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Ponderosa

Payette National Forest — riverside

Location: Yellow Pine, ID, ID

Price: From $10 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

This campground is located adjacent to the Secesh River and offers beautiful river views. This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/ponderosa to be notified when sites open up.

Located adjacent to the Secesh River with beautiful river views. Campers report it's very quiet and peaceful with clean pit toilets.

Wildlife alert: Great Gray Owl, Clark's Nutcracker, Dusky Grouse, American Dipper, Bobcat, Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

Insider tips for Ponderosa: First-come, first-served only — physically arrive to claim a site Can pay via QR code using Recreation.gov mobile app Scan and Pay feature if available Book early as a federal campground with limited sites

Skip Ponderosa if: You need hookups — no hookups available at campground. You require advance reservations — first-come, first-served only. You visit outside May through October — seasonal operations only.

Best time to visit Ponderosa: July-October — Lick Creek Pass (Road #48) is usually snow-free by July; campground operates May through October.

Nearby campgrounds: Secesh Campground (McCall, ID), Buckhorn Bar (McCall, ID), Chinook (Warren, ID), Camp Creek (McCall, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Ponderosa

Cell signal at Ponderosa (Yellow Pine, ID): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

    Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

    CamperWatch
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    CamperWatch›ID›Ponderosa
    Ponderosa — photo 1
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    Ponderosa — photo 3
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    Payette National Forest — riversideLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

    Ponderosa

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    Yellow Pine, ID, ID★ 4 (0 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
    On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

    This campground is located adjacent to the Secesh River and offers beautiful river views. This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site.

    Best for:CampersNature loversFamiliesSites:Tent
    LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

    Verified facts

    RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
    Check-in2:00 PM
    Check-out12:00 PM
    SeasonMay through October
    Stay limit14 days
    HookupsNo hookups.
    Pull-throughsAvailable
    PetsAllowed
    CampfiresAllowed
    Max/site6 people

    Amenities

    RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
    Essentials
    Fire Rings
    Recreation
    Picnic Tables
    Family & Pets
    Drinking Water

    Straight talk

    CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

    Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

    Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
    Skip it if:✕ You need hookups — no hookups available at campground✕ You require advance reservations — first-come, first-served only✕ You visit outside May through October — seasonal operations only

    Insider tips & when to go

    CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

    First-come, first-served only

    physically arrive to claim a site

    Can pay via QR code using Recreation.gov mobile app Scan and Pay feature if available

    Book early as a federal campground with limited sites

    Best: July-October

    Lick Creek Pass (Road #48) is usually snow-free by July; campground operates May through October

    Things to do nearby

    RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

    Conditions today

    Live
    at campground coordinates

    Cell signal

    FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
    T-Mobile
    4G · 0%
    Verizon
    4G · 0%
    AT&T
    4G · 0%

    FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

    Wildlife nearby

    iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
    Alert: Great Gray Owl, Clark's Nutcracker, Dusky Grouse, American Dipper, Bobcat, Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

    Location

    Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
    Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
    N/A· Payette National Forest
    N/A
    Getting there →

    From McCall, go 31 miles northeast on Lick Creek Road #48. The South Fork corridor is about 30 miles from Cascade along the Warm Lake Highway. Usually by July, Lick Creek Pass (Road #48) is snow-free, providing a faster access from McCall (35 miles) to the South Fork corridor. Please follow posted speed limits and drive carefully, the South Fork Road is a paved, narrow, one-lane road with two-way traffic and many blind corners.

    Campground entrance

    Google Maps API

    Community

    #community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

    Pro tips

    • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Payette National Forest fills fast in peak season.
    • Check current road conditions at Payette National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

    Frequently asked questions

    RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
    How much does Ponderosa cost per night?+
    Ponderosa costs $10 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
    What season is Ponderosa open?+
    Ponderosa is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
    Does Ponderosa have hookups?+
    No hookups.
    What is the maximum RV length at Ponderosa?+
    Ponderosa is primarily a tent camping facility.
    How do I make reservations at Ponderosa?+
    Ponderosa is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
    What is the cell service like at Ponderosa?+
    According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Ponderosa is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
    What season is Ponderosa open, and what are check-in times?+
    Ponderosa is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
    Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
    ●Data sources on this page
    Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
    recreation.gov · RIDB API
    National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
    api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
    Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
    airquality.googleapis.com
    iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
    api.inaturalist.org
    Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
    pollen.googleapis.com
    FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
    broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
    Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
    api.sunrise-sunset.org
    Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
    maps.googleapis.com
    RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
    ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

    CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

    $10 /night★ 4 (0)
    SeasonMay through October
    Check-in2:00 PM
    Check-out12:00 PM
    Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
    Dates full? Get an availability alert
    FAQ
    How much does Ponderosa cost per night?+
    What season is Ponderosa open?+
    Does Ponderosa have hookups?+
    All 7 questions →

    Nearby Campgrounds

    Secesh Campground

    McCall, ID

    From $10/night

    Buckhorn Bar

    McCall, ID

    From $10/night

    Chinook

    Warren, ID

    From $10/night

    Camp Creek

    McCall, ID

    From $10/night

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