Camping at Jacob Lake Campgrounds, The Grand Canyon

Ok. So we went camping "in the Grand Canyon". Or at least, that's what I had asked for. Turns out it was an hour away from the North Rim.... whatever.

I love camping. We used to go all the time as a kid. My dad loved to choose the worst weekend of the year to do it. We would load up the van with camping gear and head out to Seashore State Park, or First Landing as it's now known. It would be raining like crazy. So tarps would be hoisted to keep our campground some definition of dry and my sister or I would need to maintain the campfire, which, of course, was not under the tarp. So that was fun. Dad said it was called "roughing it". He also said that we liked it and so we did. And we would sit and stare at flickering flames and listening to the rhythm of the rain as we spoke long into the night. So the idea of camping had me STOKED.


So, we're chilling in this "evergreen forest". (I feel like I was provided with much false information on this trip...) And our campsite was HUGE! And we could see RVs 10 campsites away... So much for that forest...
Our tent was formerly Jacob's brothers boy scouting tent and Jacob said it would be too small for the both of us. He was wrong. It was too small for one of us. The problem was not in the width. It was the length. Four more inches was all we needed. But no. Jacob spent the second night under the stars. I foolishly believed his absence would change the length of the tent.
Our time at the campsite was spent on a blanket with our sleeping bags (Apparently it gets cold in the desert...), reading. Otherwise, we were at our campfire, roasting hot dogs and burning pine cones.

With the exception of the too small tent, freeze nights, fire ban (turns out patience isn't a virtue. Stuff your face with s'mores while you have the chance!), lack of showers, and lack of foliage and consequential privacy, Jacob Lake Campground was lovely. Across the street there was a gas station, gift shop, and restaurant, all very convenient, with helpful staff with the exception of our waitress, with whom I was beyond frustrated and left her a measly 10% tip! (Hey, she's still got to pay rent even if I didn't like her or her service.) The campground itself was very quiet. Park staff rode around on golf carts keeping an eye on things, answering questions, and warning you to put out your fire before you get an $1000 fine. (No one told us there was a burn ban.) Also, their latrines were surprisingly nice.

We didn't get to sleep in the Grand Canyon but the alternative was nice.