Ponderosa Campground

in Los Padres National Forest

The numbers that decide it

Longest rig
40 ft
Sites
23
Electric hookups
Not published
Pull-through sites
No
Paved access
Yes
Accessible sites
Not published
Driveway grade
Not published
Bear boxes
Not published
Campfires
Not published
Shade
Yes
Group sites
Not published

Site-level detail from Recreation.gov, checked 2026-08-05. Where a field says “not published”, the agency has not published it — it does not mean zero. See it on Recreation.gov

Ponderosa Campground

Ponderosa Campground has 21 campsites along a mountain stream under a canopy of Ponderosa Pine, Oak, Madrone & Sycamore trees approximately 13 miles east from Kirk Creek campground on the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road. The Nacimiento-Ferguson Road runs from the coast at Kirk Creek on Rt. 1 to the Big Sur high country. Recreational Vehicles no longer than 35 feet. 19 sites are reservable. 2 campsites are available first-come, first-serve. In campgrounds and picnic areas, dogs mst be kept on a leash. Dogs must wear a collar with current tags at all times, as state and county laws apply on National Forest System lands.

Before you go

Reservations

Reservations accepted

Fees

$35.00 per site. 6-8 people per site. (one vehicle is included in the price of the campsite). Extra vehicles are $10 per vehicle per night. Interagency Senior Pass and Interagency Access pass holders are entitled to 50% off of camping only - not valid for day use or extra vehicle fee.

Hours

Campground check-in time: 3:00pm, check-out time: 12:00 noon. Quiet Hours: 10:00pm – 6:00am.

Restrictions

14 day maximum stay No dispersed camping along Nacimiento-Fergusson Road Forest Order 05-07-51-17-04 Roadside Camping Prohibition

Scenic drives that pass close

Make it a night on a better road

Byway plans the drive in — real stops, real weather, nothing invented.