Forest Road 688 Dispersed Camping
Kaibab National Forest
Write a Review FR-688 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 928-635-5600 928-635-8200 Official WebsiteGPS: 35.9262, -112.1245
Overview of Forest Road 688 Dispersed Camping
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101.
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by SunnyChander on 8/22/2024
Longest RV Reported: 44 feet (Fifth Wheel)
Reported by Jackiehollander on 4/22/2023
Pad Type dirt
Elevation 6,594 ft / 2,009 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Forest Road 688 Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 928-635-5600
Fun2travel asked on 9/17/2019
Can anyone share where we could get potable water for this spot. Also, how about a dump, we are a 40’ fifth wheel. Cu...
Reviews of Forest Road 688 Dispersed Camping 80 people have reviewed this location.
“Almost Perfect”
Reviewed 11/30/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
Took the first site we came to & it was perfect! Camp ring with logs to burn & other campers far away. Our dog loved the freedom to roam! I would absolutely recommend this camp to others!!
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great place to boondock. ”
Reviewed 7/19/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 9 |
RV Length: | 35' (Class A) |
We stayed here for 9 days with no problems. Our closest neighbor was over 1000 yards away. On Saturday night we could see 3 other campers, but all was quiet. We would have no problems staying here again. The only drawback is that people leave trash, not a lot, but every little bit hurts an area. Remember, this is BOONDOCK camping -- N... more
We stayed here for 9 days with no problems. Our closest neighbor was over 1000 yards away. On Saturday night we could see 3 other campers, but all was quiet. We would have no problems staying here again. The only drawback is that people leave trash, not a lot, but every little bit hurts an area. Remember, this is BOONDOCK camping -- No hookups -- no facilities -- no charge. Happy Camping
rvdoc would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beware of thieves😡”
Reviewed 5/5/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
Stayed in a marked site for one night, and had some hitch equipment stolen while we were sleeping. We didn't unhitch, but the truck/trailer combo was raised slightly to get a bit closer to level. Thieves were able to remove part of the assembly as there was no pressure being applied on the hitch. They were pretty stealthy, as we were s... more
Stayed in a marked site for one night, and had some hitch equipment stolen while we were sleeping. We didn't unhitch, but the truck/trailer combo was raised slightly to get a bit closer to level. Thieves were able to remove part of the assembly as there was no pressure being applied on the hitch. They were pretty stealthy, as we were sleeping in the trailer when it happened. I found out the next morning as we were about to hit the road. This would have been a great spot to stop for a few nights, but the experience was ruined. Just keep an eye out, be careful!
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Best boondocking site I've ever had.”
Reviewed 4/19/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
We arrived at this site on the Thursday before Easter - the busiest week of the year at the Grand Canyon. I fully expected it to be very crowded and that we would have to deal with noisy neighbors. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the sites were spaced out well. From our campsite we could not see our nearest neighbor and only... more
We arrived at this site on the Thursday before Easter - the busiest week of the year at the Grand Canyon. I fully expected it to be very crowded and that we would have to deal with noisy neighbors. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the sites were spaced out well. From our campsite we could not see our nearest neighbor and only heard them when they shut a car door. It felt like we had the woods to ourselves.
We were serenaded every night by coyotes, which seemed plentiful, but harmless and we were woken every morning by a scavenging raven. Our camp had tall ponderosa pines and lovely blue jays and woodpeckers. We saw both deer and elk near the camp too.
There was lots of fallen wood at this location so we were able to have a fire every night. I doubt this will last the whole season, but for us it was great to warm ourselves by a crackling fire every night.
As our main goal was to experience the Grand Canyon we spent our days up at the park. Our campsite was less than five minutes from the park entrance. In the park there are pay showers, laundry, a camp store and places to dump trash; everything you could need.
A few tips:
Most trash cans in the park wont handle large amounts of trash, but the picnic areas on the desert view drive have large dumpsters.
Showers are coin operated so bring quarters. $2 got us 8 minutes which was plenty of time. The store does not give cash back and the bank (chase) cost us a $3 ATM fee.
