Difficult Campground
White River National Forest · Colorado · 47 sites
Photos: Recreation.gov
Overview
Difficult Campground is a USDA Forest Service campground in White River National Forest, Colorado, with 47 sites in 2 loops. Mostly shady: most sites have good shade. AT&T at 6 of 47; T-Mobile and Verizon report none.
29 of 47 sites shaded
5 of 47 sites in full sun
25 of 47 sites with clear sky
Map of the campground
Every site from the Recreation.gov listing. Choose a layer to see it across the campground; tap a site to open it in Roam.
Layers
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Questions
Which sites at Difficult Campground are the shadiest?
Most of them. 29 of 47 sites have good shade; the other 18 are more open.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Difficult Campground get the most sun?
Only a few. 5 of 47 sites are truly sunny and 21 more get some sun; the rest are shaded.
See the tree canopy in RoamWill Starlink work at Difficult Campground?
At some sites. About 25 of 47 sites have a clear gap in the trees for Starlink and 17 a partial one; the rest sit under trees. Satellite texting on a phone needs less open sky, but still works best from the most open spot you can find. This is our estimate from tree heights — check with the Starlink app's obstruction check when you arrive.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Difficult Campground are the most level?
None of the 47 sites is flat, and 9 have a gentle slope most RVs can level with blocks; 38 are steeper, better for tents. Sites that take RVs or trailers fit rigs up to 60 ft.
See the slope at each site in RoamDoes Difficult Campground have cell service?
Patchy. AT&T at 6 of 47; T-Mobile and Verizon report none. That's the coverage each carrier reports to the FCC, not a measured signal, so under trees or below a ridge it can be weaker.
See the coverage map in RoamWhen is the best time to see fall color at Difficult Campground?
October. In a typical year the leaves around Difficult Campground are at their best in early October, though any one fall can run a week or two early or late. Much of the forest here stays green, so expect color in patches. Roam’s fall foliage map shows how far the color has come this week, free every September through November.
See this week’s fall color in RoamWhat’s the weather like at Difficult Campground in October?
In October, expect highs around 50°F and lows around 28°F, with about 2.5 inches of rain over the month and 11 inches of snow. Every month’s averages are in Roam Premium.
Open Difficult in RoamCampground facts
- Sites
- 47 in 2 loops
- Kinds
- 46 for RVs or trailers · 1 group site
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 60 ft
- Elevation
- 8,127–8,198 ft
- Amenities
- Food storage lockers
- Every site
- Picnic table · Pets allowed · Campfires allowed
- Managed by
- USDA Forest Service
- Booking
- Reserve on Recreation.gov
How we know Sources and limits
Shade, sun and Starlink are our estimates from Meta and the World Resources Institute’s canopy-height model (about 2 m pixels, from satellite imagery calibrated with space lidar; CC BY 4.0). From 2 m above each site we trace 72 lines out to 60 m and note the tallest tree in each direction. Shade counts trees overhead, the canopy within 30 m and how much of the afternoon sky is blocked. Sun counts how open the southern sky is. Starlink needs open sky above 35°, with the northern half counted twice because US dishes tilt north, and we keep the best spot within 8 m of the site’s post. The model sees tree heights only, not trunks, buildings or hills, so check with the Starlink app when you arrive.
Slope is the ground at each site’s post over about 4 m, from USGS 3DEP 1 m lidar: level under 2%, gentle to 4% (most rigs level on blocks), sloped to 8% (fine for a tent), steep beyond.
Cell coverage is from the FCC Broadband Data Collection (carrier filings as downloaded May 2026): each site is tested against each carrier’s modelled outdoor 4G/5G coverage. It is what the carriers report, not a measured signal.
Fall color is the typical peak from NASA’s MODIS satellite record of when leaves change (2001–2023), limited to deciduous and mixed forest with USGS land cover (NLCD), calibrated to the USA National Phenology Network’s ground reports of colored leaves (CC BY 4.0). It is an average of many autumns, so the page gives a window, not a date.
Weather is NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the campground. Sites and facts are from Recreation.gov’s open data (July 2026). Map imagery: USGS The National Map. Photos: Recreation.gov.
From the campground’s Recreation.gov listing: “Difficult Group site has one site available for reservation: There is no electric hook ups but potable water is available at a spigots inside the main campground. Group Site: facilities include: hardened parking for campers/RV's and passenger vehicles. The site has 1 group size fire ring, 1 pedestal grill, 1 food locker, and 5 picnic tables. In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the 2.3 million acre White River National Forest is a place of serenity and adventure, boasting 8 wilderness areas, 4 defined seasons, and 10 peaks surpassing 14,000 feet in elevation. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate rocky ridges and bull elk bugle at dusk. Scenic rivers sustain populations of cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout. Alpine regions provide habitat for pika and ptarmigan.”
Page data as of October 15, 2026. Full source notes are in each layer’s info in the app.