Ashley J.
Yelp
My fiancé and I have been wanting to come here for a long time, but we typically wait until the last minute and this place was always booked. Well, we got proactive and booked this campsite in February for Memorial Day weekend.
The campsites are given out on a first come, first serve basis, and since we got there around 7pm Friday (check in starts at 1), the West Rim was already full, so we headed towards the East Rim Campsite. We chose site 54 next to the camp hosts, and it ended up being a great site for us! It was close to the bathrooms, which were maintained very well, and also pretty quiet at night.
Unfortunately for us, our air mattress had a leak in it, and we got a terrible nights sleep. We had planned on hiking one trail the first day, and the other the next. Instead, we went to Walmart and bought another air mattress and took a nap!
After a much better nights rest, we hiked the Sitton Gulch Trail (6mi) in the morning. The first mile is actually the same as the 2mi waterfall hike, so we stopped at the waterfalls first and then continued on. You follow the creek for most of the way, and at the end it turns woodsy. My favorite part was seeing how far deep in the canyon you are, and the ginormous rocks in the creek. There are a lot of stairs on the way back up, so make sure to take plenty of breaks.
After having lunch and resting, we went on the west rim hike around 5pm. We practically had the entire trail to ourselves on the busy Memorial Day weekend, so that was awesome! The views from the overlooks here are stunning.
Overall, I would definitely come here again! I know a lot people say that the West Rim campground is better, and I can see how the sites are a little more secluded. However, the East Rim was also great and I would recommend it as well. The East Rim campsite is also closer to the main overlook, interpretive center, and the start of the waterfall/Sitton gulch trails.
Check this place out...you won't regret it!