Jacob Lake Recreation Area

Kaibab National Forest

Jacob Lake Recreation Area is conveniently located in Jacob Lake, Arizona, the gateway to the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The campground is nestled among the towering Ponderosa Pine trees of the North Kaibab National Forest, where ample opportunities to enjoy nature abound, from hiking and mountain biking to birding.

Summer temperatures are pleasant during the day and nights are cool, while several feet of snow cover the landscape in winter. The campground closes each year by the end of October, though the national forest remains open.

The group campground is adjacent to Jacob Lake Campground and features two group sites that can accommodate up to 100 people each. While perfect for weddings, family reunions and other large group events, this campground is not intended for traditional camping with small groups of people. The facility offers ramadas, grills, tables, toilets and water.

Jacob Lake Recreation Area is very accessible. It is located on 89A, a paved U.S. highway, yet set far enough back from the road to provide privacy. The roads within the campground are gravel.

The facility is across the street from Jacob Lake Inn, which has a restaurant, gas station, gift shop and limited groceries, and the Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center. The nearest full facilities are 30 to 40 miles away in Fredonia, Arizona and Kanab, Utah.

Need to Know

• Overnight campsites have a check-in time of after 2pm and a check-out time of 11am. The day use site has a check-in time of 8 a.m. and a check-out time of 8 p.m.

• This region has frequent thunderstorms from mid-June through mid-September.
• This is a high elevation facility. Please use caution when traveling from lower elevations.
• Potable (drinking) water is limited. Filling RV water tanks is not permitted.

• Campsites are available any time after the check-in time.

• Pets must be kept on a leash that is 6 feet or shorter. Pet owners are required to pick up after their pet.

• The Day-use picnic area is rented on a first-come-first-served basis. No overnight camping is allowed in the picnic area. 

• Please Note: One RV with tow vehicle per site, extra vehicle fee per night will be collected at the campground beginning with the third vehicle.  

• Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed. 

• Reserved Sites will be held until check out time (NOON) the day following your arrival date. Sites must be occupied by the checkout time of that following day to hold a reservation or the site will be forfeited and released to other guests. Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.

• Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).

• Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.

Natural Features

Jacob Lake is at an elevation of 7,920 feet. The Kaibab Plateau is an area uplifted by geologic processes, making it higher in elevation than the surrounding deserts (the closest town of Fredonia, Arizona is 28 miles away and nearly 4,700 feet).

Many species of wildlife call the Kaibab home, including the tassel-eared Kaibab squirrel, found nowhere else in the world, and numerous species of birds. The nearby lake only fills up with water occasionally, but marsh areas along the edges of the lake are great bird habitats.

Nearby Attractions

The campground is 44 miles north of Grand Canyon National Park's rustic and less populated North Rim - home to abundant wildlife, hiking trails, spruce-fir and Ponderosa pine forests and unparalleled views of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Enjoy a visit to the North Rim from mid-May through mid-October; the road is closed during winter.

Grand Canyon National Park>

Recreation

Grand Canyon National Park is a popular destination for campers staying at Jacob Lake Recreation Area. But from the campground itself, visitors can walk a pleasant one-mile loop trail, or take a 10 minute drive to the Kaibab Plateau Trail a section of the Arizona Trail, which runs north-to-south across the entire length of the state. The national forest also has a variety of mountain biking trails ranging from beginner to advanced levels. There is no fishing at Jacob Lake.

Reservations for horseback riding and chuck wagon rides, as well as bike rentals, are available at Jacob Lake Inn across the street.

Contact Information

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HC 64, BOX 65 FREDONIA AZ 86022

Phone Number

For campground inquiries, please call: 928-643-7770

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip

Driving Directions

The facility is 30 miles southeast of Fredonia, Arizona on U.S. Route 89A. It is 0.1 miles from the intersection of U.S. Route 89A and State Route 67.

Available Campsites

• Site 025, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 002, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 034, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 050, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 040, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 032, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 016, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 045, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site GSA, Loop LOPA, Type Group Standard Nonelectric
• Site 051, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 010, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 041, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 026, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site Picnic Area, Loop LOPC, Type Group Picnic Area
• Site 022, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site GSB, Loop LOPB, Type Group Standard Nonelectric
• Site 031, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 001, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 039, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 033, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 030, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 036, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 023, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 038, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 013, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 020, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 018, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 005, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 021, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 049, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 027, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 003, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 007, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 019, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 044, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 004, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 017, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 029, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 012, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 048, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 008, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 009, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 014, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 024, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 028, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 015, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 046, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 035, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 037, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 047, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 042, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 043, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 006, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 011, Loop LOPA, Type Standard Nonelectric

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