There are no additional fees to stay in the Inner Canyon’s three developed campgrounds. (Note that “developed” is a relative term. Don’t expect showers—let alone cable hookups—if you’re spending the night in the canyon.) Stays are limited to two nights per hike (four nights Nov. 15–Feb. 28), and your site is reserved when you apply for a backcountry use permit.

Permit fees ($10 per permit plus $5 per person per night) include camping, whether you’re staying at an established campground or sleeping on a patch of sandstone in a primitive area.

Bright Angel Campground, along Bright Angel Creek near its confluence with the Colorado River, has 31 campsites (including two group sites), year-round drinking water, food storage boxes, picnic tables, emergency phone, and toilets.

The campground is accessible from the Bright Angel, South Kaibab, and North Kaibab Trails. You’ll need a backcountry permit to stay here, and sites do fill up quickly in spring and summer. The ranger station is nearby—during the summer, rangers host evening programs. Phantom Ranch is half a mile north.

Cottonwood Campground, 6.8 miles from the North Rim via the North Kaibab Trail (also accessible from Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trails), has 11 campsites with picnic tables and food storage boxes. The campground also offers toilets, an emergency phone, and a ranger station (May–Oct.). Despite the name, the campground has little shade. Water is available seasonally, from May to mid-October.

Indian Garden Campground is a shady oasis of grapevines and cottonwoods midway down the Bright Angel Trail, 4.5 miles from the South Rim. A backcountry permit is required to reserve one of the 15 campsites. Amenities include potable water year-round, pack hangers, food storage boxes, and composting toilets. Indian Garden also has a ranger station and an emergency phone.