Ponderosa Campground

This is a forest service campground with 29 sites. The fee is $16. There is no electric hookup. There are vault toilets and potable water from a tank filled by a solar pump. The campground is near a branch of the Blue Mesa reservoir, with the campground road leading to the boat ramp (closed for the season) and a beach.nThere are sites suitable for pull-ins, as well as walk-in tent sites. There are other campgrounds north along 721 and numerous dispersed camping sites (free!).nIt's a beautiful area, so I wish there had been more hiking opportunities. The trails we tried were poorly marked with really no signage. But there are other trails that seem more official (shown on the area maps) that we didn't have time to get to.nOverall, a great place to camp on our road trip.

Nice camp area. Sites range widely in stability for tents, particularly if you need a larger pad. The lower loop doesn't have as much shade as the upper loop, but neither are particularly shady. Short walk to the water. Water was low when we were there, so the bank was quite muddy. Bear bins, so use them.nBit of a drive out. 4wd not required, just a long well groomed gravel road. Remote feel without being too remote. Nice of you like more dispersed camping feel, with a walkable toilet. Sites are decently spaced.