Ponderosa Group Campground in NM -- Campground & RV Camping

Ponderosa Group Campground sits at 7,600 feet in a ponderosa pine forest within Bandelier National Monument, six miles from the main entrance. Designed for large parties, it features tent-only sites that fit 10 to 50 people, with space for one RV per site in the parking area. Facilities include a picnic shelter, tables, food storage lockers, campfire rings, vault toilets, and seasonal drinking water. The adjacent Ponderosa Trail connects to 70 miles of park trails. Los Alamos, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and seasonal shuttle buses to Frijoles Canyon are a short drive away.

Getting there: From Santa Fe (appx 1 hour travel time): Take Highway 84/285 (Saint Francis Drive) north toward Los Alamos. Merge right onto NM 502 to Los Alamos. Exit onto NM 4 toward White Rock. Continue for 12 miles (19 km), passing through White Rock. Bandelier's entrance is on the left. Enter here and purchase entrance pass(es) at the automated fee machine or continue on Entrance Rd for 3 miles (4.8 km) to the Visitor Center. Ponderosa Group Campground is 6 miles (9.7 km) past the park entrance on NM 4. From Taos (appx. 1.5 hours travel time): Take NM 68 (Paseo del Pueblo Sur) south. In Espanola, turn right onto Fairway. Turn left on Highway 84/285. Turn right on NM 30. Merge right onto NM 502 to Los Alamos. Exit onto NM 4 toward White Rock. Continue for 12 miles (19 km), passing through White Rock. Bandelier's entrance is on the left. Enter here and purchase entrance pass(es) or continue on Entrance Rd for 3 miles (4.8 km) to the Visitor Center. Ponderosa Group Campground is 6 miles (9.7 km) past the park entrance on NM 4. Visit the Directions page on the park website for detailed directions from other areas.

• Limited separation from through roads or other sites here, a 2-site campground with the nearest through road 0.1 miles off.
• Cerro Grande stands 2,611 ft above the map pin, 4.0 miles northwest.
• A group campground, with most of them shaded.
• Estimated night sky: Bortle 3, a dark rural sky.

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