Camp at Havasupai Gardens Campground, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

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While there are plenty of campgrounds available for people visiting the Grand Canyon, those more adventurous might be interested in hiking down into the canyon and camping overnight. This should be planned out a bit in advance as a Backcountry permit is required and the park only issues 13,000 permits a year. Havasupai Gardens Campground is 9 miles (14.4km) roundtrip from Bright Angel Trailhead; 3040 ft (925m) elevation gain. In Nov 2022 the U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted to change the name of Indian Garden to Havasupai Gardens. Hikers can tay overnight with a permit issued by the Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Information Center. Overnight use of the campgrounds is regulated by the National Park Service, and they call for a maximum number of groups (7 to 11 people) and parties (1 to 6 people), as well as a maximum total number of persons. Havasupai Gardens Campground is located along the Bright Angel Trail, is a beautiful riparian area filled with cottonwood trees. A small creek passes through on its way to the Colorado River. Indian Garden is 4.8 miles below the South Rim. Indian Garden has a ranger station, emergency phone, year-round potable water, and toilets. Mule trains stop to rest on their way to Phantom Ranch. Day hike destinations include Plateau Point (with panoramic views of the Colorado River). Every campsite has a picnic table, pack pole, and metal food storage can. All food, toiletries, and plastics must be placed inside the food storage can. Plateau Point is 1.5 miles ( 2.4 km ) beyond Havasupai Gardens. This is a strenous day hike that takes from 8-12 hours. The total round trip is 12.2 miles (19.6 km) The change in elevation is 3,195 feet (974 m). Use permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis from the park's Backcountry Information Center. Requests are taken beginning on the 1st day of the month, up to four months before the requested first night of camping. Get more information on obtaining a permit here: http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry-permit.htm

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