Go if
You want a clean, well-maintained forest base camp for Mogollon Rim hiking and fishing during peak season.
Ponderosa (Az)
4.40579 reviews1009 East Highway 260, PAYSON, AZ 85541, USA
Real-Time Availability
Select a month, then check for open campsites
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M
T
W
T
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Quick Facts
5,000 ftPrice
$22 - $100/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
50 campsites
Season
Open from May 1 to N...
Cell
Has Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
RV Friendly
Get DirectionsReal-Time Availability
Select a month, then check for open campsites
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
Quick Facts
5,000 ftPrice
$22 - $100/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
50 campsites
Season
Open from May 1 to N...
Cell
Has Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
RV Friendly
Get DirectionsPonderosa (Az)
$22.00 - $100.00 / night
Campsite Fees
GROUP STANDARD AREA NONELECTRIC: $100.00; STANDARD NONELECTRIC: $22.00. Plus Recreation.gov reservation transaction fee ($8 online / $9 phone / $3 in...
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Group Site Fee$100.00
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1009 East Highway 260, PAYSON, AZ 85541, USA
Ponderosa (Az)
1009 East Highway 260, PAYSON, AZ 85541, USA
Nearby places
Payson (approx. 15 minutes), Phoenix (approx. 90 minutes), Woods Canyon Lake (approx. 15 minutes).
Weather at Ponderosa (Az)
About Ponderosa (Az)
RV details
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Skip if
Highway noise bothers you or you need camping outside the seasonal operating window.
From the U.S. Forest Service
Reference information about Ponderosa (Az) sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
Overview
<p><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/53108273@N03/albums/72177720304337109" title="Ponderosa Campground and Group Sites"><img alt="Ponderosa Campground and Group Sites" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52552744056_d148300a50_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p><p>Ponderosa pine trees surround and tower over open-space campgrounds, providing cool shade and gorgeous vistas. Most visitors enjoy taking advantage of the area’s hiking trails and lakes, traveling to Payson for the day or simply relaxing at the campsite to the sound of fluttering leaves. Review At-A-Glance below for more details about the site.</p><p><strong>Natural Features: </strong>The ponderosa pine trees make this a memorable campground. Larger ponderosas release a vanilla scent into the air and have a relatively open understory, making the area perfect for camping. Mixed into the understory are junipers, oaks and manzanita shrubs. The campground sits on the border of the Mogollon Rim, pronounced by locals as "muggy-own," a 200-mile-long cliff in northern Arizona that ranges between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation. The unique landscape was created by extreme erosion and faulting that has sculpted spectacular canyons and buttes. The rim serves as the geographical dividing line between the cool high country above and the hot, dry desert below.</p><p><strong>Recreation: </strong>Most visitors enjoy taking advantage of the area's hiking trails and lakes or simply relaxing at the campsite. Scenic driving and outdoor recreation abound in the surrounding Tonto National Forest. A series of lakes called the Rim Country Lakes are about a 15 minute drive east. Woods Canyon Lake is one of the most popular recreational lakes in the state and offers options for boating.</p><p><strong>Facilities: </strong>The facility provides 47 single campsites and two group sites that can accommodate up to 25 people each. The campsites are clean, flat and spacious with a good amount of shade from pine trees.</p><p><strong>Nearby Attractions: </strong>The nearby town of Payson, Arizona, offers restaurants, shopping and other conveniences.</p>
About the campground
The elevation is 5,600 ft. The campground is located next to State Rt. 260 in a Lower Rim Transition forest of Ponderosa mixed with juniper, oak and Manzanita. It is composed of six loops (A through F) and is conveniently located to Payson, AZ, Mogollon Rim and other area sites. Discovery Walks are offered on the weekends and firewood is available for a fee.
Seasons & access
Open April 1 through October 31. Tonto National Forest 340
RV information
The parking aprons are paved. The RV waste station is available for a fee.
Directions
From Payson, AZ, take State Rt. 260 east 10.7 miles to campground sign. Turn right at sign into campground.
- National Forest
- Tonto National Forest
- Ranger District
- Payson
- Elevation
- 5600
- Rate
- $19 per day
- Maximum Stay
- 7
- Open Season
- April 1st – November 2nd
