Diamond Creek Campground is one of the best kept secrets in Arizona. Far outside of the Grand Canyon National Park boundaries there’s a rugged gravel road that winds down to the very bottom of the Grand Canyon.

At the end of this road you’ll find Diamond Creek Campground. A primitive campground where you can camp on the beach right along the mighty Colorado River.

If you thought the only way to get to the bottom of the Grand Canyon was by hiking rim to rim/ taking a mule, you’re in for a surprise. Diamond Creek Campground offers a rare experience to comfortably drive all the way down to the canyon floor—an adventure few travelers know about.

As far as I know this is the only place in the entire canyon that has public road access. It’s the only place you can drive to and camp along the river in the Grand Canyon.

If you’re interested, then keep on reading as I tell you everything you need to know about visiting Diamond Creek Campground.

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Where is Diamond Creek Campground?

Diamond Creek Campground is located in the Grand Canyon itself, just not within Grand Canyon National Park boundaries. So this area is not operated under the NPS.

It’s actually on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, which you do need a permit for (I go into more about this below).

The above map shows Diamond Creek Campground in accordance with the North and South Rim National Parks.

The nearest town to the campground is Peach Springs, a small rural town also on the Hualapai Reservation.

How to Get There

Below is a pin of Diamond Creek Campground. You can easily use the GPS on Google or Apple Maps to get there.

Whether you’re coming from Flagstaff, Las Vegas, or Page, the drive to the campground is pretty nice and straightforward. Peach Springs is located on Route 66 so there will be tons of things to see on the way.

From Route 66 you will have to exit in Peach Springs to get to the road that takes you through the canyon. 

Once you’ve gotten to Peach Springs, you will take Diamond Creek Rd which turns into Indian Rte 6. This is the gravel road that takes you to the bottom of the canyon.

Best Time to Visit Diamond Creek Campground

December-March

Winter is typically the driest season in Arizona so you have very low chances of getting flooded out at this time. 

And if you aren’t already familiar with summer in Arizona, it gets extremely hot. Dangerous heat reaching well over 100°F each day. Expect nothing else during summer at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, which sits at only about 3,000 feet.

Springtime can often bring lots of rain to the area so I would definitely say it’s best to visit during the winter months.

We visited Diamond Creek Campground the first week of January and had beautiful, mild temperatures and no rain. 

How to Get a Permit Before Visiting

Since Diamond Creek Campground is on the Hualapai Reservation, you will need a permit to camp and even just to drive the gravel road leading you through the canyon. 

You can purchase a permit the day you intend to visit onsite at the Fish & Game Store in Peach Springs. It is located inside the Historic Peach Springs Trading Post so you can easily find it on Apple or Google Maps. 

But here is their address: 863 AZ-66, Peach Springs, AZ 86434

It is important to know that the Fish & Game Store’s hours are:

Monday-Friday: 8:00 am- 5:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday: 8:00 am- 4:00 pm

They only sell permits 1 HOUR before close. So if you can’t get there before 4:00 pm on a Tuesday, you will not be able to visit Diamond Creek.

Our Experience Purchasing a Permit

When we stopped by the Fish & Game Store before heading down to the river, the store was locked with a sign on the door that read something along the lines of “Store closed. Proceed to the river to purchase permits”.

So, we began driving down and once we got to the bottom, we met a Tribal Ranger who came up to us and asked some things like where we were from, how we found out about them, how long we were going to stay, and what we were going to do there. 

He then let us purchase the permits we needed to stay the night and told us the rules about staying there before he drove off leaving us to set up our camp.

I’m not sure how often something like this happens, it was a little shocking to me that they sold them right at the river the day we went. So just know if you also see this sign on the door when you visit too, it’s okay to go ahead down.

But I would think that most of the time they have the store open where you can go inside and get your permit. 

Diamond Creek Permit Cost

They charge $22 per person per night to camp at Diamond Creek Campground. 

This may seem a little steep, and it’s definitely more than I would usually pay to stay at a campground. But it felt like a really neat opportunity. It’s not everyday you can drive to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and camp there along the river. So for us, it was worth it for a night.

If you just want to drive to the bottom and sight see without camping, you will still need to get a permit which will cost $16 per person.

What’s it Like Driving to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon?

The drive to the bottom of the Grand Canyon is nothing short of spectacular. It’s insane to watch how your surroundings slowly change from highland desert with hills and green shrubs to the Grand Canyon-esque rock formations that we all know.

