Summer Glamp

These rustic-chic getaways allow you to experience the beauty of nature without the hassle of roughing it. By Gregory Scruggs

Want to vacation in the great outdoors this summer, but not too keen on waking up in a cold tent with a backache? If you want to get away into nature, but not too into nature, glamping is the way to go. “Glamorous camping” infuses life’s little luxuries into a wilderness experience. Here are some destinations across the West for you to step up your night out under the stars.

Out'n'About Treesort

Cave Junction, OR

The “tree” puns run wild at this cluster of over a dozen treehouses. There’s the Majestree, sitting a whopping 47 feet off the ground, and the Swiss Family Complex of two treehouses, one for adults and one for kids, connected by a swinging bridge. Set on 36 acres near the Oregon-California border deep in Siskiyou forest country, “treemusketeers,” as the owners like to call their guests, also have access to horseback riding and a zipline course, making this an ideal destination for the adventure seeker. treehouses.com

Millersylvania State Park

Thurston County, WA

Tired of pitching a tent next to your car in earshot of your neighbor’s Bluetooth speaker? Step it up a notch at Millersylvania State Park, where Pampered Wilderness hosts six themed canvas cabins. The Safari Suite will transport you to an African savannah, while the Country Cabin is perfect for kicking off your cowboy boots at the end of the day. In addition to perks like electricity, a coffeemaker, an outdoor fire pit, and an electric heater, glampers can wake up trailside to stroll around the park’s six miles of forested paths or rent a SUP to paddle on Deep Lake. pamperedwilderness.com

Mendocino Grove

Mendocino, CA

Tree-lined hills cascade down to the ocean all along the Pacific coast, but the area where the Big River gushes into Mendocino Bay is among the most spectacular. The fernlined forest sits just miles from windswept headlands with a charming Victorian town sandwiched in the middle. Mendocino Grove capitalizes on this setting with 37 acres home to glamping tents spaced around 30 feet apart. Small touches like bedside USB ports and EO Marin organic bath products in the bathhouse set this glamping experience apart. Family-friendly features include some tents that sleep up to six and oversized shower stalls for family cleanup. Hammocks, bocce, and gas BBQs are among the other helpful touches. mendocinogrove.com

Miracle Hot Springs

Buhl, ID

The domes at this Idaho hot springs resort are simple yet comfortably equipped with heat, air conditioning, and a mini fridge. Expect to spend most of your time not inside, but rather soaking in silky soft, odorless, high-alkaline water. A scalding 138º F at the geothermal source, the water is cooled to a range of temperatures with water from the Snake River aquifer. Six VIP pools can be reserved in advance for a private soaking experience. miraclehotspring.com

Bay Point Landing

Coos Bay, OR

If you are living the #vanlife this summer, point the steering wheel toward the Oregon coast for an experience sure to dash your RV park stereotypes. This destination on the wild Pacific has 160 sites with full hookups, but it’s the amenities that steal the show. Swim in a heated indoor saltwater pool, work out at a top-of-the-line fitness center, play on a rainy day in the spunky kids den, stock up on s’more kits and Oregon pinot noir at the well-appointed general store, curl up with a book in the cozy activity room, or gaze out at the bay from a perch on the terraced decking at the architectural marvel of a clubhouse. baypointlanding.com

Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel

Gardiner, MT

Archaeologists have documented tipis as old as 10,000 BCE, but they were unlikely as comfortable as the 10 22-foot tipis pitched on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. With plush bedding, heaters, and Rocky Mountain chic decorative touches, these tipis are the ultimate place to recharge after a day hiking the Lava Creek Trail, fly fishing on the Yellowstone River, wildlife spotting for bison and elk, whitewater rafting through Yankee Jim Canyon, or soaking your bones in Boiling River. dreamcatchertipihotel.com

Rolling Huts

Methow Valley, WA

“Methow Modern” is a bona fide architectural trend befitting the sleek designs cropping up around the eastern foot of the North Cascades. You can experience this slice of Dwell magazine for yourself in the Rolling Huts. Designed by Seattle’s arch-modernist Tom Kundig, these steel-and-wood cabins are small but can be booked as a group to facilitate larger gatherings. The gurgling Methow River is a short walk away on the property, while hiking and biking trails beckon across the valley. One roughing-it detail: Showers and bathrooms are located in a central bathhouse. rollinghuts.com

River Run

Granby, CO

Fancy yourself a westward pioneer? Bed down for the night in a Conestoga wagon, no oxen team required. This new resort about two hours from Denver in the Western Slope region of Colorado has a little bit of everything: RV sites, rental villas, vacation cabins, and Airstreams. Lake Granby, Colorado’s largest body of water, is just eight miles away. Closer to home, the still-expanding resort boasts a restaurant, tavern, bowling alley, arcade, off-leash dog park, and hot tubs. sunrvresorts.com

Volcano House

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, HI

The 10 one-room, rustic cabins at the Namakanipaio Campground are perched 4,000 feet above sea level on the edge of an active volcano, a UNESCO Heritage Site. If the cabins, minimally equipped with bunk beds and a picnic table sheltered from the rain, are too spartan for your taste, book one of the 33 rooms in the Volcano House Lodge. This historic hotel’s first iteration was built in 1846 and hosted luminaries like Mark Twain, who wrote, “The surprise of finding a good hotel in such an outlandish spot startled me considerably more than the volcano did.” If you are willing to camp, you can also rent a tent, which park staff will set up for you. hawaiivolcanohouse.com

