i need some help with Yellowstone national park camping

[Greggk]

i know you are asking why am i posting that in here, right? my youngest child is autistic, and at times can become down right unruly, albeit it is rare that it gets to that point, but it does happen. Don't get me wrong my daughter Morgen is one of the most amazing children I have ever come upon, ever, but having Autism does come with its little quirks that we have been working for years to overcome with her, including her tantrums/breakdowns. If you never have been subjected to an autistic child that has a tantrum/breakdown, it is something you really cannot describe.. its just 100% emotionally draining for us when she has one of the tantrums/breakdowns. One of her favorite activities is camping, especially making S'mores! Now I am am deployed right now and when i come home in the summer for my mid-tour leave we will be traveling to Yellowstone National Park to camp for a few days. Now my family and I are more of the off the beaten path type of campers, due to we enjoy peace and quiet, and because we dont want my daughter to disturb other peoples quiet as well.

has anyone here gone camping up at their camping grounds, since you cant just camp where you want to there it has to be at designated camp grounds. anyways whats the camp grounds like there? is everyone basically camping on top of each other or is there plenty of room around each individual spot?

[alexrex20]

will you be tent camping or RV camping? do you plan on staying at the lodge?

i wouldn't consider the campsites on top of one another. there's plenty of room for privacy, even among the tent sites. some campgrounds are more "open" than others due to terrain and topography. your best bet is to call up the Visitor Center, express your concerns and ask for suggestions.

all in all, Yellowstone is an amazing place to visit, especially for children.

[Greggk]

it would be tent camping, and thats a good idea, i will have my wife call and talk to them.

[oskimba]

We've been to Yellowstone several times. This past summer we camped there with our ten year old son who is autistic when we passed through on a cross country drive. Our son occasionally has tantrums so I 100% understand your need for some elbow room. We have a sportsmobile for most of our camping in California so we can get off the beaten path for the same reasons you mention.

We camped south of the park at the Flagg Ranch Resort. Our trip was via giant RV (not our sportsmobile) so we had that for additional noise reduction. Flagg Ranch is nice but the spaces are close together. If you are looiking at alternatives, check out West Yellowstone as well. It's not off the beaten path but our kids loved it and it's a nice access point to the park. We end up going there on most of our trips to get ice cream and walk around.

One thing to mention about Yellowstone is the safety factor if your child is a runner (our son is). For us, this was the most stressful part but having been there many times we knew what to expect. Many of the sites are thermal areas off of boardwalks with no railings or barriers. Our son uses a wheelchair on occasion and for Yellowstone he rode in it rather than walking much of the time for his safety. Not to discourage you but it's something to plan for if your child has tendencies to run or wander. The good news is many of the major sites within the park are easily viewed from a vehicle which makes for an easy bail out plan.

Our son loves camping as well as Yellowstone is a great place to visit. We blogged our trip at http://haveautismwilltravel.blogspot.com/ and have always had some of our best family times while traveling together.

[Greggk]

that is a great blog i thoroughly enjoyed it because it is so relative to the trials and tribulations we have with Morgen. Thanks for providing the link which I have also shared with my wife!

[AA1PR]

I am also disabled [free for disabled persons] and if you go to your local forest service office you can get an access pass that offers you reduced rates for things like an entry fee, camping etc.

the national parks and federal recreational lands pass: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm

I had to show my drivers license and handicap placquard

it would be another reason to get out there

[Black_ZJ]

I am also disabled [free for disabled persons] and if you go to your local forest service office you can get an access pass that offers you reduced rates for things like an entry fee, camping etc.

the national parks and federal recreational lands pass: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm

I had to show my drivers license and handicap placquard

it would be another reason to get out there

I love my Access Pass, also have the state version of it as well.