Best glamping resorts in America: Paws Up Montana and Under Canvas top the ranks

Camping has always promised a connection to nature that hotels cannot provide. The problem is everything that comes with it: the gear, the ground, the weather, the question of what to do when it rains. Glamping, or glamorous camping, keeps the nature and removes most of the inconvenience. The result is one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry, a format that has moved well beyond canvas tents with nicer pillows into a category that now includes fiberglass igloos beneath the northern lights in Alaska, solar-powered apartments built into cliffsides above the Big Sur coast, and private reef islands accessible only by boat.

The best glamping resorts do not simply offer a comfortable place to sleep outdoors. They offer a specific relationship with a specific landscape — the Gallatin Mountains, Lake Superior's shoreline, the red rock canyons of southern Utah — that a hotel room, however well-appointed, cannot replicate. The format rewards properties that understand what they are sitting in the middle of and build their experience around it. A wood-burning stove in Montana means something different from a wood-burning stove in a suburban backyard. A private deck overlooking Lone Man Creek in the Texas Hill Country is not the same as a private deck overlooking a parking structure. Location, in glamping, is not a feature. It is the product.

The resorts on this list span a wide range of styles, price points, and geographies. Paws Up Montana operates six exclusive camps on a working ranch in western Montana and has been doing so long enough to be considered a pioneer of the format. Backland sits in the Arizona wilderness with no Wi-Fi in the tents by design. Klarhet occupies four domes on the shores of Lake Superior, surrounded by a regenerative food forest. Each reflects a different idea of what it means to sleep well outside.

These 10 resorts, ranked by U.S. News & World Report, represent a range broad enough to suggest that wherever you are and whatever you are looking for, there is a glamping resort built around it.

Credit: Paws Up

Paws Up Montana offers six exclusive glamping camps across its Montana ranch, each designed for a different kind of experience and a different kind of traveler. Solo visitors and couples can book the secluded two-story Tree Haus at the green o, the resort's adults-only retreat. Families traveling in larger groups can book two- and three-bedroom tents at North Bank Camp, with the option to reserve an entire camp for extended family or friends. Dogs are welcome throughout the property. The range of configurations makes Paws Up one of the most flexible glamping properties in the country for groups whose members want different things from the same trip — a family where one couple wants seclusion and another wants to be near the children's activities, for instance, can usually be accommodated without compromise.

The all-inclusive model removes most of the decisions that can complicate a glamping stay. Three gourmet meals with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included daily, along with select activities such as mountain biking, broom hockey, and archery. A dedicated camping butler attends to each camp throughout the stay, handling the logistics that might otherwise interrupt the rhythm of a day spent outdoors. For an additional fee, guests can add guided activities not found at most resorts, such as snowmobiling, hot-air balloon rides, and others, that extend the experience well beyond the property's immediate surroundings. Shuttle service to and from Missoula Montana Airport, about 35 miles away, is included in the rate.

Paws Up Montana operates its glamping camps from mid-May through mid-October; the green o is available year-round. Previous guests consistently cite the staff as the property's defining quality. This is a detail worth noting at a resort where the amenities and setting are already exceptional. The staff quality at Paws Up is not incidental; it is the product of a management philosophy that treats hospitality as the primary discipline and the landscape as its setting. For a glamping experience refined over years in a market that has grown considerably around it, Paws Up Montana remains one of the strongest options on this list.

Credit: Terramor Outdoor Resort

Terramor Outdoor Resort is located near Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, and its proximity to one of the most visited national parks in the country is its most significant asset. The resort offers luxury tent accommodations that vary in capacity from two to five guests and include a private bathroom, a range that suits solo travelers, couples, and families without forcing everyone into the same configuration. All tents include electricity, Wi-Fi, portable heaters, and coolers alongside the standard glamping amenities, giving the accommodations a practical baseline that suits guests who want nature without roughing it in ways that have nothing to do with the landscape.

