A forested campground near hiking.
Ponderosa Group Campground sits at about 7,600 feet on the Pajarito Plateau, roughly six miles beyond Bandelier's entrance on NM-4 and a short drive from the Los Alamos/White Rock corridor. The campground shares its name with the Ponderosa Trailhead, so your group can drop packs and head directly into ponderosa pine forest that links to more than 70 miles of trails across mesas and deep canyons; the Middle Frijoles Trail from here runs about eight miles into Frijoles Canyon and the park's Main Loop.
Length limits vary by campsite.
Not listed — confirm before booking: Max RV length isn't listed.
Availability on Recreation.gov.
| Site | Fr 13 | Sa 14 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group A group standard nonelectric | R | R | $50 |
| Group B group standard nonelectric | R | R | $50 |
✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released
15 Entrance Road
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Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.
Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (3 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.
“This is a great campsite. Perfect for a group. Right against an open meadow that offers amazing sites. Picnic tables and pavilion for meals together. ”
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights12 sites open for every night
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights16 sites open for every night
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights1 site open for every night0 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7 · 2 group sites listed separately. Rates are the listed nightly rates.
2 sites · $50/night
Loops: PONDEROSA CAMPGROUND (NM) (2)
0 open Nov 13–Nov 15
An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.
Rentals that may deliver here. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.
Travel trailer · 29 ft · sleeps 8 · 37 mi from campground
$169/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available
View rental
Travel trailer · 22 ft · sleeps 3 · 38 mi from campground
$130/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available
View rental
Travel trailer · 29 ft · sleeps 5 · 38 mi from campground
$130/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available
View rentalPaid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.
Santa Fe area · 3 hr · from $135/person
Santa Fe area · 2.3 hr · from $80/person
Santa Fe area · 2.5 hr–3 hr · from $187/person
Santa Fe area · 4 hr · from $219/person
Share of site-nights open, booked and closed on Recreation.gov for the next months, checked Nov 7. Months further out may not be released for booking yet.
| Month | Open | Booked | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 91% | 9% | 0% |
| Dec 2026 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Jan 2027 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Feb 2027 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Mar 2027 | 87% | 13% | 0% |
| Apr 2027 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| May 2027 | 93% | 7% | 0% |
Santa Fe area · 3.5 hr · from $195/person
Santa Fe area · 6.5 hr · from $165/person
Santa Fe area · 1.5 hr · from $78/person
Santa Fe area · 3 hr · from $157/person
Santa Fe area · 3 hr · from $110/person
