The 12 Best Tented Camps for Glamping Lovers

Pitching a tent, toasting s’mores on an open flame, then crawling into a sleeping bag for the night—there’s nothing quite like camping. But what if you could enhance it to make it a bit more comfortable? There are, after all, options that allow you to stay in the great outdoors without having to truly rough it. Try this idea for speed: Instead of sleeping on the hard dirt floor, you crawl into an actual bed, which doesn’t require a sleeping bag or a headlamp (in case of a midnight bathroom run). Adding to that scenario is that your room is outfitted with en suite bathrooms and hot showers. No, the Ritz-Carlton hasn’t opened a new location in the woods; rather, camping has evolved to a point that, at these hotels, visitors can sleep under canvas in some of the most remote parts of the world without having to sacrifice comfort and safety (and, of course, high-design!).

Inspired by an African safari, founders Sarah and Jacob Dusek have imagined a glamping experience that’s situated in the most majestic locations in all of America. If you’re looking to explore the country’s National Parks, this is the coolest way to do it—and certainly the most stylish. Tents, all designed by Jacob, are outfitted with en suite bathrooms and hot showers, luxe linens and handsome blankets dress the plush beds, and wood-burning stoves keep you cozy on crisp desert evenings. There’s daily housekeeping, too. The Grand Canyon location is just a short ride from the park and boasts a lobby that’s outfitted with West Elm furnishings, cool tunes, and a staff that’s on hand to do everything from delivering porch-side coffee carafes to booking hikes or evening sunset tours to the Canyon. Starting rate: $198/night

The Brooklyn-based glamping company has introduced a new glampsite in the tony escape of East Hampton’s Cedar Point County Park. The fully furnished tents have queen-sized beds with memory foam mattresses, colorful rugs, and six-foot decks with outdoor furniture and views of Gardiners Bay. Guests can partake in morning yoga, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding, then end the evening with a s’mores bar bonfire. Terra’s super-hip pop-ups include multicourse CBD dinners and a “Schmear and Schmooze Series” with smoked fish and canned cocktails. Sag Harbor bookstore Berry & Co. curates a reading selection for the common spaces and sleeping tents but is especially lovely when enjoyed in a hammock. Starting rate: $300/night

Situated in a former 1800's cattle-ranch-turned-luxury-resort, Dunton River Camp comprises eight canvas tents that located on the banks of the West Fork of Colorado's Dolores River.The Cresto Ranch accommodations are the perfect marriage of outdoorsy with luxury. Colorado-chic, if you will. Each has king-size beds with luxury bedding, gas stoves, an en suite bathroom, and a private lounging porch. The hot springs located four miles upstream at the River Camp's sister property, Dunton Hot Springs are a draw; Dunton River Camp guests have access to the bath house and outdoor springs (especially tranquil under the stars) at Dunton Hot Springs. There’s also fly fishing, horseback riding, mountaineering, mountain biking, rafting, and archeological day tours. Starting rate: $1,300/night, including meals and beverages

Nestled deep in the Ozark Mountains, Big Cedar Lodge was originally built in the early 1920s as a chichi country retreat for two wealthy Missourians. Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro, purchased the property in 1987 and his former fishing camp is now a high-end wilderness resort spread among 4,600 acres in the wooded hollows. There are gobs of accommodation offerings on tap, but the newest—Camp Long Creek—offers glamping units that overlook the blue-green waters of Table Rock Lake where guests can fish, boat, and waterski. The high-design tents are outfitted with a king canopy bed, crowned with a rustic chandelier, along with an ample sitting area; an outdoor living space has a fire pit, outdoor shower, and galvanized tub for moonlight bathing. Starting rate: $229/night

Okay, so this may not be a tent, but it’s glamping at its finest and most fun. The Trailer Pond (don’t let the name dissuade you) is plunked upon the 130-acre Alta Colina vineyard in Paso Robles. An oenophile, outdoors enthusiast, or, especially, an influencer would feel right at home here—the wine is fantastic and the surroundings are Instagram gold. Each of the boutique Tinker Tin vintage trailers are unique in color and decor, but all have been restored to their original design, complete with old-school iceboxes and block ice, plus crisp down comforters, a dinette, board games, and organic coffee. Spend the days hiking and bird watching. Sunsets are best spent on the dock with a bottle of wine made from the surrounding grapes. Starting rate: $250/night