Zion Backcountry Glamping

Kane County, UT

Want to get off the beaten path from popular Zion National Park? Prepare for a 75-minute drive along a dirt road that takes you up to 6,000 feet above sea level in red rock country, where a roomy yurt and two traditional sheep camps converted into cozy lodging await. The Lundgren family still graze sheep and cows on this property, which offers truly dark skies for stargazing and opportunities to spot or photograph desert fauna like bobcats and lizards. This is dry country, however, so there is no running water and guests are given a daily cooking and drinking ration of 10 gallons. The sheep camps have a propane-heated shower; the yurt has access to a bathhouse with a flush toilet and shower. zionbackcountryglamping.com

Road Rage

RVs and camper vans are experiencing a renaissance. Here are some tips if you want to get in on the action.

IF YOU DIDN’T BUY AN AIRSTREAM as a pandemic splurge, have no fear. There is now a booming rental marketplace online at Outdoorsy, where you can find a loaner close to home or close to your intended destination. Price, availability, and minimum reservation length can vary widely given this open marketplace. GoCamp curates a vetted selection of peer-topeer rentals with pickups in Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.

WANT THAT INSTAGRAM-PERFECT 1984 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON? Prepare to drive a janky stick shift and fret about possible roadside repair. Newer models like Mercedez-Benz Sprinter camper vans and Winnebago Ekko RVs may be less photogenic but are more reliable. Be prepared for a wide turn radius and height restrictions—smaller is better to reach more scenic spots, so best to avoid Class A models that run nearly as big as tour buses. If you own a vehicle with decent horsepower, check the tow rating: you may be able to haul a travel trailer. That option keeps driving and sleeping in separate compartments. All that said, the tricked-out campervan has quickly become the West Coast’s standard conveyance in any scenic destination, with massive RVs largely relegated to Midwestern tourist status.

FOR FIRST-TIME RV AND CAMPER- VAN DRIVERS, established rentals are a great bet for customer service that will hold your hand through every process, from how to connect to the hookup at your RV site to what to do with your wastewater. Peace Vans in Seattle, Wandervans in Portland, Lost Campers in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and Trekker Vans in San Francisco are all reliable places to start.

FINALLY, DON’T FORGET TO BOOK YOUR CAMPSITES—THEY GO FAST. Otherwise, you may find yourself “boondocking”—that is, sleeping on the side of a road with no connection to water and electricity. Local regulations on overnight parking vary; needless to say, prepare to pack out and leave no trace.

Firelight Reading

Complete your getaway by escaping into a good book. Here are some natural fits.

Ordinary Wolves, by Seth Kantner

If you encounter any discomforts on your summer glamping trip, this riveting novel will put your travails in perspective. Based on his own childhood as a white boy growing up in a traditional Inupiaq sod igloo on the Alaskan tundra, Kanter describes a harsh life where surviving the winter was never guaranteed but summer was a near limitless bounty.

Why We Swim, by Bonnie Tsui

Whether taking a dip in a lake, river, or even the frigid ocean, this work of creative nonfiction will make you think about your next stroke as the author reports on the world’s top swimmers while ruminating on the strange human urge to plunge into the water.

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, by Timothy Egan

Today’s canvas-roofed glamps are a throwback to a previous era of sleeping outdoors before ultralight zippered tents from REI. Timothy Egan captures this experience with vivid descriptions in his biography of Seattle photographer Edward Curtis, who dedicated his career to capturing the disappearing lives of indigenous tribes.

Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan

Wanderlust infects the most unlikely of personas in the third novel by Victoria, BC-based writer Esi Edugyan. The titular character is born enslaved on a Barbados sugar plantation but goes on to a life of adventure that takes him from the Arctic to Marrakesh.

Shop for the Wild Side

Want to create your own glamping experience? Stay comfortable in the wilderness with these pampering products.

SolarPuff: A solarcharged light that packs flat but pops up into a cute origami cube by designer Alice Min Soo Chun is a MoMA Design Store favorite. $35

Haflinger Wool Slippers: You can do better than Crocs. The wool slippers by this German cobbler transition effortlessly between indoor and outdoor surfaces while keeping your feet toasty around the campfire. $140

Solo Stove Ranger: An efficient design sends smoke up, not out, with this lightweight, portable fire pit that will perk up your glampsite after dark. $200

Pendleton Eco-Wise Wool Blanket: The Oregon mill has been outfitting campers since 1863. Their machine-washable wool blankets will provide the perfect Western flair, whether you decorate the bed or drape them over your lap to stay warm. $150–$200

Snow Peak Iron Grill Table: Japanese outdoors experts Snow Peak are justly famous for their customizable iron grill table, which will revolutionize your outdoor cooking and create a next-level camp kitchen that goes far beyond grilling hot dogs over a campfire grill. $400

YETI Tundra 45 Cooler: If your glampsite lacks refrigeration, keep those perishables fresh for days with YETI’s industryleading cooler. $300