet wo main trails is plenty. If you want information on preparing for that let us know.
There are two whole campgrounds inside the national park at the south rim, and each has lots of campsites available to RV's. As mentioned, Trailer Village has full hook-ups and Mather Campground does not (but it does have showers available).
You do need to reserve either one in advance. Reserve mather CG at www.recreation.gov and reserve Trailer Village on the Xanterra website, www.grandcanyonlodges.com
There is a large, full-sevice grocery store right close to both (I'd say within walking distance, but we love to walk).
What time of year are you going? If not summer, it can be very cold, expecially at night. The South Rim is at an elevation of almost 7,000 feet.
As for activities, hiking down into the canyon is the best way to see and enjoy the splendor. But as PaulRabe suggests, there is a good amount of fitness and preparation involved. We have hiked to the bottom, spent the night, and hiked back up with our teenage daughter and she loved it. But we are experienced hikers and had all the necessary gear and fitness.
For most visitors, a short 2- or 3-hour hike down and back up one of thet wo main trails is plenty. If you want information on preparing for that let us know.
Nov 21st, 2008, 04:13 PM
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Sorry about my use of one camping "site" appropriate for RV use. I should have said "campground." Every site in the Trailer Village has hook-ups, but none in the other two campgrounds do not. These latter two campgrounds permit RVs (up to a certain length), but have no hook-ups. IMHO, this means they are not "appropriate" for RVs, simply because you gain nothing by having one when you are there, other than a roof over your head -- no water, no electricity.
If you don't mind staying in an RV for three days at a campsite with no hook ups, then such a site would be perfectly appropriate.
If you don't mind staying in an RV for three days at a campsite with no hook ups, then such a site would be perfectly appropriate.
Nov 21st, 2008, 10:34 PM
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As mentioned, the Trailer Village has full hook ups, but it's a parking lot type campground with a little grass between spots. There are woods that surround the whole campground.
Mather Campground on the other hand you are camping in the woods. Sites can be close to other sites but not like the Trailer Village.
Both of these campgrounds are near Grand Canyon Village and you can pick up the shuttle buses at both.
Others left out Desert View Campground near the East Entrance. I've never camped there so don't know what it's like. It's not near the main section of the canyon but it looks like they now have a free shuttle bus. Desert View is not open all year round and has no hook ups.
If you can live without full hook ups and the RV is 30" or less, then I'd choose Mather. That's where we always stay.
Utahtea
Mather Campground on the other hand you are camping in the woods. Sites can be close to other sites but not like the Trailer Village.
Both of these campgrounds are near Grand Canyon Village and you can pick up the shuttle buses at both.
Others left out Desert View Campground near the East Entrance. I've never camped there so don't know what it's like. It's not near the main section of the canyon but it looks like they now have a free shuttle bus. Desert View is not open all year round and has no hook ups.
If you can live without full hook ups and the RV is 30" or less, then I'd choose Mather. That's where we always stay.
Utahtea
Nov 22nd, 2008, 08:08 AM
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PaulRabe, maybe you've never been in an RV. Like I stated earlier, RV's are designed to function for days without any hook ups. They have batteries and generators for electricity--you can run lights, microwaves, hair dryers, coffeemakers, etc. Large water reservoirs hold enough water for sinks, showers and toilets and propane tanks supply fuel for heaters, stoves, ovens and refrigerators.
What do you need full hooks up for? Full hook up "campgrounds" tend to be a parking lot with all the RV's packed in like sardines.
What do you need full hooks up for? Full hook up "campgrounds" tend to be a parking lot with all the RV's packed in like sardines.
Nov 22nd, 2008, 10:09 AM
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Hi Newbie,
Guess it all depends on what you like. We by far prefer Desert View to Mather(never stayed in Trailer Village, so can't talk about that.
As Utah Tea said, Desert View is only open during the main season and the dates and site limits would be available on the Grand Canyon website. It is much smaller than Mather, but I believe it still has a small store and eating facilites within walking distance, if those are of interest. Sites are spaced okay and they are somewhat wooded, but not closed in like Mather. Watchtower is a very interesting place to see. The walk to the canyon rim is easy and very quiet.
