22 Luxury Camping Adventures That Will Make You an Outdoors Person
Updated: Sep. 06, 2023These luxury camping sites redefine the act of roughing it, making even the unhappiest of campers want to go play outside
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The dreamiest luxury camping sites
If you long for a vacation filled with natural splendor, stargazing and s’mores—but setting up camp and going without a hot shower sound like the stuff of nightmares—glamping is your way to answer the call of the wild. What is glamping, you ask? A portmanteau of “glamorous” and “camping,” glamping is luxury camping that allows many creature comforts like running water, flushing toilets, swimming pools, air-conditioning, TVs, high-thread-count sheets, electricity—and the option to stand up straight without banging your head into the top of a tent. Glamping is also an excellent style of camping for beginners who want to dip a toe into appreciating nature without drowning in the deep end of pit toilets and shoe spider checks.
And there’s a ton of variety with both the setting and the type of accommodation. Canvas safari tents in a wooded wonderland are just the beginning. You could also try yurt camping at the beach, an updated Airstream in the desert or a luxe tent on the terrace of a five-star hotel. There are also properties outfitted with treehouses, old-school motorhomes, teepees, vintage circus trailers and transparent bubbles. To help you find the perfect tent that doesn’t require you pitching it, we’ve rounded up the best luxury campsites in North America.
How we chose the best luxury camping sites
This outdoorsy travel trend has been steadily gaining popularity since the early 2000s, so there’s no shortage of luxury camping options. But be warned: Not all glampgrounds are created equal. To come up with our list of the best, we sought out the luxury-camping brands that are providing stellar options, scoured star ratings and user reviews, consulted expert recommendations and called on our personal experiences with boutique camping.
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Under Canvas North Yellowstone-Paradise Valley, Montana
What do you get when you combine a West Elm aesthetic, king-size beds, wood-burning stoves, a bucket-list national park and the breathtaking setting of the hit TV show Yellowstone? This luxury camping leader’s newest edition near Gardiner and the wildlife-viewing mecca that is the Lamar Valley.
When you aren’t traipsing through the park looking at bison and geysers, you can munch on a menu filled with locally sourced produce, take a morning yoga class, tap your toes to live music or enjoy complimentary s’mores by the fire. The brand also offers similar, well-curated stays at sites near Mount Rushmore, Zion National Park, Acadia National Park, the Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park and Lake Powell.
Firelight Camps, New York
Have an affinity for nature hikes that end in waterfalls and local wine? Yeah, we do too. Head to this upstate New York luxury camping glampground in Ithaca, a dog-friendly spot that has tents with wood floors and covered porches and musicians playing fireside in an outdoor lounge. Continental breakfast is complimentary, and guests who want to hike will love that the access to the Upper and Lower Buttermilk Falls trails is immediate.
The nearby Finger Lakes wine region creates fermented wines and ciders that are served year-round at the on-site bar, but when autumn hits, out comes the hot chocolate and mulled cider. You can also hike with a foraging expert. Speaking of hiking, here’s where to find the best hiking trail in every state.
Campera Hotel Burbuja, Baja California, Mexico
The beach-ball-shaped accommodations at this viny eco-resort in Mexico’s wine country of Valle de Guadalupe in Baja Norte—a 90-minute road trip from San Diego—are climate controlled, stock locally made organic soaps and start at less than $200 a night. Suites have bathrooms inside, while smaller spheres have facilities just outside the door. Deluxe suites have jacuzzis.
The translucent walls give guests unobstructed views of twinkling night skies and surrounding vineyards—the very same vines used to make the red and white wine stocked in the mini-fridge. Privacy is not a concern, as hay bale walls separate each bubble and beds are surrounded by closable curtains. And you can order room service from the winery’s restaurant, so there’s no need to do any camp cooking if you aren’t inclined.
Mirror Hotel, North Carolina
Twenty miles outside of Asheville, these luxury camping accommodations reflect the forested beauty of the 55 pristine acres where it sits and the starry sky above. Opened in summer 2023, the 18 “invisible” cabins range from three-bedroom on-stilts to smaller ones located on the ground. They are covered in mirrored panels—as well as a protective coating to prevent bird strikes. They all feature custom cabinetry, built-in beds, a hot tub, an outdoor dining room and an outdoor pizza oven. After making and partaking in a delicious pie, gather around the fire pit on the patio for some rollicking campfire songs and campfire stories.
