Available sites
37 total sitesAbout Ponderosa (AZ)
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Site Setup and Access
- Shaded Site
Water and Hygiene
- Restrooms
Cooking and Fire
- Picnic Table
- Fire Pit
Rates, Sites & Availability
37 Sites Available
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Site Details
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37 Sites Available
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews (515)
What Guests Are Saying
Ponderosa Campground offers spacious, clean sites with helpful camp hosts and well-maintained facilities, making it a pleasant camping experience. Many visitors appreciate the peaceful environment, despite some noise from the nearby highway. While some sites may be challenging for larger trailers and have limited shade due to recent tree thinning, the overall positive atmosphere and convenience to town make it a favored destination for campers.
What Guests Are Saying
Ponderosa Campground offers spacious, clean sites with helpful camp hosts and well-maintained facilities, making it a pleasant camping experience. Many visitors appreciate the peaceful environment, despite some noise from the nearby highway. While some sites may be challenging for larger trailers and have limited shade due to recent tree thinning, the overall positive atmosphere and convenience to town make it a favored destination for campers.
Review Summary
Bobby J
VerifiedAugust 14, 2021 • Stayed at: A-09, Loop: ALOO
Stayed at Ponderosa campground for over a week and had the best of times. Beth and Mercedes made our trip. They were attentive and checked with us frequently to assured that everything was okay. Very pleasant and worked hard to keep the sites clean and attractive. Great people! Appreciate their attention to detail and hospitality during our stay.
Bobby J
VerifiedAugust 14, 2021 • Stayed at: A-09, Loop: ALOO
Stayed at Ponderosa campground for over a week and had the best of times. Beth and Mercedes made our trip. They were attentive and checked with us frequently to assured that everything was okay. Very pleasant and worked hard to keep the sites clean and attractive. Great people! Appreciate their attention to detail and hospitality during our stay.
Patrice M
VerifiedAugust 17, 2021 • Stayed at: A-10, Loop: ALOO
Campsite A10- We stayed at Ponderosa for our 3 year old son’s 1st camping trip and it was wonderful. We had our 2 dogs as well and it was very dog friendly. Make sure you leave your dogs on a leash. “big orange screws” from Ace or Amazon works great for this.
We took a chance to camp during monsoon season and got some major rain and thunderstorms the 1st night but managed to stay fairly dry and they gave us a heads up where we could put our tent just in case it flooded.
Beth the manager was super hospitable and greeted us immediately. She made sure we had all the information to keep us safe. Extra bonus points to her for being super gracious to our son. She got him special marshmallows with chocolate inside of them so he can make s’mores. Mercedes was her assistant and she saved the day for us by finding a lighter for us to use too.
Bathrooms were fairly clean and campsite was kept well. Pines and area was beautiful. Just enough respite from the heat in the valley but still fairly warm. Camp was close to the highway so it was a bit noisy at times but overall great experience.
Patrice M
VerifiedAugust 17, 2021 • Stayed at: A-10, Loop: ALOO
Campsite A10- We stayed at Ponderosa for our 3 year old son’s 1st camping trip and it was wonderful. We had our 2 dogs as well and it was very dog friendly. Make sure you leave your dogs on a leash. “big orange screws” from Ace or Amazon works great for this.
We took a chance to camp during monsoon season and got some major rain and thunderstorms the 1st night but managed to stay fairly dry and they gave us a heads up where we could put our tent just in case it flooded.
Beth the manager was super hospitable and greeted us immediately. She made sure we had all the information to keep us safe. Extra bonus points to her for being super gracious to our son. She got him special marshmallows with chocolate inside of them so he can make s’mores. Mercedes was her assistant and she saved the day for us by finding a lighter for us to use too.
Bathrooms were fairly clean and campsite was kept well. Pines and area was beautiful. Just enough respite from the heat in the valley but still fairly warm. Camp was close to the highway so it was a bit noisy at times but overall great experience.
Jeff W
VerifiedAugust 23, 2021 • Stayed at: A-05, Loop: ALOO
very nice hosts
Jeff W
VerifiedAugust 23, 2021 • Stayed at: A-05, Loop: ALOO
very nice hosts
Bryan & Carolyn P
August 26, 2021
We just purchased a new fifth wheel, and my husband doesn’t quite have the hang of backing up yet. Beth was very very helpful and was able to get us into a campsite that didn’t require backing. She helped us until we got the trailer exactly where it needed to be.She’s an awesome camp host!
Bryan & Carolyn P
August 26, 2021
We just purchased a new fifth wheel, and my husband doesn’t quite have the hang of backing up yet. Beth was very very helpful and was able to get us into a campsite that didn’t require backing. She helped us until we got the trailer exactly where it needed to be.She’s an awesome camp host!
Wendy M
VerifiedAugust 27, 2021 • Stayed at: B-02, Loop: BLOO
Beautiful and clean!
Wendy M
VerifiedAugust 27, 2021 • Stayed at: B-02, Loop: BLOO
Beautiful and clean!
Location & Directions for Ponderosa (AZ)
1009 East Highway 260, Payson, AZ 85541 United States
Elevation: 1,730 ft
Getting There
From Payson, Arizona, go east on State Route 260. The campground is located on the south side of 260. A campground sign is visible before the campground entrance.
Highway access
The campground is accessible via State Route 260, which runs east from Payson. No interstates or major highways are noted within 25 miles.
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
2PM
Check out time
11AM
Cancellation policy
- Reservation fees are non-refundable. For campsites, cabins, lookouts, yurts, group sites, and similar stays, we charge a reservation service fee of $8.
- Standard cancellations usually have a $10 cancellation fee. Customers can generally cancel before the check-in date online.
- Late cancellation rules differ by stay type.
- Individual campsites: cancelling after 12:00am local time the day before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
- Cabins, lookouts, and yurts: cancelling less than 14 days before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
- One-night reservations: a late cancellation usually forfeits the full amount paid, up to the total original reservation cost.
- Modifications are allowed before the cut-off window, but fees depend on the change. Changing to dates completely outside the original reservation dates may trigger a $10 change fee. Extending or shortening a stay that still includes original dates usually has no change fee, though refunds may depend on timing and facility rules. Switching to the same type of campsite for the same dates usually has no change fee, but price differences are charged or refunded.
- Early departures may or may not be refunded. At certain facilities, partial refunds may be possible if staff can mark the site available for other visitors. No refund is given for a night if the early departure is requested after that day's check-out time.
- Security deposits are separate. Security deposits may be refunded to the original payment method if the facility is left in acceptable condition, as determined by the property.
Fees & deposits
- A charge of $8 per night applies for a second vehicle.
Utilities
- No hookups for electricity, water, or sewer are available at this campground.
- Dump and fill station services are not available at this campground.
Site types & loops
- First-come, first-served sites can be accessed with payment at an onsite fee machine.
- You must arrive in-person to check availability of first-come, first-served sites; availability is not guaranteed.
Fires & fuel
- Firewood cannot be purchased at the campground; bring your own.
Safety & rules
- Fireworks are not allowed on National Forest Land.
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
Last updated: October 21, 2026