Ponderosa Group - Lake Isabel

Summary

Ponderosa Group Campground is a great place for large groups to enjoy picnicking, camping, and various recreational activities. At 8,600 feet, visitors can canoe, fish, hike or ATV along the Snow Slide and Cisneros trails, and enjoy the beauty of the mountain views and pine and aspen trees. The lake and nearby St. Charles Creek offer plenty of fishing opportunities, and the nearby lodge rents paddle and rowboats, provides groceries, and has a restaurant.

Overview

Ponderosa Group Campground, located near the sparkling 40-acre Lake Isabel, beckons large groups for picnicking and camping in the Lake Isabel Recreation Area.

The campground accommodates 60 guests for overnight camping. Visitors can enjoy entertainment like volleyball and horseshoes, or head to the lake for canoeing and fishing.

Lake Isabel is one of the few lakes in Colorado developed solely for recreational purposes. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the lake attracts many campers who come to hike, canoe, fish and spend time bird watching. St. Charles Creek flows near the campground and offers additional fishing opportunities.

Recreation

Kayaking, canoeing and fishing are popular in Lake Isabel. Brown and brook trout are stocked in the lake and the St. Charles headwaters reap brook trout.

Guests can enjoy hiking, bicycling or motorcycling on either the Snow Slide Trail or Cisneros Trail. The 15-mile Cisneros Trail, also open to ATV riders, leads to the heart of the Wet Mountains, through forests and open, wildflower-speckled valleys. Along the way, the trail connects to St. Charles Trail, which heads to St. Charles Peak.

Facilities

The group campground has a picnic shelter that seats 25 to 30 people, a group-sized charcoal grill and eight single-site campfire rings. A horseshoe pit, volleyball court, vault toilets, drinking water from a hand pump and dumpsters are provided.

Natural Features

Shady pine and aspen trees are scattered throughout the campground. The shoreline of Lake Isabel meets the rocky base of sweeping mountains at an elevation of 8,600 feet. At 8,600 feet the area enjoys cool summer days, a welcome relief from the heat in the plains far below.

The Pike and San Isabel National Forest includes over a million acres of wilderness and over half of Colorado's mountain peaks that reach above 14,000 feet.

Nearby Attractions

The Frontier Pathways Scenic Byway is a great route to explore and snap photos.

A nearby lodge offers paddle and rowboat rentals, groceries and a restaurant. Golf courses are about 15 minutes away.

contact_info

This location has limited staffing. Please call (719) 269-8500 for general information.

Charges & Cancellations

Group Sites

Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.

No-Shows

A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite.  

Refunds

Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended.

Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay.

For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. 

In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.