National Park Service · Colorado
Ponderosa Campground (CO)
National Park Service · Colorado, United States · in Curecanti National Recreation Area
- Sites
- 30
- Hookups
- 1 with water, 29 no hookups
- Season
- October 8 to November 16
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 7,854 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1 · certified dark-sky place
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Curecanti National Recreation Area
- Nearest town
- Sapinero
- Phone
- 970-641-2337
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Overview
Ponderosa Campground is located at the northwest end of the Soap Creek Arm of Blue Mesa Reservoir at 7880 feet (2402 m). The campground offers outstanding views and solitude.
Note: During dry conditions, the first 7 miles (11 km) of Soap Creek Road are passable to trailers and RVs. Rain can make the Soap Creek Road impassable.
Facilities
Trash/recycling collection provided. Vault toilets only. Horse Corral in upper loop.
Fees
All campsites at Ponderosa are first-come, first-served. You will pay upon arrival using the Recreation.gov mobile app (download the app before your visit), or by cash, check or credit card using the self-pay envelope on-site.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 10° | -11° | 43° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 33° | 14° | -4° | 52° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 41° | 21° | 2° | 57° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 50° | 28° | 13° | 63° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 59° | 34° | 20° | 75° | 7 of 11 |
| June | 77° | 46° | 35° | 87° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 82° | 53° | 43° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 79° | 52° | 43° | 87° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 72° | 46° | 26° | 83° | 1 of 11 |
| October | 60° | 34° | 5° | 69° | 8 of 10 |
| November | 47° | 24° | -11° | 60° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 34° | 8° | -11° | 50° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Commissary Trailhead · 3.2 mi as the crow flies · Drive there
- Pine Creek Trail · 5.5 mi as the crow flies
Pine Creek Trail 0.9 mi Hike · Drive there - Curecanti Creek Trail · 7.4 mi as the crow flies
Curecanti Creek Trail 2.0 mi Hike · Drive there
All 19 trails in Curecanti National Recreation Area · All 762 trails in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Soap Creek · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 4 sites
- Lake Fork Campground · National Park Service · 5 mi · 83 sites
- Red Creek Group Site · National Park Service · 5 mi · 1 sites
- Dry Gulch Campground · National Park Service · 7 mi · 9 sites
- East Elk Creek Group Campsite · National Park Service · 8 mi · 1 sites
All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-03-11. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.