The park has a bus system that works well, but the parking at the visitors center fills up fast. Parking lot A is almost always empty and is next to a convenient bus stop.
Invest in a Luggable Loo and a potty tent. Arizona forests have little underbrush and nowhere to squat behind.
monturtle1 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great spot close to Grand Canyon”
Reviewed 10/24/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
Site Number: | 688G |
Decided to stay here in mid October 2016. All the other campgrounds were full or closing. 10x closed on October 17th. We found an excellent spot a 100 feet off the road for our 37ft 5th wheel. Just far enough to keep out of the dust off the road. Saw many excellent locations and we were not alone which was nice. Beautiful quiet s... more
Decided to stay here in mid October 2016. All the other campgrounds were full or closing. 10x closed on October 17th. We found an excellent spot a 100 feet off the road for our 37ft 5th wheel. Just far enough to keep out of the dust off the road. Saw many excellent locations and we were not alone which was nice. Beautiful quiet site in the pines and grassland. We have a 4g iPad and could not get coverage where we were. Had to go into Tusayan at McDonalds for wi-fi which i must say was hit & miss....but free!
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Free & close to the Grand Canyon! ”
Reviewed 5/28/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | 35.922184,-112.113561 |
RV Length: | 35' (Fifth Wheel) |
After reading the reviews, we decided to choose this area & glad we did! We arrived on a Monday, mid May and most of the marked spots at the beginning of the road were already occupied. So we drove further back and found a spot surrounded by trees on 3 sides and opened to a clearing on the other. There were giant piles of gravel that ... more
After reading the reviews, we decided to choose this area & glad we did! We arrived on a Monday, mid May and most of the marked spots at the beginning of the road were already occupied. So we drove further back and found a spot surrounded by trees on 3 sides and opened to a clearing on the other. There were giant piles of gravel that the kids enjoyed playing on. Many animal bones left by hunters. But clear night skies & very close to the town of Tusayan for shopping,restaurants, gas and close to the Grand Canyon. There are 3 other sites nearby, plus the clearing but plenty of space between. We had 1 neighbor the whole time (& made new friends!) but were far enough not to hear their generator. Our last night 4 new campers came in the area as it was close to the weekend&they couldn't find spots at any campgrounds. The road is maintained & fairly smooth except for a dip going over a cattle guard. The only drawback was we had zero tmobile service.
We visited the camper services at Mather Campground in the park and a worker allowed us to use a family restroom/shower instead of the individual shower stalls. And it was free & private.
ontheroamagain would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Secluded area south of the canyon”
Reviewed 5/11/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
Site Number: | 688D |
Happy to have found this spot. FR-688 is along hwy 64, and is south of the Ten X campground by one exit. There are many sites a short way in, and most of them are split with a front and back site. It is a wooded area, and neighbors are noticeable, but unobtrusive. Our wooded spot had a nice southern view, a firepit already built up wit... more
Happy to have found this spot. FR-688 is along hwy 64, and is south of the Ten X campground by one exit. There are many sites a short way in, and most of them are split with a front and back site. It is a wooded area, and neighbors are noticeable, but unobtrusive. Our wooded spot had a nice southern view, a firepit already built up with rocks, and plenty of room to roam around.
It is a 7 minute drive to Tusayan, and 10 minutes to the gate of the Grand Canyon. Dump station, water, and showers are available at Mather Campground located within the park. Tusayan has restaurants, a gas station, and other amenities available.
Our 5th wheel had no problem getting to our site, just a short drive in.
When you go to the Grand Canyon, and you see how many RV rentals are there, you wonder why you don't see more of them where you are camping. FR-688 was a great escape from them without being inconvenient to the GC.
Verizon signal goes away the further down the road you go.
33andfree would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful forest with easy access to Grand Canyon”
Reviewed 4/9/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
This was a great find! Only a 10 minute drive to Grand Canyon, but far enough away to be quiet in the forest. There were a handful of other campers around in the forest, but we never heard anyone else. The nights were dark and quiet and I got in a nice hammock nap and never heard anyone else all afternoon. There is no water in t... more
This was a great find! Only a 10 minute drive to Grand Canyon, but far enough away to be quiet in the forest.