As you can tell, I really like Desert View.
Guess it all depends on what you like. We by far prefer Desert View to Mather(never stayed in Trailer Village, so can't talk about that.
As Utah Tea said, Desert View is only open during the main season and the dates and site limits would be available on the Grand Canyon website. It is much smaller than Mather, but I believe it still has a small store and eating facilites within walking distance, if those are of interest. Sites are spaced okay and they are somewhat wooded, but not closed in like Mather. Watchtower is a very interesting place to see. The walk to the canyon rim is easy and very quiet.
As you can tell, I really like Desert View.
Nov 22nd, 2008, 11:03 AM
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We have never traveled in an RV. They have never made much sense or cents to me. But we have always wanted to rent one and try it but for we passed judgement. Our neighbor goes to Colorado every year and he says his bathroom stinks after a few days. I imagine them smelling like that on an airplane. I also see that almost all national parks have no hookups and limit your generator use to daylight hours. SO don't you get cold or hot during the night?
So I guess my main two questions are does the bathroom stink after a few days. What do you do for hot water after one shower? How do you keep warm if you can't use a generator. Also, it seems to me that a lot of places you are really packed in close. But, I still wanna try it sometime.
So I guess my main two questions are does the bathroom stink after a few days. What do you do for hot water after one shower? How do you keep warm if you can't use a generator. Also, it seems to me that a lot of places you are really packed in close. But, I still wanna try it sometime.
Nov 23rd, 2008, 05:54 PM
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I've spent a full week in an RV and never noticed it smelling. You put chemicals in the sewage holding tank that controls that. You can always go dump it every day at the dump station in the campground.
The water tanks hold a lot of water but you can also fill them back up whenever you need--usually at the same place where you dump the sewage.
There are RV Parks where they are packed in and then there are campground where they are not.
We've tent camped all over the west and always felt comfortable in a sleeping bag, temp wise. It gets cool in the evenings in the dessert so a blanket should be enough.
There is a much larger crowd of RV experts at www.rv.net and they are very friendly. They can answer any question you may have.
You could also go to your local RV seller, act like you are in the market to buy and ask a lot of questions. They could show you how everything works. They will do that when you rent your RV but you will be in a bigger hurray and nervous about the adventure you are about to undertake.
The water tanks hold a lot of water but you can also fill them back up whenever you need--usually at the same place where you dump the sewage.
There are RV Parks where they are packed in and then there are campground where they are not.
We've tent camped all over the west and always felt comfortable in a sleeping bag, temp wise. It gets cool in the evenings in the dessert so a blanket should be enough.
There is a much larger crowd of RV experts at www.rv.net and they are very friendly. They can answer any question you may have.
You could also go to your local RV seller, act like you are in the market to buy and ask a lot of questions. They could show you how everything works. They will do that when you rent your RV but you will be in a bigger hurray and nervous about the adventure you are about to undertake.
Nov 27th, 2008, 09:18 PM
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Hi spirobulldog,
I'll try to explain our love of RV's. It started back in 1977 with a van that we built a bed in the back to sleep on and store camping gear below. It was the only way for our family of three to afford a vacation. When we were a family of 4, we had a tent-trailer for 5 years and then a travel trailer for 9 years. These RV's made it possible for our family to afford 4-5 weeks of vacation every year. By then we were totally hooked. The last 16 years have been in motorhomes.
We can go to most places without reservations. The last two times we visited Yellowstone we made reservations the night before we arrived because we wanted to be free to stop at places if the mood struck us. (This was in the spring and fall, and summer might be different.)
We get to sleep in our own bed everynight with our own sheets and blankets. I have a medical condition and the bathroom as we are driving is a necessity! We only have to load the RV when we start and unload at the end of the trip. No lugging luggage in and out of a motel/hotel. No living out of a suit case or packing and unpacking. We have closets and drawers and cubboards for everything. We can take more clothing than you can fit into suitcases, so we can be more prepaired for every kind of weather. We can easily take hiking boots, river shoes, regular shoes and even snow boots. We've been to two long distance weddings and were able to keep my gown & DH's suit layed out in an inside compartment.
