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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

National Park Service campground

Ponderosa Campground

National Park Service campground in Curecanti National Recreation Area, Gunnison County, Colorado. 7,852 feet. 20.2 miles from Crawford.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
National Park Service Curecanti National Recreation Area
Elevation
7,852 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
28 28 standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Gunnison County

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.

The description, directions and fees are the National Park Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

The land around Ponderosa Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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