I guess the Park thinks having crowds of people camping below the rim degrades the campsites and the experience for everybody. I’ve day-hiked for miles below the Grand Canyon rim. I saw a few other hikers. No problem. But I didn’t camp.
I can understand limiting hikers to a fragile ecological area or areas where multitudes of hikers would degrade the attraction. I don’t know whether under the rim at the Grand Canyon qualifies as that fragile.
Other parks use an on-line reservation system for hikes/camping in remote areas. I’ve found that easy enough to use, but I did have to adjust the days I hiked to those where permits were still available.
Sometimes there are only a few places where it is safe to camp (e.g, high ground inside a slot canyon) and that can limit the number of people allowed to camp. I don’t see that as a problem for camping below the rim at the Grand Canyon, except maybe for boaters camping on sandbars along the river itself. Being a white-water river person myself, I’m for opening up the permit system for Grand Canyon river trips to allow more non-commercial trips.
Having to wait 9 years to get a private party permit to float the Grand Canyon is absurd. I admit that there is a need for commercial outfitters, but they are allocated the majority of the permits for people willing to shell out 4 grand to go on a splash and giggle trip, usually with huge motorized catamarans. Not that there is anything wrong with that, except those willing to pay big bucks get instant access, while private parties have to keep applying year after year until their number comes up. I think if you want to use a commercial outfitter you should also have to wait with the rest of the noncommercial river rats.
I have been running rivers most of my life and would love to run Lava Falls before I perish, however I most likely will stick to other rivers where it is easier to draw a permit.