Ponderosa Group
Ponderosa Group is a national forest group campground in Arizona.
- Type
- National forest group campground
- Location
- Arizona
- Coordinates
- 34.29453, -111.11322
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Website
- www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234563
About Ponderosa Group
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. The operating season is April-October. Natural Features: 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. Recreation: 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. Facilities: The facility provides 47 single campsites and two group sites t
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- Woods Canyon Dump Station · 9.9 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- Pinnacle Propane · 32 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 22 designated routes (73 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderosa Group | Private campground | under 0.1 mi | — | — |
| Ponderosa Campground | Private campground | 0.2 mi | — | — |
| Ponderosa (Az) | National forest campground | 0.3 mi | — | No hookups |
| Lower Tonto Creek | National forest campground | 2.7 mi | — | — |
| Lower Tonto Creek Campground | Private campground | 2.7 mi | — | — |
| Lower Tonto Creek | National forest campground | 2.8 mi | — | Electric |
Open Ponderosa Group in DryRig
Save it offline, check your rig's clearance on the drive in, and see what's nearby on the map.
Sources. USFS and BLM recreation sites. Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.