Ponderosa Picnic Area

Fishlake National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Glenwood, UT, UT

Price: From $100 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

Ponderosa Picnic Area is located along the Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway. It is next to the Beaver River, at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Visitors enjoy fishing and relaxing along the river.Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway curves past the picnic area, offering 17 miles of scenic driving through the beautiful Tushar Mountains.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups, Fishing

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

Ponderosa Picnic Area offers scenic riverside camping along the Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway with excellent rainbow and brook trout fishing. Google reviews consistently praise its clean facilities, beautiful scenery, and excellent setup for gatherings with amenities like fire rings, picnic tables, and a volleyball court.

Wildlife alert: Mountain lions present in area; also expect mule deer, American beavers, golden-mantled ground squirrels, common ravens, and western tanagers.

Insider tips for Ponderosa Picnic Area: Book early — this is a popular federal campground with only 2 tent sites. Bring your own horseshoe and volleyball equipment if you want to use those amenities. Hiking and biking trails are a short drive east from the picnic area. Located 9 miles east of Beaver, Utah on State Route 153.

Skip Ponderosa Picnic Area if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites.. You're visiting outside May-October — seasonal operations only.. You need more than 2 tent sites available..

Best time to visit Ponderosa Picnic Area: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only..

Nearby campgrounds: Little Reservoir Campround (Glenwood, UT), Mahogany Cove Campground (Glenwood, UT), Little Cottonwood Campground (Glenwood, UT), Kents Lake Campground (Glenwood, UT).

Cell Phone Coverage at Ponderosa Picnic Area

Cell signal at Ponderosa Picnic Area (Glenwood, UT): 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
CamperWatch›UT›Ponderosa Picnic Area
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Fishlake National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Ponderosa Picnic Area

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Glenwood, UT, UT★ 4 (0 reviews)From $100/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Ponderosa Picnic Area is located along the Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway. It is next to the Beaver River, at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Visitors enjoy fishing and relaxing along the river.Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway curves past the picnic area, offering 17 miles of scenic driving through the beautiful Tushar Mountains.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites: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
Hookups2 electric sites
ADA sites2 sites
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

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 RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites.✕ You're visiting outside May-October — seasonal operations only.✕ You need more than 2 tent sites available.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with only 2 tent sites.

Bring your own horseshoe and volleyball equipment if you want to use those amenities.

Hiking and biking trails are a short drive east from the picnic area.

Located 9 miles east of Beaver, Utah on State Route 153.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

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: Mountain lions present in area; also expect mule deer, American beavers, golden-mantled ground squirrels, common ravens, and western tanagers.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
435-438-2436· Fishlake National Forest
Getting there →

From Beaver, Utah, travel east on paved State Route 153, the Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway, for approximately 9 miles, to the picnic area.

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 — Fishlake National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Fishlake National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Ponderosa Picnic Area cost per night?+
Ponderosa Picnic Area costs $100 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Ponderosa Picnic Area open?+
Ponderosa Picnic Area is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Ponderosa Picnic Area have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Ponderosa Picnic Area?+
Ponderosa Picnic Area is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Ponderosa Picnic Area?+
Ponderosa Picnic Area 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 Picnic Area?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Ponderosa Picnic Area is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Ponderosa Picnic Area open, and what are check-in times?+
Ponderosa Picnic Area 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.

$100 /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 Picnic Area cost per night?+
What season is Ponderosa Picnic Area open?+
Does Ponderosa Picnic Area have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Little Reservoir Campround

Glenwood, UT

From $24/night

Mahogany Cove Campground

Glenwood, UT

From $110/night

Little Cottonwood Campground

Glenwood, UT

From $25/night

Kents Lake Campground

Glenwood, UT

From $25/night

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Ponderosa Picnic Area — Fishlake National Forest | CamperWatch