The Cozy Peach, Arizona
With more than 300 days a year of sunshine and spectacular Sonoran Desert sunsets, fun in the sun awaits in Arizona’s Queen Creek. Schnepf Farms, a 300-acre organic peach farm and fourth-generation homestead on Mesa’s acclaimed Fresh Foodie Trail, has been putting folks up in their collection of authentic retro auto trailers (mostly circa the 1950s to 1970s) since 2018.
The trailers are spruced up with heat and air, microwaves, shabby chic linens, plumbing, hardwood floors and adorable striped canopies, and overnight stays include a farm-fresh breakfast. You can also partake in seasonal activities like pick-your-own flowers and produce, corn mazes, farm-to-fork dinners, cooking classes and petting zoos. Use provided bicycles to ride to the meadow treehouse or the secret library hidden in a pine-tree forest. If you want to continue camping in a mobile house on wheels, check out the best RV parks in every state.
Dreher Island State Park, South Carolina
If you’re looking for something slightly less glampy, check in to one of 10 lakeside camper cabins at this secluded state park in Lake Murray, South Carolina, that also has excellent bass fishing and bird watching. (Purple martins flutter around from June to August.) Cabins are furnished with a double bed and a set of bunk beds, temperature control, a picnic table and indoor lighting—but they don’t have running water. All cooking must be done outside with the provided water spigot, fire ring and grill. And if you’re looking for something more rustic after you’ve mastered the art of glamping, book a vacation to one of these best campsites in every state.
Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday, California
This is not your grandpa’s KOA. Many of the classic KOA campgrounds across the United States are getting glam makeovers, including this one on California’s central coast in Watsonville. It’s perfect for camping with pets, and it’s still possible to rough it in a regular tent or pull up in an RV, should you want to. But since glamping means you don’t have to sleep on uneven ground, you can rent a camping cabin and walk from the private patio through French doors to snooze in a four-poster bed with real sheets.
The new camping cabins also feature a Keurig coffee bar and refrigerator. Not on a romantic rendezvous for two? Deluxe cabins and Airstreams sleep four or six and have cable and bathrooms inside. It’s a mile from Manresa State Beach, but the pool, a train, outdoor movies, jumping pillow, tie-dyed T-shirt making and palm-tree climbing give families multiple reasons to kick it within KOA walls.
Mendocino Grove, California
Situated on a tree-dotted bluff looking out across the Pacific in Mendocino, California, this modern camping experience gives visitors the best of both worlds: beaches and woods. It’s also a two-minute drive or 20-minute walk to an adorable seaside village full of restaurants, shops and an ice cream parlor that scoops a regional specialty flavor made from candy-cap mushrooms.
The husband-and-wife team behind Mendocino Grove has thought of everything: heated beds, leather butterfly chairs on redwood decks, a lending library, a dog wash, a 24-hour tea bar, hammocks, campfire valet and fresh flower arrangements in the bathrooms. There’s also yoga on weekends.
Yonder Escalante, Utah
This magical 20-acre glampsite is in the middle of Southern Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, an area home to slot canyons, colorful rock hoodoos, petrified forests, scenic byways, massive ravines, Native American spiritual spots and mountain vistas. It’s also within an easy drive to the Dixie National Forest and Bryce Canyon National Park.
Yonder’s accommodations comprise 22 custom-designed cabins, 10 renovated Airstreams and 19 RV and campsites—all of which include private fire pits and access to the property’s high-design common areas. Those areas feature a pool, a library lounge where complimentary breakfast is served—as you enjoy one of the best books of all time—a food truck, a general store where alcohol and gourmet meal kits are sold and a drive-in theater where movies are shown nightly. Already an awesome place to get some R&R, it was recently upgraded with the intro of larger, more deluxe cabins that have en-suite bathrooms, outdoor showers and drive-up access.
Dunton River Camp, Colorado
Dunton River Camp is a grand ranch that dates back to the 1800s, and it is now home to one of the Centennial State’s finest luxury camping options from June through October. Whether you prefer river fork or mountain views, their spacious digs are warmed by gas stoves, have six-foot soaking tubs in en-suite bathrooms and come with two mountain bikes to cruise around the surrounding verdant valley. Your stay, priced for two, includes all meals, often made with ingredients from the on-site farm and vineyard, drinks—alcoholic or otherwise—at the farmhouse and use of the sauna. And if you’re bringing any gear from home, consider investing in one of these comfy camping chairs.
