Trip Ideas Nature Travel 15 Luxury Campsites for People Who Love the Outdoors — But Not Everything That Comes With It By Claire Trageser Published on August 5, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Adrian Gaut For some people, camping means roughing it — bringing as little as possible, maybe just a backpack, and sleeping on the ground in a small tent or under the open sky. Eating food from a can, or maybe potatoes and vegetables cooked on the campfire, and visiting an outhouse or digging a hole in the ground when nature calls. But there's another way to approach camping, sometimes known as "glamping," that involves creating as luxurious an environment as possible, often with giant tents, air mattresses, electricity, and sometimes even TVs and a stereo system. The food is gourmet, cooked on a fancy camp stove, with cocktails and wine. Think Tom Haverford on the TV show "Parks and Recreation": a giant tent filled with crazy gadgets he ordered on Skymall. If you like the sound of glamping, but don't want to do all the planning yourself, there are a number of campsites throughout North America that will cater luxury and comfort to your liking. Here are a few of the best places to go glamping in the USA and beyond. 01 of 15 Sandy River Outdoor Adventures, Rice, Virginia Courtesy of River Outdoor Adventure Stay in a luxury tipi with heated floors, air-conditioning, a full bathroom, and a kitchenette. Each tipi has a king or queen size memory foam bed and comes with luxury linens. During the day, you can try out canoeing on the Appomattox and Sandy Rivers, hike or bike in High Bridge State Park, or do a session at the Adventure Park, with 60 obstacles and 20 zip lines. Booking info. 02 of 15 Andelyn Farm Yurts, New York Courtesy of Glamping Hub Choose from four yurts on the Andelyn Farm property: a 700-square-foot yurt, a 490-square-foot yurt, or two 315-square-foot yurts. Each has a kitchen area equipped with a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee maker, a toaster oven, and dinnerware, plus beds, a firepit, a fan, a sofa, free Wi-Fi, and electricity mod cons. Booking info. 03 of 15 Glamping Dome in the Appalachian Mountains, Georgia Courtesy of Glamping Hub This luxury dome fits up to five guests — there are three beds and a private bathroom, an outdoor bathtub, and an outdoor shower. While the dome gets warm inside during the summer, it comes with a series of fans that create a cool evening breeze. The "cowboy kitchen" has a two-burner gas camping stove, a charcoal barbecue, a toaster, a coffeemaker, pots and pans, plates, cups, utensils, and a picnic table. Booking info. 04 of 15 Eco-Cabin in Texas Hill Country, Texas Courtesy of Glamping Hub This cabin near Austin, Texas, was built by environmentalist and architect Marley Porter, and sports a queen-sized bed, a detached bathroom, a garden bathtub, and a private deck. Amenities include a small flat-screen TV, mini-fridge, coffee maker, microwave, toaster oven, and two grills. Booking info. 05 of 15 The Tree Houses at Primland, Virginia Courtesy of The Tree Houses at Primland This resort in Virginia offers three treehouses that overlook the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Dan River. The cabins are built around branches of trees more than 2,000 feet off the ground. And unlike your typical treehouse with a "no grownups allowed" sign on the door, these are the reverse: kids and pets are not allowed and occupancy is limited to two people. Booking info. 06 of 15 Wahwahtaysee Resort, Texas Courtesy of Wahwahtaysee Resort This resort, located about 40 miles outside Austin on the San Marcos River, has three luxury tents guests can use for a full glamping experience. Each comes with a free standing tub, walk-in shower, an outdoor shower, mini-fridge, king bed, queen sleeper sofa, air conditioning, and heat. During your stay, you can also make use of complimentary Aveda products and a golf cart for each tent. Booking info. 07 of 15 Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Canada Bryan Stockton This eco-safari resort, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, is accessible only by seaplane, helicopter, or boat and sits in a UNESCO-designated protected Biosphere Reserve. Guests at the resort stay in white canvas prospector-style tents outfitted with cast iron stoves, ensuite bathrooms with heated floors, private outdoor showers, antique furnishings, and linens. Booking info. 08 of 15 North Bank Camp, Montana Courtesy of Paws Up This camp sits on a bluff overlooking the Blackfoot River and