Cameron Trading Post is the classic stopover on the drive from Page to the Grand Canyon, and staying the night makes the South Rim day trip much easier. Set beside US 89 at the Little Colorado River, where the highway meets State Route 64 to the park's East Entrance, the trading post has specialized in Native American crafts since 1916 and remains a working hub of the western Navajo Nation: a large store and gallery of rugs, jewelry, pottery and baskets, a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner (the Navajo taco on fry bread is the signature order), and the shaded, terraced Cameron Gardens that feel like an oasis in the high desert. Lodging is straightforward and comfortable rather than fancy — single and double rooms, plus luxury suites with a separate sleeping area, kitchenette and wet bar. All rooms have private bathrooms, Wi-Fi, heating and air conditioning, and single rooms have balconies looking over the gorge and the gardens. The location is the strategic win: you can drive from Page in the afternoon, eat well, sleep, and be at the Desert View Watchtower soon after sunrise, ahead of the crowds and with the East Entrance only about twenty-five miles away.
The trading post grew up around the 1911 suspension bridge over the Little Colorado, which spared travelers the dangerous ford at Tanner's Crossing and still stands beside the highway as the oldest surviving highway suspension bridge in Arizona. A few years later, brothers Hubert and C.D. Richardson opened a simple trading post here, serving Navajo and Hopi families who traded wool, blankets and livestock for dry goods, and the post was later renamed for Arizona senator Ralph Cameron.
The red-stone hotel dates to 1928, and the terraced garden courtyard at its center was planted in the 1930s. Look closely at the interior stonework, which includes slabs carrying dinosaur tracks. The post remains an independent, family-run business: a grandnephew of the founders bought it in 1983, and most of the staff are Navajo and Hopi. Its guest book over the decades includes Western film crews and stars such as John Wayne.
Room craft
Ask for a single room with a balcony facing the gorge and gardens for the best atmosphere; families should look at the luxury suites, which have two queen beds in a separate bedroom, a master bath with tub and two sinks, a living area, and a small kitchen with mini fridge, microwave and wet bar. Every room has Southwestern decor, a coffee maker and a private bath with tub and shower. Breakfast in the restaurant before an early start to the canyon is the move, and an evening walk through the gardens at golden hour is a quiet pleasure.
Give the gallery real time
It is where the post keeps its finest rugs, jewelry, baskets and pottery, and browsing it is a short course in Southwest Native art even if you buy nothing. Store and restaurant hours are long but fixed, and the post closes on Christmas Day. Tour buses stop here often, so the store is calmest early and late.
Practicals
466 US-89, Cameron, Arizona — roughly an hour and a half south of Page, about an hour from the South Rim village and about twenty-five miles from the Grand Canyon's East Entrance. The complex has around 66 rooms, an RV park, a grocery and a gas station alongside the restaurant, store, gallery and gardens. Compared with El Tovar, you trade rim-side drama for character, space and much lower rates. Fit: road-trippers, families and anyone who wants the Grand Canyon without the village prices.
Why stay here
- ✓Historic trading post since 1916
- ✓Restaurant serving three meals daily
- ✓Native American art gallery
- ✓Terraced Cameron Gardens
- ✓Gorge-view balcony rooms
- ✓Suites with kitchenettes
- ✓Free Wi-Fi
- ✓Near the Grand Canyon East Entrance
Good questions
How far is Cameron from the Grand Canyon?+
About twenty-five miles from the East Entrance at Desert View via State Route 64, making it an ideal base for an early start on the South Rim.
What should we eat at the restaurant?+
The Navajo taco on fry bread is the classic order, and the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner — handy before an early canyon start.
Which room should we book?+
Single rooms with balconies over the gorge and gardens have the best atmosphere; families should look at the suites, which add a separate sleeping area and a small kitchen.