Huttopia White Mountains, New Hampshire
Less than three hours by car from Boston, Huttopia transports couples and families to a whole new world of chirping birds, babbling brooks and trees as far as the eye can see. Located in the town of Albany, Huttopia has three kinds of tents, all stocked with linens, cookware, dishware and mini-fridges. Accommodations come in both lakefront or brookside spots, and they have private bathrooms and showers. You can also go super luxe and book the chalet—it’s built entirely of wood and heated with a stove.
On hot days, you can cool off in the saltwater pool or in Iona Lake, which campers access from the private beach, where yoga classes are also held. Rent canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards from the beach hut, and reward the workout by sipping craft beers and nibbling samples from local farmers and makers. And for competitive types, you can challenge other guests to foosball and ping-pong matches in the central lodge. Other Huttopia outposts can be found in Canada, the Adirondacks, Northern California wine country, the Netherlands and Maine.
Eastwind Hotel, New York
Say goodbye to city hustle and hello to hygge—a hip Danish philosophy where you attain cozy contentment and well-being by enjoying life’s simple pleasures—at this Scandinavian-inspired retreat in the Catskills in Windham, New York. While they offer regular rooms inside the revamped 1920s lodge, it is the three A-frame lushnas (think: teepee meets cabin) that are truly worth the journey. They have Frette linens on queen beds, plaid Fairbault blankets, Zenology bath products, a triangular picture window and a private bathroom with a sauna.
When you’re hungry, barbecue kits are available upon request, or you can join the communal breakfast of German pancakes and housemade granola. The company recently expanded to open similar serene Empire State spaces in Lake Placid, which has a vintage library, bicycles and petite lushnas, and Oliverea Valley, which upped the Scandi vibe with triangular saunas.
AutoCamp Joshua Tree, California
This trusted luxury-camping brand runs six glamping sites in four states, with three more set to open by 2024. Many of its finest camps are within a stone’s throw of a national park like Yellowstone, Zion or this outpost, which opened in 2022 in the high desert less than 10 miles from Joshua Tree National Park.
With a swimming pool under the stars, communal fire pits, air conditioning and heating—plus a wide selection of craft beer, wine and hard kombucha (which pair well with the cafe’s chicken pot pie) to warm your insides—this spot is a four-season stay.
Each Airstream unit has a toilet and rain shower, which means no midnight walks to the restrooms. They’re also tricked out with memory-foam mattresses, an outdoor dining area with a personal fire pit, a TV and coffee from a premium indie roaster. There are a few ADA-compliant units available too.
The Resort at Paws Up, Montana
The Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana, is luxury camping at its finest. Situated within a 37,000-acre working cattle ranch along the Blackfoot River, its six distinct camps feature safari tents with heated floors, air conditioning, soaking tubs (two tents further level up bath time with free-standing copper tubs) and furnished decks. You may wind up loving it so much that you’ll want to live in a tent every summer.
From May through October, sporty guests can fly-fish steps from their accommodations or rent e-bikes or off-road vehicles. You can also watch a cooking demo from a master chef, ride in a hot-air balloon, enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride or head to Spa Town for a four-handed massage on a heated table housed in—what else?—a tent. This place is a splurge, but it does include some complimentary endeavors like chuck wagon dinners with a cowboy poet, archery and mountain biking.
The Gwen Hotel, Illinois
Need to go off-grid in baby steps? Urban glamping is the answer. The Gwen, one of Chicago’s historic downtown high-rises and a member of The Luxury Collection of hotels, sets up “camp” on its 16th-floor terrace from May through the end of September. Anxious city folk will be comforted by the sounds of Michigan Avenue and the ability to pop next door to Nordstrom to pick up a spare pair of shorts.
The Lotus Belle tent is 16 feet in diameter and filled with boho-design delights like drum-shaped mango wood side tables, hand-knotted macramé cushions, bronze Malta lanterns and a braided jute rug. Their glamping package includes welcome bites and access to a suite that has a wet bar and dining room, round-trip airport transportation and gold-leaf-garnished gourmet s’mores at turndown.
Coldwater Gardens, Florida
Get some peace and quiet in the Panhandle in Milton at this 350-acre eco-resort with seven miles of trails, private sandbars on the creek, cycling paths and pine groves. Tiny-house cabanas have outdoor showers, stainless steel open-air kitchens and a personal fire pit. You can also elevate your trip by booking the contemporary treehouse.
