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North Rim Grand Canyon Rockdocking- FREE
DeLorme Arizona Atlas, Page 23, 4/5, A: 36 degrees 25.64 N and 112 degrees 24.21 W at 7472 feet elevation- Crazy Jug Point (Pick up a Kaibab National Forest map for $10.00 for large scale and locating roads.)
Jacob Lake, AZ, which is a gas station and restaurant, is my point 0.0 on the odometer. Next door is the Kaibab National Forest Ranger Station where a large folded map can be purchased. Jacob Lake is located at the intersection of Highways 67 and Alt.89. You will leave Jacob Lake to the south and in less than a half mile, the second right turn, is FR461. You will know you are on the right road as within a mile you will find a RV park to your south.
At 5.8 miles turn onto FR462. At 20.5 turn onto FR425. After being on FR425 at about 32.0 miles on your odometer, you will encounter three turns: FR292, FR292A and FR292B. Take FR292B (it is the straight ahead option). The turn to the Northwest takes you to the Thunder River trailhead about two miles. There is a parking lot that does not allow camping, but you can park if you have filled out the GCNP permit for overnight hiking into the Park. Check with the Kaibab National Forest Ranger Station for details. You will be at the campsite with 32.3 miles on the trip odometer.
As you enter this KNForest camping area, there is a primitive turnaround. You will see to your left along the canyon rim an area large enough for our 23 foot AS and there is room for up to 28 feet with tow vehicle attached. I turned the tow vehicle and 23 foot trailer easily, backed within 40 feet of the Grand Canyon rim, set the emergency brake, maybe needed an inch or two side to side leveling blocks and spent three beautiful days at the site.
This is a Rockdocking site. No facilities. When you back into this south rim spot, you will have junipers shading you as you exit your AS door. Any winds are also shielded by the junipers. There is room for two trailers and several tents set back into the woods. There is a trail that is about 100 yards long where we sat in our lawn chairs and viewed a 180 degree canyon view. If you look carefully to the south when the sun is high, you can get a glimpse of the Colorado River gleaming at the bottom some thousands of feet below. You can also hike the Forest Road to the trail head, or drive it in your vehicle. A small trailer could be turned around there, but not recommended. It is about two miles from Crazy Jug Point to the northwest.
The FR roads are all season gravel that can be travelled at 10mph to 25mph. Nothing I would call "white knuckle" but from a Rockdocking scale of RD 0 (zero- Highway 67) and impossible (RD10), this is a RD3.5. The family will find some of the narrow roads... interesting, but just look ahead for the dust of any oncoming vehicle.
There are several wooded campsites on the way to the Grand Canyon (Bill Hall) trailhead, on your right (north) that a 25 foot trailer can turnaround and a smaller trailer campsite on the rim. Longer trailers on the northern campsite if you have help watching for backing in and turnarounds.
There is NO FEE to camp here at Crazy Jug Point. Carry out your trash and drop it off at the Chevron station at Jacob Lake. The food at the restaurant is excellent and priced below what was expected. Gasoline was $3.95 for regular unleaded on May 18th.
A word to the wise Rockdocker:
I noticed that people were looking for a campsite after 5PM. Get to this spot early as the early bird gets this prime Grand Canyon camping spot in the National Forest. The rim is where the National Park takes control, so by staying on the rim, you have no problem with the National Park Service and permits.
When I transfer my digital photographs onto my computer, if someone finds this Rockdocking campsite of interest, I will try to get a photograph or two of this location. You WILL NOT be disappointed. You are only 32.3 miles from civilization, but you would think, from the viewing vantage of the canyon, this is all yours!!! There are other routes to Crazy Jug Point from Highway 67, some appear to be shorter. I had no prior help to find this camping location, so took the longer route in and out. Sometimes the short cuts are not short nor pleasant...
Happy Rockdocking. Or Boondock at the RV Park just off Highway 67 near Jacob Lake and drive the tow vehicle to Crazy Jug Point.
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