Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area
National Forests and Grasslands in Texas · Texas · 55 sites
Photos: Recreation.gov
Overview
Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area is a USDA Forest Service campground in National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Texas, with 55 sites in 5 loops. Very shady: nearly every site is under trees. T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T report coverage at every site.
54 of 54 sites shaded
0 of 54 sites in full sun
2 of 54 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 Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area are the shadiest?
Nearly all of them. All 54 sites at Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area have good shade from the trees, including from the hot afternoon sun.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area get the most sun?
None are truly sunny; the sunniest still have trees over most of the site.
See the tree canopy in RoamWill Starlink work at Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area?
Only at a few. About 2 of 54 sites have a clear gap in the trees for Starlink and 5 a partial one; most sit under tall 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 Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area are the most level?
3 of 54 sites are flat, and 20 more have a gentle slope most RVs can level with blocks; 31 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 Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area have cell service?
Yes. T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T all report coverage at every site at Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area. 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 RoamWhat’s the weather like at Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area in October?
In October, expect highs around 80°F and lows around 56°F, with about 4.4 inches of rain over the month. Every month’s averages are in Roam Premium.
Open Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area in RoamCampground facts
- Sites
- 55 in 5 loops
- Kinds
- 25 for RVs or trailers · 27 tent-only · 3 group sites
- Hookups
- 25 with electric
- Longest rig
- 60 ft
- Elevation
- 318–348 ft
- Every site
- Picnic table · Pets 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.
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: “Ratcliff Lake has 56 campsites, both first-come, first-served and reservable. Campsites in Dogwood Loop have electrical hookups and can accommodate vehicles up to 50 ft. Flush toilets, hot and cold showers and trash bins are also provided. Two picnic shelters and an amphitheater are also reservable. The day-use area has 17 single family picnicking units, a swimming area, flush toilets, two wooden fishing piers, one earthen pier, one fishing platform and a boat ramp. The campground is heavily forested with loblolly pine, oak and other hardwoods, and surrounds Ratcliff Lake. A wide variety of wildlife exists in the area, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.”
Page data as of October 15, 2026. Full source notes are in each layer’s info in the app.