Visitors to Yellowstone National Park this summer have an unexpected option when it comes to choosing where to stay. Typically this time of year the park's campsites are booked solid and impossible to get into without a reservation made months in advance. But unusually heavy spring snows has led to a high number of cancellations and a low level of occupancy, meaning there are plenty of campsites available heading into the busy late summer season.

This past winter was an unusually harsh and long one, with record setting snows across the western United States. Those snows continued into the spring, and cooler than normal temperatures kept the ground covered for far longer than was expected. But the warm weather has arrived at last, and the snows have now given way to the brilliantly colored wildflowers and green meadows of summer. Those views, combined with Yellowstone's trademark wildlife viewing, have reminded travelers why the park is amongst the most popular in the U.S.

Thanks to the unpredictable spring weather, visitors who had been planning to camp inside Yellowstone elected to make other plans for their accommodations. This has opened up the availability of campsites, particularly for August and September. Park officials report that visitors who would like to camp, either in a tent or an RV, will likely have no problems staying in the park for the remainder of the summer.

Yellowstone has always been one of the crown jewels of the American national park system and the experience is made all the better when visitors can stay inside the park itself. It seems that the weather this year has made that a more viable option than ever, and summer is a great time to camp in the world's first national park.

To book a campsite, cabin, or lodge inside of Yellowstone click here.

Filed under: Hiking, North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Camping, Ecotourism