Forest Service limits Difficult Campground to hard-sided campers
Proactive step taken for public safety as bear activity increases in campground
NOTE: Order rescinded June 20, 2025
CARBONDALE, Colo. (June 11, 2025) – Due to an increase in bear activity, the White River National Forest has issued a public safety order requiring all campers at Difficult Campground near Aspen use hard-sided campers or trailers. Soft-sided shelters such as tents, pop-up tent trailers, and truck-bed tent campers are not allowed.
“We’re already starting to see bear activity in the campground this year, and are taking this proactive step for public safety,” said Deputy District Ranger Jennifer Schuller. “We are coordinating closely with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.”
In addition to the hard-sided camper order at Difficult, the White River National Forest has a food-storage order in place for all its developed campgrounds and many dispersed camping areas to help prevent black bears and other wildlife from obtaining food from humans and becoming a nuisance or dangerous. https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts
“The food storage order goes into specific detail, but the basic rules are to keep your food, garbage, coolers and other bear attractants in a locked hard-sided vehicle, the bear-resistant food lockers provided at many developed sites,” Schuller said.
Each campsite at Difficult Campground has a bear-resistant food locker and there is information about proper food storage posted throughout the campground.
Proper food storage is important day and night. The black bears causing problems at Difficult have been coming into the campground at all hours, which is not unusual for food-conditioned bears.
“Keeping bears from getting your food keeps you safe, keeps your neighboring campers and the campers who follow you safe, and helps keep the bears safe,” Schuller said.
For information about camping in the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District, call 970-963-2266 or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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