5 Reasons Camping in the Fall is Better Than Summer

With the hot temperatures of summer in our rear view mirror and the frigid cold of the winter months on the horizon, now is the perfect time to take out the tent one more time for a weekend of fall camping.

If you're thinking it's just not worth dragging out all of your supplies for a few s'mores and a possibly run in with bees, snakes and raccoons, then maybe these five reasons fall camping is better than summer will convince you.

It's Way More Romantic

Imagine hiking hand-in-hand with your significant other down a trail covered in leaves of orange, red and yellow as the autumn sun peaks through the leaves of the towering trees above you; then holding each other tight near a cozy fire under a blanket of stars at night.  It's the kind of stuff Nicholas Sparks novels are made of.

The Atmoshpere

Campsites in the summer are filled with noisy, restless children, intoxicated adults and often times overcrowding with campers and tents right on top of each other. Not so much in the fall. Between the kids being back in school, weekend sports and activities and full "honey do" lists, campgrounds in the fall are much quieter; giving you a feeling of having mother nature all to yourself. Add in the beautiful fall colors, the hint of bonfire smoke in the air and temps in the upper 60s and you have yourself the perfect weekend in the woods.

The Food

It just tastes better when it's cooler. Sitting by a fire to make dogs, s'mores and cast iron breakfast scramblers is so much easier when it's not 90 degrees outside and now that there's a chill in the air, it makes it all the more comforting.

No Bugs

So long mosquitos, bye bye bees; another benefit of fall camping is no pesky bugs. Well, hardly. You may come across a fly or two, maybe even a random bee, but you won't be spending the weekend swatting at unwanted  insects and scratching bug bites.

It's Festive

The month of October is probably the best time to go camping because, well, Halloween of course. Being in the middle of nowhere, especially in the woods, gives you a heightened sense of awareness of the things that could be lurking in the dark and it adds heart racing excitement to your fireside ghost stories. Some campgrounds, like Sugar River Forest Preserve, even get in the spirit of Halloween every year with decorative campgrounds, activities for the kids, a chili cookout and trick-or-treating.

I was there for my very first camping trip last weekend (yep, I've never been camping before; at least not "primitive" camping. I've spent weekends at the cabin before but that doesn't count) and that's how I came to love fall camping. It's more than likely going to become an annual tradition for me and my boyfriend.

Here are some of the photos from that trip.