## Overview

 Named for the towering pines under which it sits, Ponderosa Campground is tucked in the rolling forests of northern Arizona. As the fifth-largest forest in the country, the Tonto National Forest is one of the most-visited urban forests in the United States, boasting about 5.8 million visitors annually. Its boundaries are Phoenix to the south, the Mogollon Rim to the north and the San Carlos and Fort Apache Indian reservations to the east.
## Recreation

 Most visitors enjoy walking along the campground\'s nature trail, traveling into the town of Payson, 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 48 single campsites and two group sites that can accommodate up to 25 people guests each. The campsites are clean, flat and spacious with a good amount of shade from pine trees.\_\_ In addition, first-come, first-serve sites are available with payment completed using the on-site fee machine or with the mobile app using scan &amp; pay. No cash is accepted.\_\_ Check-In is 2:00 pm Check-Out is 11:00 am 
## 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. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The nearby town of Payson, Arizona, offers restaurants, shopping and other conveniences. 
## contact\_info

 For facility specific information, please call (928) 474-7900.

Ponderosa Campground (AZ) Tonto National Forest

Nice campground overall. I enjoyed the easy access off the 260 and also the paved roads. We had a great campsite with tons of space D08 but it was also close to the bathroom. 2 issues were the flys and the bees. It was overload. They actually had bee and fly catchers up before we even got there and they still were an issue. Overall not bad but probably won’t come back. 

All depends on the site  

The only drawback to this popular weekend campground near the Mogollon rim, is its proximity to the highway. The drone of logging trucks and other vehicles is mostly a nuisance in the early hours and in the evening when you'd rather just listen to the sound of crickets and nocturnal birds. Of course, the further into the camping area you go the lesser the impact from the road. 

  

Otherwise, this campground is a lovely example of Arizona mountain country, with tall Ponderosa Pines and hearty shrubs covering the forested landscape. This campground provides a shaded refuge from the sun with opportunities to hike, bike, or drive, to some inspiring viewsheds.   We run on solar, so found one of the only spots with enough sun to keep us charged up.

  

While it was super busy on the weekend, the mid-week peace of this place was priceless. Just down the road near Upper Tonto Creek, there are many popular, multi-use trails for hiking, horseback and mountain bike riding. The creek is stocked with trout for fly fishing enthusiasts. The fresh water is very palatable (which is rare for AZ) and the pit-toilets are efficiently kept clean by the annual resident camp hosts who work hard keeping this large campground tidy. They will also sell you some firewood or chat you up about the area or just about anything else.   

  

The town of Payson is less than 20 minutes away and has all the services and restaurants you could want. I highly recommend going to Alfonso’s Mexican take out– absolutely worth it.  We went for dinner, then couldn't resist a breakfast burrito the morning we left.

Spacious Sites but Close to Highway

The site was amazing, tall trees, clean bathrooms, fire and bbq pits, also a bear safe for your food. Firewood is sold here for 8$ and the the camp hosts are really nice. Everything is with in walking distance of the camp sites and the drink water is next to the bathrooms. It was very quiet out there and at night the woods came to life with owls and coyotes howling but we didn't get to meet Lary the bear who apparently frequents the camp area looking for snacks. 

1st time camping payson

Campground is very clean, seriously I’ve never seen cleaner restrooms at a campground! I was camped at the back of the campground and it was really quiet, I couldn’t hear the highway at all. There are bear safes for your food if you are rent camping, and plenty of back roads to bike ride or hike. The camp hosts, Patti and John S. Are awesome too, they drove us to our spot and got us set up with some firewood, and were very friendly. If I wasn’t on my way to the east coast, this is definitely a place I would visit again!

Great little campground!

We enjoyed this camp site for its beauty day and night. The stars at night were unbelievable. The sites are large with grill, fire pit, and barbecue. No hook ups. Toilets were primitive (think outhouse) but secure and clean.  There is some highway noise so take care selecting site.

Beautiful tall pines

We’re we there during the week so there were very few others there.  Camp hosts were amazing, very helpful.  It rained and stormed each day.  There were running streams all around, but no mud.  Beautiful forest, lots of hiking or strolling paths.  No TV very limited cell service. 