Best Dispersed Camping near Kaibab National Forest

This spot is perfect for boondocking or car camping, but we decided against popping up our camper here and just car camped instead. Not super dispersed, but the access road is accessible to most vehicles. However, some side road pulloffs are definitely better suited for 4WD vehicles. I would suggest walking the route first to make sure your particular vehicle can make it.

I loved this campsite due to its proximity to the three National Monuments near Flagstaff: Wupatki, Walnut Canyon, and Sunset Crater Volcano. We decided to stop at these monuments on a whim during our National Park tour and they did NOT disappoint! I highly recommend visiting all three, and perhaps ending with Walnut Canyon, as it was my favorite. This campground is great for visiting all three, as each monument is only 10-25 minutes away. They are all incredible and very worth the visit if you’re in northern AZ for the staple Grand Canyon.

FR688 

Tusayan, AZ

35.9252565, -112.1247050

Ponderosa Pines in Kaibab National Forest. 

Saw at least a dozen bigger rigs with better backing skills than us tucked away from the road. 

Lovely to see trees after 2 months  of desert. Had cows fairly close, deer in the distance. Lots of birds.

Verizon 1-2 bars, ATT showed 1 bar but was unusable. This was fairly close to the entrance with no booster.

Grounds reasonably clean, I've  seen worse. 2 grocery bags over 14 days of broken glass, nails, plastic, used foil, beer caps, shell casings etc on my walks.

Several spots have nice firepits.

There is some road noise, but not bad.

Close to GCNP & free. If you have a pass, use the left lane for quicker entry.

Restaurants & groceries  in the area are at tourist prices, bring what you need or be prepared for sticker shock.

Propane is available at the RV park just past the general store. 

We refilled water jugs inside the park at their Spring Water stations each time we went. Laundry at Mather Campground. 

Definitely do Desert View Drive while in the area. Gorgeous views & able to get away from the masses at Grand Canyon Village.

Would stay again if in the area.

If coming in late for longer than 1-2nts. Take the 1st spot you can fit into & scout out the next morning. Lots of car/van campers were just here for the night, and there are many easy spaces tucked back from the road that are hard to see from the road when towing. We parked just off the road near the entrance and grabbed a great spot 48hrs later when some neighbors left.

We have a 30ft Skoolie (2002 bluebird) and tow a 17ft cargo trailer conversion and there were countless spots for us to fit in without having to drop the trailer! This area is VAST and breathtaking. There were a lot of campers when you first enter, but if you drive around you will find something perfect for your setup no doubt.

The only thing I would say to be mindful of and I say this with regard to pets is that there were jeeps, trucks and 4x4s driving past occasionally during the night and they FLY down the gravel roads. We were not at all bothered by it - they’re out there having a good time enjoying the mountains and forests in their way just like we are but just keep your doggos and cattos close 🐾

The roads are gravel and they are pitchy and rutted in areas. Some roads have a several inches droop off too but our bus did great through it. If you pay attention and arrive in daylight you’re absolutely fine. There are VERY few spots to turn around and to take the loop is several miles of gravel road out of the way so just look at the satellite on maps, take it slow and enjoy the view. We only had the time to stay one night but we will absolutely be back. CAUTION: elevation is 7500ft. If you are prone to altitude sickness be wary. You ascend from about 5000 to 7000 pretty quickly. Other than that watch the weather. The roads flood and wash out with rain from the mountains so be alert and plan accordingly and you will be fine. ENJOY and remember to LEAVE NO TRACE 🫶🏻

The road into the campgrounds are very rough, small cars are not advised. There are only 10-14 sites available (first come first serve) depending what time of the year you arrive, since a pair of endangered owls nest between some of the campsites for a few months and will have the sites closed down. Be cautious of the stage of fire alert going on, when I went no campfires were allowed so I used a propane stove.

The surrounding areas are beautiful and a family of deer made appearances regularly. Also its free, so it was nice to avoid a hotel cost for the night.

The cons are that its hard to reach camp due to rough roads, very few campsites, and it seems the local teenagers really enjoy partying and screaming at all hours of the night. I assume you're better off on a weekday when all the kids are still in school.