We live in a suburban town, and I thought we had pretty good views of the night sky. I sat on the ground, legs criss-crossed, and my daughter rested the back of her head against them, face up to the night sky. Ethan pulled out the field guide to the night sky that he had excitedly purchased just for this trip. Star light, star brightīack outside our cabin an hour later, we found comfy spots for stargazing. Ahh, yes-this is what Emily and Ethan were chanting for. ![]() As we progressed, we watched the sky over the grassy horizon turn ever-darkening shades of blue, from cotton candy to navy. We saw throngs of whitetail deer, and perched on the pine branches above our heads were several types of birds-hawks, swallows and meadowlarks-signing off for the evening with their clipped calls. She tried to converse with them by imitating their sound, but they strutted away. Emily giggled at the sound of their gobbling chatter. A bit later, we stopped to let a group of six wild turkeys cross in front of us. It wasn’t easy to stay quiet, but we were rewarded with a close-up look at a lean red fox, who froze in his tracks and stared at us curiously for a full moment before sprinting away. Riding along, we could sense the wildlife around us every time we heard leaves rustle. We spent most of it lounging at the pool, responding to Emily’s every request to “Watch this!” as she did underwater handstands and cannonball jumps.įollowing an early dinner, we headed out for a hayride through the KOA’s ranchlands. As the credits rolled, we retreated to our cabin, humming the memorable five-note tune that the humans used to communicate with the aliens. Wide-eyed, Emily was rapt watching the alien ship release Barry, a boy just a bit younger than her, who had been brought onboard earlier in the story. ![]() It’s a thrilling sci-fi classic, but what made it even more eerily exciting was seeing the same Devils Tower rock formation we had hiked around just hours before. The highlight of the evening was an outdoor showing of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the 1977 movie that was partially filmed at Devils Tower. A singer with his acoustic guitar was there leading the group in fun camp songs. We were greeted by other guests and given sticks for roasting marshmallows and making s’mores. in 1906, before there was even a National Parks Service.Īfter dinner that evening, we made our way to the campfire. Emily was too young to appreciate the geological history of the place, but it didn’t fail to impress Ethan and me that Devils Tower was named the First National Monument in the U.S. I took photos of the striking vertical rock towers, while Emily darted in front of us several times to climb on top of boulders.Ī stop at the Visitor Center was worthwhile for some background on how the tower was formed, and the American Indian legends associated with it. It was an easy, leisurely hike, allowing us to stop to watch a family of cottontail rabbits scurry into the bushes. ![]() We stayed on the paved Tower Trail that circles the base. We enjoyed lunch at the camp’s Cattle Kate's Café-it was so nice to not have to spend this time away in the kitchen-then wasted no time going for a hike around the base of Devils Tower. I was just as happy to see the Sweet Shoppe, serving homemade fudge. You can tell a family owns the place, because everything a family needs is right there.Įmily squealed with each new discovery-the pool, the playground, the arcade and game room. Ethan and I had a private bedroom, and Emily had her pick of futon or sleeping loft.Īfter settling in, we explored the campground. ![]() We arrived mid-morning and unpacked (corkscrew: check!). I’m a pretty tough customer when I vacation, but I was thoroughly impressed with the Park Model cabin we booked for our long weekend getaway. “How about Devils Tower KOA, in Wyoming?” Ethan said, holding up the search results on his phone for me to see. What if we forget to pack something important, like our first aid kit (or corkscrew)? Though camping was foreign to me, I’m all for family travel, so I acquiesced-with one request. It’s not so much the wilderness that keeps me from camping, it’s the logistics. And then came the chanting: “We want to camp! We want to camp!” “That doesn’t count!” our seven-year old daughter, Emily, said. “How about we set up a tent in the backyard?” I countered. “You’re not giving camping a fair chance,” my husband, Ethan, said. The Devil’s in the Details KOA Camping in Wyoming Converts the Non-Camper
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