has several options for tents, including three-bedroom/two-bathroom tents. The camp also has a dining pavilion with collapsible glass doors for an indoor-outdoor convertible space, plus ensuite bathrooms with heated slate floors and plush bedding. Booking info. 09 of 15 Sandy Pines Campground, Maine Courtesy of Sandy Pines Campground This campground was founded by hoteliers Tim Harrington and Debra Lennon, who constructed 12 safari-style Glamp Tents, each one created by a different New England designer. You can also stay in other types of glamping accommodations, such as deluxe Airstreams and Conestoga wagons, hideaway huts, and camp cottages. Booking info. 10 of 15 Habitas Tulum, Mexico Adrian Gaut Located between the jungle and the Caribbean Sea in the beachside town of Tulum, Mexico, Habitas Tulum offers secluded beach and safari tents on a site built in collaboration with local carpenters and artisans. Booking info. 11 of 15 El Capitan Canyon, California Courtesy of Sun RV Resorts El Capitan Canyon, part of Sun Outdoors, is a camping spot unlike any other. Located along the Santa Barbara coast, the site offers 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean and the Ynez Mountains. Guests can choose between sleeping in cedar cabins or yurts, all nestled inside the 350-acre property that's dotted with oak and sycamore trees. Guests can also partake in hikes on private trails, take out complimentary beach cruiser bicycles, and visit nearby vineyards for wine tastings before spending the night under the stars. Booking options. 12 of 15 Camp LeConte, Tennessee Courtesy of Camp Leconte Live like a kid again with a camping getaway in Camp LeConte in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The luxury family resort comes with almost too many accommodation options to choose from, including RV sites, retro campers, safari tents, camping spots, and a treehouse. The resort is also in close proximity to a plethora of entertainment options in the area — Dollywood, the Arts and Crafts Community center and the Ole Smoky distillery are just around the corner. Of course, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is right around the bend as well, which means endless hiking trails, stellar scenery, and animal spotting are all in your camping future. Booking options. 13 of 15 Yonder Escalante, Utah Courtesy of Yonder Yonder Escalante is one of the newer kids on the block when it comes to glamping destinations. The ultra-chic resort, located near Bryce Canyon National Park and within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, comes with several accommodation options — RV sites so you can bring your own rig, cabins, and airstreams — all set up so you can simply pack and leave when you're ready. It also has a hot tub to soothe away aching muscles after a day of hiking, and a pool to cool off in on warmer days. The entire resort is built on the grounds of an old drive-in movie theater, so Yonder also offers screenings of serious classics. Bring your own chair or blanket, or rent out a vintage car and watch them old-school style. Booking options. 14 of 15 Eastwind, New York Lawrence Braun Eastwind may be the perfect place for city dwellers to go and get away from it all. The year-round boutique hotel is located in Windham, New York, and is surrounded by the Catskill Mountains, making it a prime destination for leaf peeping in the fall and an excellent spot to find some peace and quiet. While there are hotel rooms onsite, guests can also choose to stay in some rather well-appointed Scandinavian-inspired cabins. Each exposed wood cabin comes with a queen bed, Frette linens, and wool blankets. Inside, you'll also find Pendelton robes to help you stay extra warm. All guests also have access to the hotel's saunas for some bonus hygge vibes. Booking options. 15 of 15 Kitfox, New Mexico Ian Beckley/KitFox Want to get even farther away from society? Head to KitFox, a glamping spot that's surrounded by rugged rock formations that will make you feel more like you're on Mars than in New Mexico. A stay at Kitfox means a stay inside a gorgeous bell canvas tent, where guests will find a cozy bed, a table, and plenty of seating. You'll also have access to shared bathrooms, a general store, and more Instagrammable nooks than one feed can handle. The area is chock full of outdoor activities to try, including hiking, horseback riding, and fishing. And, with its proximity to Santa Fe, popping in for a quick city visit is a snap. Booking options. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit