Ponderosa Campground is a United States Forest Service

United States Forest Service

The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...

 campground in the high country of Big Sur

Big Sur

Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big...

, on the central coast of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 in the Los Padres National Forest

Los Padres National Forest

Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland...

. The campground has 23 sites set in a high valley adjacent to the Nacimiento River

Nacimiento River

The Nacimiento River is a river in southern Monterey County and northern San Luis Obispo County, California. A large portion of the river's run is on military reservations...

, with a canopy of Ponderosa Pine

Ponderosa Pine

Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...

, Oak

Oak

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

, Madrone, and California Sycamore

California Sycamore

Platanus racemosa is a species of sycamore tree known by several common names, including California sycamore, Western sycamore, California plane tree, and in Spanish Aliso...

 trees. Each site includes a picnic table, fire ring, and pedestal grill. The campground is on the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road

Nacimiento-Fergusson Road

Nacimiento-Fergusson Road is the only road across the Santa Lucia Range in the Central Coast of California, connecting California State Route 1 and the Big Sur coast to U.S...

 (a famous motorcycling road), approximately 13 miles east of State Route 1

California State Route 1

State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...

 and 20 miles west of the city of Lockwood

Lockwood, California

Lockwood is a census-designated place in Monterey County, California. It is located east-southeast of Jolon, 1.8 miles north of the mouth of Tule Canyon, 3 miles north of San Antonio River, and 9.3 miles north of Bryson, at an elevation of 971 feet .Lockwood is in southern Monterey County and...

.

Sites are limited to 6-8 persons. Per the National Forest Service, RVs are not advised.