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.

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CamperWatch›ID›Ponderosa
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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
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.
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●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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