Mather Campground at The Grand Canyon (and Page, Arizona)

We made it to the Grand Canyon and it was one hail of an adventure!

A week earlier we reserved a three-night stay at Mather Campground located inside the National Park. The fancy, full hook-up campground had no availability, so we settled for a dry camping spot.

As we arrived to the park’s South Rim entrance, the five-lane toll collection was reminiscent of Disney World. I was surprised by the amount of cars entering and exiting the park. It was, by far, the busiest and most congested National Park we’ve visited.

Our campsite was a level, asphalt pull-through spot with a fire pit, picnic table, and nearby bathroom access. The site was spacious enough to let River play freely on her 20′ line. A full-sized market, cafeteria, post office, and laundry facility were all less than a mile away. The only amenity that really stunk was WiFi access.

We hiked the Canyon Rim Trail and took pictures at all the view points. There were crowds of people doing the same. From the visitor center to the village, the foot-traffic was heavy and continuous.

Not long into our exploring the rain began to pour. The hail pebbles came falling down. Tourists ran to the nearest shelter. We put on our rain jackets and hiked two miles back to our camper – wet and discouraged.

The rain continued throughout the rest of our stay. We used the third day to catch up on laundry, take showers, and prepare for departure. It wasn’t the visit we envisioned, but we will surely be back on a sunny day in the future.

Our next stop was Page, Arizona – a halfway way point from The Grand Canyon and Zion. We stayed in an RV park with full hookups and internet access. The area had tons of hiking. We hiked to Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon Dam, and The Hanging Gardens. It was great to be able to explore freely, away from crowds.

Today we’re driving to Zion National Park where we have three nights reserved at Watchman Campground.