The roads in historic Grand Canyon Village [1] were made for horses and stagecoaches, not RVs and modern traffic, so you may find it challenging to negotiate the narrow Village Loop. If you’re not camping in your RV, park it, and rely instead on the park’s free shuttle system. You’ll find parking spaces large enough for RVs at Grand Canyon Visitors Center near the park’s South Entrance Station. The paved lot at the Backcountry Information Center (Lot E, south of Maswik Lodge) also has RV-sized spaces.
If you’re camping, make reservations well in advance. Inside the park, only the South Rim’s Trailer Village (928/638-2631 or 888/297-2757, www.grandcanyonlodges.com [2]) has RV sites with full hookups for vehicles up to 50 feet long. Showers and laundry are available at the Camper Services building near Mather Campground [3]. You can camp at Mather Campground, although there are no hookups, and vehicle length is limited to 30 feet. Very few sites at first-come, first-served Desert View Campground can accommodate RVs, and there are no hookups. The South Rim’s disposal station is located next to Mather Campground.
Outside the park in Tusayan, Grand Canyon Camper Village (928/638-2887, Mar.–Oct.) has 250 RV sites with hookups. The campground also has coin-operated showers and laundry, a store, a playground, restrooms, and a dump site. Several restaurants and a grocery store are within walking distance.
A couple of miles south of Tusayan, Ten X Campground (877/444-6777, www.recreation.gov [4], May-Sept.) has pull-through sites. RVs up to 30 feet long can be accommodated, although there are no hookups. The campground often sells out in the summer.
Farther south in Valle, Bedrock City (928/635-2600, Feb.-Nov.) has RV sites with hookups and a grocery, a diner, a gift shop, a game room, laundry, and showers nearby.
Thirty miles east of the park’s East Entrance [5], Cameron Trading Post RV Park (928/679-2231 or 800/338-7385) has RV sites with full hookups. The RV park is adjacent to historic and modern trading posts, a convenience store, and a restaurant.
The North Rim Campground, inside the park, can accommodate RVs. There are no hookups, but there’s a dump station within the campground. Outside the park, 17 miles north of the rim, DeMotte Campground (928/643-7395, www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/recreation/campgrounds [6], late May-Oct. 15, depending on snowfall) allows small motor homes, but there are no hookups. This Forest Service campground doesn’t take reservations, and it does fill up, so arrive early.
The forest service also operates Jacob Lake Campground (928/643-7395, www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/recreation/campgrounds [6], May 15-Nov. 1, depending on snowfall) at the intersection of U.S. 89A and Highway 67, which is 45 miles north of the rim. The no-reservations campground has sites that can accommodate small motor homes, but there are no hookups.
If you want hookups, make reservations for Kaibab Camper Village (928/643-7804 or 800/525-0924, off-season 928/526-0924, http://kaibabcampervillage.com [7], May 15-Oct. 15). Just south of Jacob Lake, this commercial campground has 62 RV sites with full hookups.
For RV repairs, you’ll need to drive to Williams, Flagstaff, or if you’re on the North Rim, Kanab, Utah. Automotive repairs are limited at the North Rim [8] and Jacob Lake service stations.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/grand-canyon/the-south-rim/sights/historic-grand-canyon-village
[2] http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/grand-canyon/the-south-rim/south-rim-hotels-lodges-and-camping
[4] http://www.recreation.gov
[5] http://www.moon.com/destinations/grand-canyon/the-south-rim/exploring-the-south-rim
[6] http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/recreation/campgrounds
[7] http://kaibabcampervillage.com
[8] http://www.moon.com/destinations/grand-canyon/the-north-rim