Surrounded by mature magnolia trees and raised away from the ground, lap up the luxury of climate control, a covered deck, a mini-fridge and an outdoor shower. Or chillax with your crew on an open-air Stargazer platform—equipped with hammock chairs, a grill and a solar-powered charging station.
Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, British Columbia
Accessible only by seaplane, helicopter or boat, this remote Vancouver Island compound of 25 prospector tents has vintage oil lamps and antiques—but its amenities and service levels are thoroughly modern and indulgent. Porches peek out at the water’s edge of an intertidal estuary teaming with marine and birdlife.
If it starts to sprinkle—as rainforests are prone to do—curl up with a great book on the squishy duvet and warm yourself by the cast-iron stove. After an active day of included activities like stand-up paddleboarding, sea kayaking and rappelling, rinse off in the outdoor cedar shower or take advantage of the complimentary massage. Their all-inclusive program also covers food and beverages.
Hotel Luna Mystica, New Mexico
Chances are, if you hear the words “trailers” and “the New Mexico desert” in the same sentence, you think of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. But venturing out to this undeniably cool glampground in Taos is more like breaking good than breaking bad. It has stellar stargazing, optimal positioning on a tranquil mesa surrounded by mountains and a collection of retro traveling tins that look like they popped out of Wes Anderson’s imagination.
Rooms are decorated in millennial pink with tin wall coverings, and they offer French presses, Blue Feather Soap bathroom amenities and outdoor decks that are Instagram-ready. The Taos Mesa Brewery is 12 feet away for convenient whistle wetting.
Tennessee Glamping, Tennessee
These geodesic glamping domes in the South Cumberland Mountains between Chattanooga and Nashville are chock-full of modern conveniences such as private bathrooms, robes, kitchens with refrigerators and coffeemakers, hot water and propane grills. Stare at the stars or the woods that surround you through clear panes if it’s chilly—or you can’t be bothered with bugs.
You can also play provided board games on the deck near the fire pit or unroll the yoga mats to limber up before heading out to hike Foster Falls or the Fiery Gizzard Trail nearby. Be sure to invest in the best hiking boots to avoid sore feet. But if you come back from trekking with barking dogs, not to worry: There’s a hot tub with your reservation’s name written on it.
Cypress Valley, Texas
Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to vacation in the round in Texas Hill Country? This popular spot is a wedding venue/bison ranch/working farm in Spicewood, and it offers a variety of luxury camping accommodations. Their tents and treehouses are fit for the pages of Architectural Digest, and they also have an aerial yurt.
Nestled in a stand of cypresses above a ravine and creek, the bedroom in their Lofthaven treehouse is wrapped around the trunk and connected to a 700 square-foot kitchenette and bathhouse with a waterfall tub made from regional wood and stone. When you aren’t napping in a hammock, play lawn games or zipline into the pond. If you time your trip right, you could wind up taking super bloom photos, since this part of the Lone Star State is known for its wildflowers.
Camp Long Creek, Missouri
If you’re a golf nut, a fishing fanatic or merely obsessed with Jason Bateman’s Emmy-nominated Ozark (one of the best shows to binge on Netflix), this luxury campground in the heart of the Ozark Mountains is the place for you. Camp Long Creek offers rustic elegance and style across all the rentals they offer. Its 40 tents have outdoor tubs and king-size canopy beds. Camp cabins come with living rooms, and there’s even a family unit with a kid-sized teepee in the courtyard. Their camp huts look like a linear train car and are decorated in black-and-white modern-farmhouse style. Lounge by the infinity pool, swim at the beach on Table Rock Lake, rent a boat or join a fishing trip at the adjacent marina. You’re even welcomed with s’mores kits that are handed out upon arrival.
ULUM Moab, Utah
The latest brainchild of the Under Canvas glamping company, ULUM takes national park camping to the next level. A stone’s throw away from both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, and near enough to Moab for supply runs, ULUM (pronounced ooh-loom) was built with local stone, wood and buff canvas to bring the outside in—and it’s drenched in natural light. Relax in a plush tent with a king-size bed, rain showers, Aesop toiletries, wood-burning stove and private deck. If you’re feeling social, you can get to know other travelers at the lounge, the dining hall or the three dipping pools. By day, stare out to 100-foot cliffs and views of Looking Glass Arch. By night, it’s all about looking up into twinkling dark-sky territory.