A glamping experience that’s about as dreamy they come. You know those romantic scenes from Meryl Streep and Robert Redford’s Out of Africa? They were filmed on the very hillside that Angama Mara lies. Here, 30 tented guest suites are perched upon the edge of the Oloololo Escarpment, with year-round game viewing via a private track. The tents are constructed from classic safari canvas on three sides and completed with 30-foot-wide floor-to-ceiling glass that overlooks the Great Rift Valley. Incredibly stylish and spacious, the tents have an open floor plan, a galvanized tub, and a John Vogel woven screen, inspired by the movie’s bath scene. A “rocking-chair safari” is best experienced from the private deck—binoculars provided—to witness the annual migration, when millions of wildebeest and zebras come into the area on a quest for grass. It’s also a superb spot to view the hot-air balloons that sail above the property each morning. Starting rate: $1,300/night, including meals, beverages, and safari

If you’ve watched Legends of the Fall, you’ve seen the setting for the Resort at Paws Up, a ranch turned resort in Montana. The property has a myriad of accommodation offerings, but its newest camp, North Bank, is by far the shiniest. Set on the banks of the Blackfoot River, the North Bank camp offers a glamping experience at its finest: comfy beds, heated floors, air-conditioning, and windows that gaze out over the endless Montana landscape. The tents are also kitted out with leather couches, chandeliers, and Western geometric carpets, offering Western Americana at its best. Starting rate: $746/person/night

At El Cosmico you don’t have to sleep in an ordinary tent; you can sleep in a camping trailer, tepee, or yurt. From the same hotelier behind Hotel San Jose and Hotel Saint Cecilia, El Cosmico is a vibrant campground in the remote town of Marfa, Texas. With limited access to digital connectivity, the camp is all about distancing yourself from the modern world: taking a cooking workshop, stargazing, biking, yoga. Although the tents, tepees, yurts, and trailers have a back-to-basics approach, there are comfy beds, chairs, lighting, and power outlets. Starting rate: $85/night

Finally, you can camp on the forested property of Ventana, which has long been one of Big Sur’s premier hotels. The newly unveiled campsite features 15 canvas tents nestled in the redwood forest. Despite being more pared-down than the hotel, the camp doesn’t skimp on the luxuries, like daily housekeeping, turndown service, and a bathhouse with teak-enclosed showers, marble vanities, and a heated floor. That said, there are also those quintessential camping offerings like handheld lanterns and toasting s’mores over the fire. Starting rate: $325/night

Yellowstone, Hudson, Vail—Collective Retreats has luxury camping experiences all over the country. The brand (which launched this year) is the Williamsburg of tented camps: high-end but still cool. Collective Yellowstone, which is located at Moonlight Basin, around nine miles from Big Sky town, is the ultimate place to stay if you want to get back to nature in one of America’s most stunning national parks. It’s not just the location (surrounded by magnificent mountains) or the tents (kitted out with cozy beds and heated blankets) that make Collective Yellowstone a winner, but also the cool camping actives like fly-fishing, paddleboarding, toasting s’mores, and excellent farm-to-table dinners. Starting rate: $500/night

There are few places in the world that are as romantic as Jack’s Camp in Botswana’s remote Makgadikgadi National Park. The camp, which honestly looks like it might belong to Ernest Hemingway, has ten Persian-style tents, clad with books and luxurious rugs and cushions, as well as a tented swimming pool. Rather than hiking through the forest and drinking cocoa by the fire, Jack’s Camp offers the chance to see wildlife like hyenas and flamingos and drive across the arid salt pans in quad bikes. Starting rate: $1,255 per person/night

With four-poster beds, free-standing copper bathtubs, and private pools, Wild Coast Tented Camp might be the most luxurious “camping” experience you’ll ever have. Located in Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park, it might also be the most exotic camping experience you’ll ever have. It also doesn’t have your typical “camping” itinerary: There’s bird- and wildlife-watching, nature walks, and excursions to Buddhist sites in the area. And while some might say that this is not really camping, cocoon-like tents made of fabric and bamboo prove otherwise. Starting rate: $924