When we first set out for this drive, I was expecting some crazy dirt road with steep and narrow switchbacks. (I was imagining a drivable version of the South Kaibab Trail).

Needless to say, that is not how it is at all. 

From the start of the drive to the finish you’ll descend about 3,000 feet of elevation, but it really doesn’t feel like it. It’s very gradual and surprisingly there aren’t any major switchbacks. It’s a pretty easy drive.

The road is wide enough to fit two cars alongside each other (with the exception of the final part of the drive near the river). 

Is 4×4 Required?

Yes, you will need a high clearance and 4 wheel drive vehicle to drive to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

The majority of the road is a well maintained gravel road. However, as you get closer to the river you will have to drive over some pretty rocky sections that are likely to be wet and muddy from the creek flowing into the Colorado.

With that being said, in monsoon season (June-August) this road may be impassable due to flooding. Another reason not to visit in summer.

I’d just recommend taking note of the weather the days leading up to when you want to go and try not to visit after a period of heavy rain.

Even in a 4×4 vehicle, if the road is flooded it will be near impossible to get to the campground.

As long as you go in good weather, you’ll be fine on the drive. It’s pretty straightforward and anyone can do it.

How Long is the Drive?

From the town of Peach Springs to the river, it is only about a 20 mile drive one way.

It took us a little over an hour to get to the bottom. That’s including a few stops to take some photos. 

Camping at Diamond Creek

Tent camping and car camping are both allowed here. So you can stay in your van or trailer if it can make it down the road.

Right before you reach the Colorado River, you will see several picnic tables under pavilions to your right up on the higher ground. This signifies the main area of the campground and where you’ll find several campsites suitable for tent camping.

Where to Camp

You can pick wherever you want to camp. The tribal ranger does not assign a spot to you. Once you get your permit you can drive around and find any spot you want that isn’t already taken.

There are a couple good places to camp on the main beach near the Colorado River. This seems to be the most popular spot. If those are all taken there are more up on the hill by the picnic tables that will give you a nice view of the river.

You’ll see fire rings around too signifying a campsite. 

There were only a few other campers there when we visited. They were all camping at the main beach, so we decided to explore a bit. We found this secluded little beach at the end of a trail that started near the picnic tables.

We decided to set up camp here and it was absolutely perfect. Nice and quiet and we had our own space.

Caution the River Water Levels

It’s recommended to camp as far away from the river as you can. This water is known to have a high and low tide effect like the ocean. It all depends on when they release water up at the Glen Canyon Dam. It is different for different times of year.

The beach we camped on was pretty small, but I still felt we camped far enough away. We saw no change in the water level throughout the day or overnight so it felt fine for us.

To play it safe, you can camp at the main beach which has sites much further away from the river.

Also, keep an eye out for bighorn sheep! They are often seen here high up on the canyon walls. We unfortunately didn’t spot any but we did only stay for one night. 

Things to Bring Camping

Diamond Creek Campground is a primitive campground meaning there are no amenities. There is no potable water, bathrooms, electricity or any kind of hookups. So you’re going to have to bring everything you need with you.

I have an entire post going into detail on everything we bring on our camping trips which you can find here. But for now, here’s a brief overview of things you’ll want to bring to Diamond Creek Campground:

• Enough water to last however many days in a water jug, or a water filter to use in the river
• Layers of clothing (it’s warm in the day but cold at night)
• Bag for trash
• Fire starter
• Cooking pots, pans, and utensils
• Propane stove & tanks
• Flashlights
• Tent & sleeping bags if tent camping
• Toilet paper
• Towels

Recap & Things to Know Before Visiting Diamond Creek

• You can drive to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by taking a gravel road from Peach Springs, Arizona
• 4×4 is required
• Diamond Creek Campground is on the Hualapai Reservation so you will need a permit ($22 per person per night) from the Peach Springs Fish & Game Store to visit
• The Fish & Game Store only sell permits 1 hour before close
• There is only one gas station in Peach Springs, it would be a good idea to fill up in the town before just in case this one is down
• The best time to visit is December-March
• Treat this land with care and leave no trace wherever you camp

That concludes my complete guide to visiting Diamond Creek Campground! Driving to the bottom of the Grand Canyon was such a unique and awesome experience.

We totally think it’s worth checking out if you’re visiting in the right season and have a suitable vehicle. If you’re into off roading and scenic views, a drive to Diamond Creek Campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is a must.

It’s probably my favorite Arizona hidden gem, even after living there for 2 years! I know you’ll love it too.

I hope you found this post useful in planning your trip to this one of a kind destination and thank you for reading!