We've cooked, dinned and cleaned up in some of the most beautiful locations. We enjoy our own cooking and usually never eat out. Saves us a lot of money in the long run.
Campgrounds in the National Parks run around $18, what do motels or hotels cost these days? Canyon de Chelly has a free campground, the lodge was $106 a night the last time we were there several years ago.
There are no motels/hotels in Arches National Park or Capitol Reef National Park, but there are campgrounds.
This fall we spent 6 weeks out on the road and all the cost (except for the cost of the motorhome) we spent less than $100 per night and that's when gas was closer to $4
Our first three years of marriage, DH and I stayed in motels and cabins, so we know what it was like. The first visit to Yellowstone was in cabins and the next was in the Tent trailer. We felt like we missed some of the experince by staying in the cabins.
As Connie mentioned, there are chemicals you use to avoid holding tanks smelling. The heaters run on propane and batteries, so you don't have to have hook ups when it's cold. There are solar plannels you can get to recharge your batteries if you are going to boon dock for a long time. Our travel trailer had a swamp cooler that ran on batteries. If it's hot and you don't have electrical and can't run the generator, then it can get hot. When we go to places that are going to be hot we either stay in private places or just plan on being away during the hot part of the day.
When we don't have full hook ups, we take short showers but DH and I can easily take 2 showers without having to dump. Yes, there is some work involved with the RV lifestyle but we find it's well worth it.
BTW, I'm typing this from Watchman Campground in Zion National Park. Watchman has electrical hook ups so in the summer we can run air conditioner and in winter we don't have to worry about running down the batteries. We love the out of doors, maybe that's one of the reasons we love this lifestyle. Renting an RV is a way to find out if you will like the lifestyle or not. Sorry for such a long post.
Utahtea
I'll try to explain our love of RV's. It started back in 1977 with a van that we built a bed in the back to sleep on and store camping gear below. It was the only way for our family of three to afford a vacation. When we were a family of 4, we had a tent-trailer for 5 years and then a travel trailer for 9 years. These RV's made it possible for our family to afford 4-5 weeks of vacation every year. By then we were totally hooked. The last 16 years have been in motorhomes.
We can go to most places without reservations. The last two times we visited Yellowstone we made reservations the night before we arrived because we wanted to be free to stop at places if the mood struck us. (This was in the spring and fall, and summer might be different.)
We get to sleep in our own bed everynight with our own sheets and blankets. I have a medical condition and the bathroom as we are driving is a necessity! We only have to load the RV when we start and unload at the end of the trip. No lugging luggage in and out of a motel/hotel. No living out of a suit case or packing and unpacking. We have closets and drawers and cubboards for everything. We can take more clothing than you can fit into suitcases, so we can be more prepaired for every kind of weather. We can easily take hiking boots, river shoes, regular shoes and even snow boots. We've been to two long distance weddings and were able to keep my gown & DH's suit layed out in an inside compartment.
We've cooked, dinned and cleaned up in some of the most beautiful locations. We enjoy our own cooking and usually never eat out. Saves us a lot of money in the long run.
Campgrounds in the National Parks run around $18, what do motels or hotels cost these days? Canyon de Chelly has a free campground, the lodge was $106 a night the last time we were there several years ago.
There are no motels/hotels in Arches National Park or Capitol Reef National Park, but there are campgrounds.
This fall we spent 6 weeks out on the road and all the cost (except for the cost of the motorhome) we spent less than $100 per night and that's when gas was closer to $4
Our first three years of marriage, DH and I stayed in motels and cabins, so we know what it was like. The first visit to Yellowstone was in cabins and the next was in the Tent trailer. We felt like we missed some of the experince by staying in the cabins.
As Connie mentioned, there are chemicals you use to avoid holding tanks smelling. The heaters run on propane and batteries, so you don't have to have hook ups when it's cold. There are solar plannels you can get to recharge your batteries if you are going to boon dock for a long time. Our travel trailer had a swamp cooler that ran on batteries. If it's hot and you don't have electrical and can't run the generator, then it can get hot. When we go to places that are going to be hot we either stay in private places or just plan on being away during the hot part of the day.
