We spent three nights tent camping at Mather Campground on the Grand Canyon's South Rim in site 292, in Pine Loop. With 327 sites, picking one on Recreation.gov can feel like a guessing game, especially when every site photo looks about the same. Here's how the loops compare, the exact sites we'd book again, and what to look for when you reserve.
If you're still deciding whether to camp at all, start with our Mather Campground Review: What to Know Before Camping at the Grand Canyon With Kids and our guide to Where to Stay at the Grand Canyon South Rim With Kids: In the Park, Nearby, or Camping.
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Family tent setup at site 292 in Pine Loop, Mather Campground, Grand Canyon.
Which Site Is Best at Mather Campground?
For tent camping, our pick is Pine Loop, and we wouldn't hesitate to book site 292 again, or either of the sites right next to it. To be honest, though, no site at Mather is perfect. None of them offer much privacy, the ground is rocky everywhere, and the loops are more alike than different. The best things you can do are pick the right loop for your setup, avoid the sites closest to the main road, and book as soon as your dates open.
That said, the location can’t be beat. Camping inside Grand Canyon National Park, about a mile from the rim, is what all the hype is about, and we can confirm it’s worth it. You won’t see the canyon from your campsite, but it’s so close you can almost smell it.
The campground itself is also very clean and well maintained, which goes a long way when you’re sharing a bathhouse with a few hundred other campers.
Mather Campground Loops at a Glance
Mather is split into seven loops. Every loop has restrooms with flush toilets and water spigots, and campfire rings and picnic tables come with every standard site.
Aspen Loop: sites 1 to 59
Fir Loop: sites 60 to 106
Juniper Loop: sites 107 to 184. Four of the five sites that fit a full 30-foot trailer are here (120, 121, 128, and 172).
Maple Loop: sites 185 to 200. Site 185 also fits a 30-foot trailer.
Oak Loop: sites 201 to 264
Pine Loop: sites 265 to 319. Generator free from March 1 through November 30, with lots of tent-only sites.
Sage Loop: group sites and equestrian sites only.
Outside Pine Loop, generators can run from 7 to 9 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. campground-wide. Showers and laundry are not inside the loops; they're at Camper Services near the campground entrance.
We only camped in Pine Loop, but we walked and drove through the others, and our honest opinion is that they’re all very similar: similar spacing, similar rocky ground, similar trees. We didn’t closely inspect every site, but nothing we saw made one loop stand out as clearly better or worse. The one thing we’d avoid is a site close to the main road, where traffic noise would be hard to tune out. On the campground map, most of those sites are in Aspen Loop, so if quiet matters to you, avoid those site numbers in Aspen or choose another loop.
Why We'd Book Pine Loop Again
If you're tent camping, Pine Loop is where we'd point you. It's the only generator-free loop during the main season, so you aren't listening to someone's generator during dinner. Many of its sites are tent only, which means most of your neighbors are tent campers too. Each site’s details on Recreation.gov show whether it’s tent only, so you can check before you book.
Our set up at site 292.
Our Site: 292 in Pine Loop
Here's what site 292 was like for our family of three:
Shade most of the day. On the rare stretch when the sun hit our picnic table, we just moved our camp chairs behind the site.
No sites behind us. This was one of our favorite things about it. It made the site feel more open, even though the sites on either side were close.
Close neighbors, but not too close. The sites next to us were close, but not so close that we could reach out and touch our neighbor’s tent, and a few scattered trees sat between us. That’s why we think these sites are a little better than some of the others in Pine Loop.
Room for a tent, with options. There were at least three spots in our site that would work for a tent.
A short walk to the bathhouse. Close enough for a quick trip with a kid at night.
Elk visitors. Elk wandered close to our site most of the time, probably because there aren't many sites behind it. It was a highlight for us, but give them plenty of room. The park asks visitors to stay at least 100 feet from elk.
Not perfectly level. This was our one real but minor complaint. It wasn't a deal breaker, but you may notice it on the picnic table.
Would we book it again? Absolutely.
Elk walking through site 290 next to ours.
The Sites on Either Side of Us
If 292 is taken, we’d happily book either site next to it. Site 293, to the right of ours if you’re facing our site, seemed more level than ours, which is why we think it may be just a bit better. Site 290, to the left, was a good one too. All three have the same shade situation and the same open feeling with no sites behind them.
What to Look For When You Book Any Site at Mather
Skip sites right along the main road. Traffic noise carries, and these are the sites we'd avoid in any loop.
Find the restroom on the map. You want it close enough for a nighttime walk, but not so close that you hear toilets flushing all night.
Read the site details on Recreation.gov. Each site lists whether it's tent only, back-in or pull-through, and the max vehicle length. The roads are one way, so on some sites a van's side door opens toward the road. Each site also has reviews from people who’ve camped there, which are worth a quick read.
Plan for rocky ground. Every site we saw was stony. Bring a sleeping pad at a minimum. We brought an air mattress, plus an extension cord and inverter to inflate it. You can see our whole campsite setup in Our Grand Canyon Packing List: What We Packed for 3 Days of Family Camping.
How to Book a Site at Mather Campground
Reservations open on Recreation.gov six months in advance, and the park strongly recommends booking ahead for peak season (March 1 through November 30). We were ready to book the minute our dates opened. Set up your Recreation.gov account ahead of time, so you’re not creating it while you’re trying to grab your spot.
During peak season there are about 20 first-come, first-served sites, sold in person for one night at a time. They usually sell out by late morning, so don't count on one.
Unoccupied sites can't be taken without a reservation, even if they look empty.
Check-in starts at noon, and checkout is by 11 a.m. You check in at the campground kiosk when you arrive.
Read More: Mather Campground Review: What to Know Before Camping at the Grand Canyon With Kids
Mather Campground Sites: FAQ
What is the best loop at Mather Campground?
For tent camping, we'd pick Pine Loop (sites 265 to 319). It's generator free from March through November and full of tent-only sites. Overall, though, the loops are very similar, so the bigger choice is avoiding sites near the main road, most of which are in Aspen Loop.
Is Pine Loop tent only?
Not entirely. Many Pine Loop sites are tent only, but some can fit a small RV, pop-up, or short trailer. Check each site's details on Recreation.gov before you book.
Are the campsites at Mather level?
Not always. Our site, 292, wasn't perfectly level, and the ground is rocky throughout the campground. Bring a sleeping pad or air mattress.
Does Mather Campground have showers?
Not inside the loops. Paid showers and laundry are at Camper Services, near the campground entrance. The showers had a time limit during our visit, so be ready to scrub before you put your coins or tokens in!
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