The on-site offerings extend well beyond the tents. A pool and hot tub, lawn games, live entertainment, evening campfires, and stargazing lectures give guests a full day's worth of activity without leaving the property. The stargazing lectures, in particular, reflect a resort that has considered what its guests might want to do after dark in a location with genuinely good dark skies. The on-site restaurant and bar serve craft cocktails and regionally sourced beers — a food-and-drink offering that reflects Maine's identity rather than defaulting to a generic menu. Pets are welcome throughout the property, with a dedicated dog park available on the grounds for guests traveling with animals.

Terramor's standout practicality is its designation as a stop on the Island Explorer, a free shuttle service that runs from mid-June to mid-October, connecting the resort to Acadia National Park, downtown Bar Harbor, and other points of interest on Mount Desert Island. The shuttle removes the logistics of car access to the park, which can be genuinely complicated during peak season when parking is limited, and approach roads are congested with visitors. For travelers who want genuine proximity to Acadia without sacrificing comfort or spending their mornings managing parking logistics, Terramor offers the most direct, least complicated route to both objectives.

Credit: Backland

Backland is a remote resort in Williams, Arizona, built around two glamping options: Backland Suites and Sky Suites. The Sky Suites feature a 16-foot skylight positioned directly over the bed for stargazing, while both options offer panoramic windows that frame views of the Arizona wilderness, making the outdoors visible from every position inside the tent. Accommodations sleep up to four or six guests, plus a maximum of two pets, and each includes a king-size bed, a full en-suite bathroom with shower, luxury linens, electricity, automatic climate control, and an outdoor patio. The physical comfort level is high by any standard, and the tents' design ensures that comfort and landscape access are not competing priorities.

What distinguishes Backland from most glamping resorts is its deliberate and principled approach to disconnection. Wi-Fi is available only at reception, not in the tents, because guests are actively encouraged to unplug during their stays. This is not a limitation imposed by infrastructure constraints, but a design decision, and the on-site activities reflect it: bird-watching, stargazing, Frisbee golf, and campfire s'mores replace the scroll in a way that feels intentional rather than merely rustic. The absence of in-tent Wi-Fi has become, counterintuitively, one of the property's most praised features among guests who came specifically because of it. On-site dining is available, and a pond with a beach and complimentary kayaks provides a water-based activity that suits the Arizona landscape without requiring a drive.

The location adds considerable practical value for travelers who want to use Backland as a base for exploring northern Arizona. The resort sits less than 15 miles from downtown Williams, with Grand Canyon National Park less than 70 miles away, Flagstaff about 40 miles distant, and Sedona roughly 65 miles from the property. Three of Arizona's most significant destinations are all within reach of a single base, making Backland a more strategically useful glamping option than its remote location might suggest.

Credit: Live Klarhet

Klarhet, the name means clarity in Swedish, occupies a site on the shores of Lake Superior in Lutsen, Minnesota, and its design philosophy reflects that etymology at every level of the experience. The intimate property surrounds four geodesic domes, a regenerative food forest that mimics natural ecosystems, and houses an assortment of animals and edible plants that interact in ways the property makes visible and accessible to guests. Visitors are invited to experience the lakefront through tours, tastings, and other direct interactions with the food forest — an approach to outdoor hospitality that goes considerably further than most glamping resorts attempt and that gives the property a genuine ecological identity rather than simply an ecological aesthetic.

The four domes, named Raidho, Dagaz, Laguz, and Berkanan, use large glass panels to frame views of the night sky and surrounding greenery, making the exterior landscape a constant presence inside the accommodation. Each dome features king- or queen-size beds, sustainably sourced cotton bedding, Turkish bathrobes, and custom rainfall showers. Activities include meeting the property's resident goat herd and gathering around the communal fire pit — social rituals that give the property a sense of shared daily life unusual in the glamping context. The scale of Klarhet, four domes, a small community of guests, a single shared landscape, produces an atmosphere of quietude that larger properties, however well-designed, cannot replicate because they lack the space for it.

Lake Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area, and its shoreline in northern Minnesota is among the least developed of any comparable body of water in North America. Klarhet's position on that shoreline gives guests access to a landscape of genuine rarity. Recent visitors praise everything from the accommodations to the staff. This consistency of positive feedback suggests the property delivers on its promise across multiple dimensions.

