Ponderosa Campground
Its 29 sites are reservable through Recreation.gov, camping costs Site: $20 per night, and it is open from 05-07 to 10-31. Ponderosa Campground is a National Park Service campground near Gunnison, Colorado.
Reservable: Recreation.gov
1 / 3Sunset view from Ponderosa Campground. Photo: NPS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- National Park Service
- Managed by
- None
- Hookups
Ponderosa Campground sits inside Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com. It sits 0.8 miles outside the boundary of West Elk Wilderness; its permit and camping rules and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Park Service
- Reservations
- Recreation.gov Book a site
- Fee
- Site: $20 per night
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-30
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 29
- Hookups
- None
- Site driveways
- Mixed
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Fire rings
- ✓ Pets allowed
On site: Toilets, fire rings, and pets allowed.
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-30
Campsites
29 sites in 4 loops; 1 pull-through. Every site below links to its own page on Recreation.gov, where it is booked. Official site list and booking on recreation.gov.
| Book | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Lower | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Lower, site 24 |
| 26 | Lower | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Lower, site 26 |
| 27 | Lower | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Lower, site 27 |
| 28 | Lower | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Lower, site 28 |
| 29 | Lower | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Lower, site 29 |
| 8 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 8 |
| 9 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 9 |
| 10 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Pull-through | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 10 |
| 11 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 11 |
| 12 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 12 |
| 13 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 13 |
| 14 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 14 |
| 15 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 15 |
| 16 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 16 |
| 17 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 17 |
| 18 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 18 |
| 19 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 19 |
| 20 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 20 |
| 21 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 21 |
| 22 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 22 |
| 23 | Middle | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Middle, site 23 |
| Scan and Pay Ponderosa Campground (CO) | Scan and Pay | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Scan and Pay, site Scan and Pay Ponderosa Campground (CO) |
| 1 | Upper | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Upper, site 1 |
| 2 | Upper | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Upper, site 2 |
| 3 | Upper | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Upper, site 3 |
| 4 | Upper | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Upper, site 4 |
| 5 | Upper | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Upper, site 5 |
| 6 | Upper | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Upper, site 6 |
| 7 | Upper | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book loop Upper, site 7 |
Data source: Recreation.gov , accessed 2026-09-30. Site details are Recreation.gov's own per-site listing and can differ from the campground-wide facts above.
Rules
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campground host
- On site
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-30
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 7,852 ft
38.5257, -107.3149 in Gunnison. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Season and winter services
Ponderosa Campground is open from 05-07 to 10-31 , at 7,852 ft.
Sources: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-30; epqs.nationalmap.gov, accessed 2026-10-01
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Ponderosa Campground?
Sites at Ponderosa Campground are reserved through Recreation.gov (https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10091427).
How much does it cost to camp at Ponderosa Campground?
Camping at Ponderosa Campground costs Site: $20 per night.
How many campsites does Ponderosa Campground have?
Ponderosa Campground has 29 campsites.
Does Ponderosa Campground have RV hookups?
No. Ponderosa Campground has no hookups.
Are there pull-through sites at Ponderosa Campground?
Recreation.gov lists 1 pull-through site at Ponderosa Campground: loop Middle, site 10.
Are dogs allowed at Ponderosa Campground?
Yes, pets are allowed at Ponderosa Campground.
When is Ponderosa Campground open?
Ponderosa Campground is open from 05-07 to 10-31.
Is there a campground host at Ponderosa Campground?
Yes, Ponderosa Campground has a campground host on site.
Who manages Ponderosa Campground?
Ponderosa Campground is managed by the National Park Service.
Around Ponderosa Campground
Blue Mesa Reservoir's mapped center point is 5.1 miles from Ponderosa Campground in a straight line. Current water level: Blue Mesa Reservoir water level on reservoirfinder.com.
- Sites
- 21
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $18 per night
- Sites
- 83
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Not on record
Red Creek Group Site - Sites
- 1
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Not on record
East Elk Creek Group Campsite - Sites
- 1
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Not on record
More campgrounds: camping near Gunnison and campgrounds in Gunnison.
Sources
- recreation.gov (name, coordinates, manager, reservationSystem, reservationSystemName, reservationUrl, drivewayType, sites, campsites, hookups, toilets, fireRings, petsAllowed, hostOnSite, fee, season.open, season.close), accessed 2026-09-30
- epqs.nationalmap.gov (elevationFt), accessed 2026-10-01
Photo credits
- Photo 1: NPS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 2: NPS Photo (Troy Hunt), via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 3: NPS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)