Yellowstone Camping In The Fall
Soon, the busy summer tourist season will be over in Yellowstone
National Park. If you are interested in enjoying one of the
world's most unique geological wonders without the traffic, and
crowds, it is time to start planning a trip.
Fall in Yellowstone is a very special time with light frosts on
chilly nights, and pleasant warm days where you can breathe in
the earthy scents of the Park. Bugling Elk, roaming herds of
Buffalo, and lazy days spent touring the spectacular thermal
features make fall one of the best times to visit Yellowstone.
Normally, you have to make a reservation at one of the five
major campgrounds well in advance of arrival. After Labor Day
you probably will not need a reservation, but it is wise to call
ahead.
There are five major reservation only campgrounds: Bridge Bay,
Canyon, Fishing Bridge RV Park, Grant Village, and Madison
campgrounds. The first-come, first served campgrounds will be
far more accessible after Labor Day and include: Indian Creek,
Lewis Lake, Mammoth, Norris, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and
Tower Fall campsites.
While in Yellowstone National Park, you will be inside the
caldera of the largest active volcano in the world. There are
more thermal features in Yellowstone than the rest of the world
combined. There are over 15 miles of boardwalk for visitors to
keep them safe from the dangerous thermal sites, and to minimize
the inevitable human damage caused to the area. The park is a
singularly impressive place and most of it resides above 7,500
feet elevation.
Wildlife viewing is superb to say the least with buffalo, elk,
and black-tail deer sightings a common occurrence. Moose, bear,
coyote, and wolves are spotted less frequently. We enjoyed
filming a giant moose scraping the felt from his antlers late
one evening near the south entrance of Yellowstone.
Hiking, camping, fishing, wildlife viewing, and touring the
spectacular thermal features are a few of the many things to
enjoy in Yellowstone. The beauty of the landscape is
breathtaking and the clean smell of sage permeates the clear
air.
One of the unadvertised features of Yellowstone is the night
sky. A few of us old-timers remember the rich texture of the
night sky from our youth. Reflected light effectively blocks
clear viewing of the night sky in much of the United States, but
at night in Yellowstone, the stars are displayed in their full
majesty in the rich, dark sky.