There were a handful of other campers around in the forest, but we never heard anyone else. The nights were dark and quiet and I got in a nice hammock nap and never heard anyone else all afternoon.
There is no water in town, but there's an RV dump station with water in Mather Campground in the park.
We got decent internet speeds -- Verizon drops to 3G the farther East you go down the road.
Jon would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Surrounded by pine trees, and close to the big hole!”
Reviewed 4/2/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 9 |
Site Number: | 688D |
Amazing spot with solid cell service! And FREE! We stayed in March 2016 so it was pretty cold overnight each night (into the 20's) but we loved this spot. It wasn't far off the main road (Hwy 64) and the sites were marked so you knew where you could stay. Our spot (marked 688D) worked great for our truck and 37' TT setup. You could pul... more
Amazing spot with solid cell service! And FREE! We stayed in March 2016 so it was pretty cold overnight each night (into the 20's) but we loved this spot. It wasn't far off the main road (Hwy 64) and the sites were marked so you knew where you could stay. Our spot (marked 688D) worked great for our truck and 37' TT setup. You could pull in easily and loop around and setup camp. No backing! The one right after it is also good and easy.
EATS:
This is about 5 miles outside of the park entrance and only a few miles into Tusayan where you can grab some (very) basic groceries, and eat at a few restaurants if you choose. There's a Pizza Hut "Express" (or something like that) that we ate at with some friends that wanted to eat there. It was ok, but more like eating at a Truck Stop due to the limited selection. We also ate at Sophie's Mexican restaurant (I'd give it a 5/10) and also Plaza Bonita (7/10 and a little higher priced).
THE SITE:
Each site kind of has two sites within it. The further back is for bigger rigs and there is a smaller site on the front half that is more for tent campers. We did have two different tent campers stay for a night or two during our stay. I visited with both briefly and both were very nice.
The 688E site right "next door" actually had a pretty big Class A pull in about an hour after we did. So, even bigger rigs should be able to camp here as long as the road is dry and solid.
The sites are also far enough away from each other that running your generator (if it's an inverter) shouldn't cause a problem for other sites. Solar will produce less here until the high part of the day. The trees are very tall and give you a lot of shadows.
I really didn't see any trash or mess anywhere either.
There was slight road noise when outside, but that's part of being not too far from the main road. It was definitely not a big deal by any means. You could just hear it slightly.
WATER:
There's no water or dump available. We did really good on water here though. That was mostly because we were out a lot at the Grand Canyon and were very diligent to fill our water bottles there before the start of each day and again when we left for camp. You can find several water filling stations (spring water) at the canyon for bottle fill. Just look!
You can also take showers in the GC at Mather Campground to help save water. They do charge $2 for 8 minutes but it is good, hot water & worth it to save you from breaking camp early. You can also dump at Mather...for free! That's what we did on our way out leaving toward Page.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great area - quiet, but good cell reception”
Reviewed 10/16/2015
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 6 |
RV Length: | 36' (Class A) |
Stayed out on Forest Road 688 for 6 nights, just hanging out and working (computer stuff). Good enough cell reception to actually stay connected and get some things done. Lots of dispersed flat sites, widely separated. We saw 3-4 other campers driving in and out, but couldnt' see or hear any from the site we picked. Road is extremely... more
Stayed out on Forest Road 688 for 6 nights, just hanging out and working (computer stuff). Good enough cell reception to actually stay connected and get some things done. Lots of dispersed flat sites, widely separated. We saw 3-4 other campers driving in and out, but couldnt' see or hear any from the site we picked. Road is extremely well maintained and easy to drive on. Lots of signs of elk, although we didn't actually see any. Tusayan is only about 4 miles away and has decent amenities. DO NOT buy propane there (only available at the RV park and it was $4.75 a gallon).
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
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- dry camping
- Dispersed Camping
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