Autumn is the most underrated camping season, and with a family it is arguably the best. Sites empty out, the bugs go, the light improves, and the whole business becomes considerably more pleasant than a hot August weekend.

Why it works

No insects. The single biggest quality-of-life improvement over summer, and it makes evenings outside actually enjoyable.

Empty sites. Pitches that were booked out in July are available, and the good ones — the ones by the water, away from the road — are gettable.

Comfortable days. Walking in autumn temperatures is far easier on children than walking in heat.

Campfires make sense. In summer a fire is decoration; in autumn it is the reason everyone stays outside after dark.

Cheaper. Off-peak rates on pitches and gear hire.

What changes from summer

Nights get genuinely cold, and that is the thing that catches people out. A summer sleeping bag is not adequate.

Recommended Reading
Sequoia in the Fall: When the Big Trees Get the Park Back Sequoia National Park is at its best after Labor Day: cool days, a fraction of the summer crowds, and black oaks turning gold directly beneath the largest trees on Earth. What changes colour, what closes and when, and how to plan around 5,000 feet of elevation.
Weekend trip to Yosemite in the Fall A two-day autumn itinerary for Yosemite: the Valley and its headline granite on day one, then a sunrise hike to Glacier Point and the giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove on day two.

Rate the bags for well below the forecast low. Add a sleeping mat with real insulation — most of the cold comes from the ground, not the air. And put children in dry clothes to sleep, never the ones they wore all day.

Daylight is short. Camp needs to be up and dinner underway earlier than feels necessary. Arriving at four in October is arriving in the dark.

Everything is damp. Not raining necessarily — just damp. Dew, condensation, ground moisture. Bring more dry socks than seems sane, and a bag for wet things.

The kit that matters

Warm sleeping bags and insulated mats above all. Headtorches for everyone, including the children. A tarp or shelter to sit under. Hot drinks and a way to make them. Spare dry layers.

A hot water bottle each sounds indulgent and transforms the night.

Planning the trip

Shorter is better — two nights rather than four for a first autumn trip.

Check what is still open. Many campgrounds close after the season, and facilities at those still open are often reduced.

And have a wet-weather plan that everyone is happy with, because at some point it will rain and the difference between a good trip and a bad one is whether that was anticipated.