When we don't have full hook ups, we take short showers but DH and I can easily take 2 showers without having to dump. Yes, there is some work involved with the RV lifestyle but we find it's well worth it.
BTW, I'm typing this from Watchman Campground in Zion National Park. Watchman has electrical hook ups so in the summer we can run air conditioner and in winter we don't have to worry about running down the batteries. We love the out of doors, maybe that's one of the reasons we love this lifestyle. Renting an RV is a way to find out if you will like the lifestyle or not. Sorry for such a long post.
Utahtea
Nov 28th, 2008, 01:39 PM
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Thanks Utahtea,
I guess a lot of my problem is the fact that we only take 5 day trips. I am self employed with several small businesses and this is as long as I can be gone. On the plus side of this, I make a good income, so we are able to afford to fly 3 or 4 times per year for our short trips. My wife teaches school, so she has the whole summer off. The RV does make better sense if you were doing a longer trip. I live in Oklahoma. The state parks here are not very good. We go to the state parks in Arkansas some. They have some really nice ones. We will most likely rent a pop-up tent sometime this summer and try that. The parks in Arkansas have a few tents that they rent and we did that last summer, for one night. We really enjoyed everything, but would be much more prepared next time. The bedding wasn't much.
I really like all the historic lodges, so it would depend on where I was going in a National Park, whether or not I rented one. For us, renting would be the only way to go. We flew to Zion last month and really enjoyed it. We hope to go to San Francisco over spring break, drive to Colorado Great Sand Dunes in May and then Oregon in late July. On the Oregon trip my wife and daughter will stay there, and I am going to fly home for 3 days. We hope to be there for 10 days with me flying home for 3 of them. My parents travel some, so we always get some info from them. None of us has been to Washington or Oregon, so we are looking forward to it.
Eat at that restaurant that is in an old Gas Station (springdale) while you are at Zion (I am blank on the name). We loved their spaghetti squash enchiladas.
I do see a lot of retired people doing RV's. I think you can go at your own pace and it would fantastic then. Maybe someday, but @ age 41 not quite yet.
I guess a lot of my problem is the fact that we only take 5 day trips. I am self employed with several small businesses and this is as long as I can be gone. On the plus side of this, I make a good income, so we are able to afford to fly 3 or 4 times per year for our short trips. My wife teaches school, so she has the whole summer off. The RV does make better sense if you were doing a longer trip. I live in Oklahoma. The state parks here are not very good. We go to the state parks in Arkansas some. They have some really nice ones. We will most likely rent a pop-up tent sometime this summer and try that. The parks in Arkansas have a few tents that they rent and we did that last summer, for one night. We really enjoyed everything, but would be much more prepared next time. The bedding wasn't much.
I really like all the historic lodges, so it would depend on where I was going in a National Park, whether or not I rented one. For us, renting would be the only way to go. We flew to Zion last month and really enjoyed it. We hope to go to San Francisco over spring break, drive to Colorado Great Sand Dunes in May and then Oregon in late July. On the Oregon trip my wife and daughter will stay there, and I am going to fly home for 3 days. We hope to be there for 10 days with me flying home for 3 of them. My parents travel some, so we always get some info from them. None of us has been to Washington or Oregon, so we are looking forward to it.
Eat at that restaurant that is in an old Gas Station (springdale) while you are at Zion (I am blank on the name). We loved their spaghetti squash enchiladas.
I do see a lot of retired people doing RV's. I think you can go at your own pace and it would fantastic then. Maybe someday, but @ age 41 not quite yet.
Nov 28th, 2008, 09:55 PM
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First my appologies to rvnewbie for hijacking their thread.
spirobulldog, I was wondering how you managed to do so many of the same trips we did this year. DH retired a little over a year ago and I work part time and can do if from the road.
With only a week at a time, it makes more sense to fly. We always joked that DH didn't make a lot of money at his job, but he had a lot of vacation time.
Utahtea
spirobulldog, I was wondering how you managed to do so many of the same trips we did this year. DH retired a little over a year ago and I work part time and can do if from the road.
With only a week at a time, it makes more sense to fly. We always joked that DH didn't make a lot of money at his job, but he had a lot of vacation time.
Utahtea
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