DeMotte Campground

We arrived a little late in the day to access boondocking spots, plus a wildfire in the area limited our options, so we grabbed one of the remaining sites at DeMotte.

The campground is about 20-30 mins north of the rim. The campround has spacious sites and is situated among pines in the Kaibab NF. The hosts were friendly and facilities were clean. At 8835', this is a cool relief on hot summer days. There is a mix of pull-through and back-in sites. We snagged a pull-through and the site was very level, especially for not being paved.

What I liked:
- Proximity to the GC
- Elevation made the temperature very comfortable at the end of July
- Although it was full, it was quiet and did not feel busy
- Large open space to exercise the dog

What could have been better:
It is pleasant, but does not have beautiful views.

I would occasionally get a text on Verizon, but that was the closest thing. Best to put it into airplane mode to save your battery.

Couldn't get a place in the NP, so opted for the closest place would could reserve. We had 2 sites, 22 and 25. 22 was a pull through and far from level, but my friend worked it out. We put a tear drop in site 25, but don't try anything larger...it won't fit. Pit toilets were clean and the odor controlled. Hosts were friendly and would stop by on occasion to offer firewood for sale and check to be sure all ok. About half those there stayed one night...in late, out before we woke up. This was base camp for us for our 4 days. There is a gas station across the highway, a lodge/restaurant nearby as well that had good food, deer in the area and bison came near the camp area along the highway one day.

No sense you're at the GC, but unless you're at the rim you can't expect that. Otherwise sites were large enough for our needs and we felt safe.

Nice, large site. Cleanest vaulted tickets anywhere! Great camp hosts! Close to the north rim, quiet campground, cool evenings! Neat place! Very level site!

We stayed at De Motte for 2 nights in mid October. It was midweek and we got one of the last good sites (a lot were reserved in advanced). It's about a 20 minute drive to the North Rim, and about 10 minutes from the East Rim. There are plenty of free forest service camping in this area (yep we visited Aluminarium's spot!), but we had a guest tent camper who preferred a bathroom, plus it was just easier to meet up (he arrived in the dark). The bathrooms (pit toilets) were very clean and maintained. Trees have been thinned for safety, which provided some nice sunlight for our solar panels, but still some shade. I think the North Rim campground may have been too shady for solar panels once I saw it in person. There was no cell service. There is a gas station nearby. The host was always busy updating the tags on sites.

This campsite had everything: Lynn was THE nicest camp host, clean bathrooms, a little store nearby and tons of WILDLIFE! We woke to deer slowly walking at the edges and listening to the coo of coyotes at night. We went 08/23 and the weather was perfect; chilly at night at 70° in the day. Not only is it a hop and a skip to the North Rim, it was also only 4 miles to a view of the East Rim and the Arizona trail.

Make a reservation about 2-3 months in advance as they book up fast.

Reminder: pets are welcome at DeMotte but NOT at the North Rim.

We couldn’t get a spot in the Park, so we felt a bit defeated and backtracked a bit to Demotte. In reality it was a blessing in disguise, we enjoyed our stay very much (although is was extremely cold that night 17°F). The entire campground was immaculate including the restrooms.

The campground hosts were super nice and checked on us several times.

We tent camped, and the tent pad was level and debris free. Sites are spaced fairly enough to feel private and the scenery is just great.

Would camp here again if we were in the area.

Looking to get away? Hoping for a nice site? Wanna see a large hole in the ground as well? This is your place!! It's pretty much you, other campers, a gas station and even some mule deer if your lucky. Dry camping at its finest! Our site was huge, we could have fit two of our 32TT in there. The vault toilets were the cleanest we've seen. The camp host were terrific. This is the closest you can get to the north rim without being in the park. With that being said, we checked out the NP campground and like this place much better. Your located about 4 miles from Grand Canyon north rim entrance, which is super nice. To get to the rim its about a 20 minutes beautiful drive through pastures with grazing Bison and forest. One night during our stay the Forestry Service put on a program which was great. Plus, we got some free swag. Anyhow, can't say enough... one of the best yet!

This is one of the cleanest, nicest campgrounds I’ve ever stayed in. Half of the sites are reservation only, and half are first come first served. We took a risk and were lucky to snag an awesome site. (Check out is at 2 pm, so we strategically arrived around that time). The bathrooms were spotless and the campground scenery is beautiful - lots of trees and really close to the North Rim official park entrance. Highly recommend!

Location is perfect for a north rim visit.

We gambled on a walk up site (half are reservable and were already taken when I had checked online). At around 1 PM on a Thursday, half of the walk up sites were taken.

It can be a bit noisy if there’s a loud vehicle coming to or from the north room gate, sound carries from the road. The up side is that you’re not far from the road and therefore the north rim gate. Also a gas station with camping supplies and an adorable little food truck - great coffee and pastries! Also right across the road from the turn off for the forest service road to get to Marble Rim View.

The thing that blew us away the most.... these were the cleanest bathrooms we’ve experienced - AND THEY WERE PIT TOILETS!!!!

As the North Rim Campground was closed in 2020, I blindly opted for the nearest available - Demotte Campground in the Kaibab National Forest. I made a reservation and am happy I did; this is a small campground and fills up quickly. The location is excellent, as it's not far from the North Rim entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. Approaching the campground in the fall, the aspens are golden and quite beautiful. It's a very picturesque setting. Driving into the park the next day, I saw numerous deer and a small herd of bison.

The campground is semi-primitive, meaning no hookups, with only vault toilets and potable water at spigots. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Check the site details when booking, as the campground is pretty tight and larger RVs may not fit. If you're tent camping, note that the ground is quite hard and a mallet is helpful. Forget cell service, it's nonexistent. There's a small convenience store nearby where you can purchase gas, ice, and other supplies. The nearest showers are at the North Rim Campground, which were closed in 2020.

I stayed at Demotte in late September and it was pretty chilly at night (mid 30's). With very little light pollution, the stars are bright and crisp at night. In comparison to the North Rim, the sites at Demotte are more level and better spaced. There's also less tree cover at most sites, if solar power/warmth is a consideration. The restrooms were kept clean/supplied and the campground was clean and quiet. Would I stay here again? You bet!