Photo: Under Canvas Yellowstone

Glamping Experiences Around the US for Campers Who Hate Roughing It

United States National Parks Luxe Travel Camping
by Jill Dutton Jun 7, 2018

When it comes to camping, you usually fall into one of two groups: either you love it or you hate it. Those who love it can’t wait to escape to nature, breathe fresh air, and partake in outdoor adventures. If you fall into the other camp, though, the thought of sleeping on the ground, fighting off insects, and lugging a tent, sleeping bags, food, bug spray, cooking equipment, and more — in other words, roughing it — seems like a really bad way to spend a weekend. If you’re getting itchy just thinking about the bugs, glamping was meant for you.

Glamping is the modern meld of nature and luxury. The prep and setup are taken care of for you; and all you need to do to is show up. Glamping, or glamorous camping, isn’t just tents and yurts. You’ll find luxurious outdoor adventures in treehouses, shipping containers, eco-lodges, and other creative abodes.

1. Safari-Inspired Tents, Yellowstone, Montana

When visiting Yellowstone Park, you can immerse yourself in nature while staying in a luxurious safari-inspired tent at Under Canvas. You’ll wake up to the wonder of Montana, just minutes from the Yellowstone National Park. The safari-inspired tents have all the amenities, including a wood burning stove. Other niceties include daily housekeeping, fresh towels, bathrooms, and king-size beds.
In addition to the Yellowstone location, Under Canvas has properties near Moab, Glacier, Zion, Mount Rushmore with the Great Smoky Mountains and Grand Canyon opening in 2018.

2. Vintage Trailers, Asheville, North Carolina

One way to go glamping is to stay in a luxurious (and spacious) 31-ft vintage trailer that includes a four-person hot tub. Asheville Glamping remodeled The Silver Bettie, a 1955 vintage trailer to include a modern kitchen, tiled bathroom shower, a bedroom with a memory foam mattress, and living room. Air conditioning and heating keep the trailer at an ideal temperature year-round. There are plenty of dishes and cookware to create your own meals on the propane cooktop. There’s even wifi available for the smart television. Located on a three-acre urban property, you’ll find a fire pit with firewood provided.

Or, if a vintage trailer isn’t your style, try one of their domes, yurts, teepees, safari tents, or airstreams, with a tree house coming in 2019.

3. Upcycled Shipping Containers, Jupiter, Florida

Head to Headwaters Jupiter for an eco-friendly retreat in an repurposed shipping container. The main lodge consists of three used shipping containers, surrounded by native Florida plant life, vegetable and herb gardens, and hiking and biking trails. Bikes, canoes, and kayaks are included for exploring the trails and the Loxahatchee River.

You’ll stay in a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home constructed from used ocean-going shipping containers. The containers are built to handle extreme weather and are perfect as a recycled home in hurricane-prone South Florida.

4. Canvas Cabins, Philipsburg, Montana

At The Ranch at Rock Creek, they combine a cabin with a tent to create a canvas cabin glamping experience at a five-star dude ranch in Western Montana. The Sweet Grass Cabin has a cabin living room with two canvas tent bedrooms including two full baths. It’s a 1,300-square-foot outdoor oasis.

You’ll cruise around camp easily with the personal cruisers or mountain bikes that are provided. All guests have access to bikes, kayaks, and canoes to complement your adventure.

5. Teepees, Torrey, Utah

You’ll enjoy 58 acres of paradise in Torrey, Utah at the Capitol Reef Resort. Stay in one of their teepees where you’ll find style and comfort decorated in traditional western furnishings. Bathrooms are just a few steps away.

If teepees aren’t your preference, Capitol Reef Resort also offers guestrooms, luxury cabins, and Conestoga wagons for other authentic glamping experiences.

6. Private Island, Little Raccoon Key

Or, maybe you’d like to stay on a private island. Little Raccoon Key is a reef island off the coast of Georgia. While glamping on your private retreat, you’ll enjoy a mini dolphin tour, as well as immerse yourself in the abundant marine, land, and bird life of the island.

Once you arrive on the island, your glamping experience includes staying in a 26 by 15-foot canvas tent. The camp is run by solar power, but there are lanterns and plenty of batteries if you need them. Inside the tent, you’ll find a memory foam mattress and pillows, fresh linens, a wood burning stove, dishes and pans for meals, a coffee/tea kettle, board games, and books. The shower and toilet are located outside of the tent.

7. Tree House, Petaluma, California

Staying in a tree house is a unique glamping experience. You’ll climb three levels of staircase that meander through the trunks of a tree where you’ll find a raised deck overlooking the California countryside. The tree house itself is rustically decorated on two levels: a living area downstairs and a canopied queen-size bed in the loft. The windows on all sides give up views of the grove, plus an Arabian horse farm, and local rolling hills and forests. There’s a separate toilet room in the treehouse with a chemical potty. The shower is located in the barn. Breakfast is served in the main house. The listing for the tree house is available at Glamping Hub.

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