Ponderosa
Ponderosa Trail is a 5.2 miles trail in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Arizona. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 34.0390, -109.4663 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 34.0390, -109.4663 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 5.2 miles |
| Trail class | 4, highly developed |
| Type | snow trail, land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent, 0-5 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches, 36-48 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 331G, SNO-331G |
| Forest | Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (unit 0301) |
| States | Arizona |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| Snowshoeing | Allowed year-round |
| Cross-country skiing | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedD7 Butler West Rx
18 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD7 Arab Rx
19 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD7 Brushy Mtn South Rx
21 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedD7 Rhoton Seep Rx
21 mi from the trail midpoint
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Ponderosa Trail?
5.2 miles, the sum of the 2 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Ponderosa Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Ponderosa Trail start?
The line begins at 34.0390, -109.4663 and ends at 34.0390, -109.4663. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Ponderosa Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Ponderosa Trail?
Hoyer (0.5 mi), Rolfe C. Hoyer Campground (0.6 mi) and Benny Creek Group Area (1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Ponderosa Trail?
Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Ponderosa Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent on most segments and 0-5 percent on others. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Ponderosa Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Ponderosa Trail?
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Forest Service unit 0301. The trail is in Arizona.
Is there a fire near the Ponderosa Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest D7 Butler West Rx at 18 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named PONDEROSA in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0301. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.