Lavenderlime
For Ponderosa Campground: I've spent 15 years camping all over California, and this campground has the heaviest concentration of flies I've ever seen. A local ranger said that this is normal in the Santa Lucia mountains in the summer, and I visited in mid-August. At any point between 9:30 am and 6:30 pm, you'll have 20 or more surrounding your head, some of which are biting flies. You must bring some sort of shelter during the day to get away from them, or wear mosquito netting over a hat. Besides that, it's a lovely campground, surrounded by steep mountains, mature oaks, and a quiet road. Sites are well-separated, with some offering open skies on a hilltop, and others nestled under oak trees for shade. This is probably a fantastic campground when the insects are not so active.
Posted Aug 19, 2016 by Lavenderlime from San Francisco. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
Smogprez
For Ponderosa Campground: Was there over labor day and it was completely overrun with gnats and horseflies. The porta potties were not kept well. Deet didn't help, we had to leave early. Everyone had towels or tshirts on their heads to keep the flies out of their ears. Worst camping ever.
Posted Sep 04, 2013 by Smogprez from San Francisco. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