Credit: Bodhi Farms

Bodhi Farms sits beside the Gallatin Mountains south of Bozeman, Montana, and operates as an eco-resort oriented toward sustainable, authentic engagement with the Montana landscape rather than a polished simulation of it. The nine cone-shaped glamping tents are available from May to October, each offering either one king-size bed or two twin beds, a private porch, a hammock, a plush pet bed for up to two dogs, and shared bathrooms that the property describes as private despite being communal. Natural toiletries and complimentary bathrobes are provided throughout, and extra heaters and fans are available on request for guests whose temperature needs fall outside what Montana's shoulder season naturally provides.

The activity offering is shaped by the property's agricultural identity, distinguishing it from glamping resorts where farming is decorative rather than functional. Warmer months bring yoga and spa services along the creek, gardening and culinary classes, a wood-fired sauna, nightly campfires, and fly fishing both on- and off-site. Farm-to-table dining at the field kitchen restaurant, situated in an open-air creekside pavilion in summer, includes the Cowboy Brunch, a meal whose name reflects the working character of the surrounding landscape and whose ingredients come from it. Complimentary breakfast is available to all glamping guests. The combination of agricultural activity, creekside wellness programming,, and honest Montana scenery gives Bodhi Farms a texture that the more polished luxury end of the glamping market consistently struggles to reproduce, because that texture comes from work that's real rather than staged.

The location adds practical value that extends beyond the property itself. Bodhi Farms sits less than 15 miles south of Bozeman, making it a convenient base for Big Sky Resort and Yellowstone National Park, two of Montana's most significant and most visited attractions. For travelers who want to experience Montana through active, grounded engagement with the landscape rather than passive enjoyment, Bodhi Farms is the most substantive option on this list.

Credit: Big Cedar Lodge

Camp Long Creek sits on Table Rock Lake at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri, and its glamping units signal their level of interior ambition before you step inside — the outdoor bathtub that comes with every unit is visible on approach and establishes the register immediately. The canvas tents feature wood floors, chandeliers, fire pits, outdoor dining furniture, a small refrigerator and coffee maker, and sleeping accommodations for two. Units are distributed across the property so that views range from lake to forest, depending on the specific tent, giving guests a genuine choice of setting within the same resort. All units are dog-friendly and include private bathrooms, removing two of the most common compromises that glamping guests are asked to accept.

The broader Big Cedar Lodge resort offers infrastructure that most standalone glamping properties simply cannot. Silver Dollar City, considered one of the best amusement parks in the U.S., is nearby for guests traveling with children, offering a full day of activities that do not require the glamping property to provide them. The Titanic Museum provides a historical alternative for guests with different interests. At the resort, golf, hiking, boating, and fishing on Table Rock Lake are available, along with an infinity pool and a bocce ball court, extending the activity options well beyond what the glamping units themselves offer.

The lakefront setting gives Camp Long Creek a natural anchor that many glamping properties lack entirely. Table Rock Lake is a large Ozarks reservoir with a wooded shoreline that provides a genuinely scenic backdrop for a stay combining outdoor living with a higher level of interior comfort than the tent format typically implies. The chandelier in a canvas tent is not a contradiction at Camp Long Creek — it is the entire point of the exercise, and the resort executes it consistently. For families or couples seeking a lakefront glamping experience with access to the Branson area's broader attractions, it is a well-positioned and well-executed choice.

Credit: Alila Ventana Big Sur

Big Sur is one of the most scenically dramatic stretches of coastline in California and, by design, one of the most difficult to access. A single road, limited electricity infrastructure, and a deliberate scarcity of accommodation reflect a region that has resisted large-scale development more successfully than almost any comparable stretch of American coastline. Alila Ventana Big Sur occupies 40 acres of redwood canyon within that landscape, offering safari-style tents equipped with plush beds, electric lamps, hot and cold potable water via sinks and power outlets with charging ports. Adirondack chairs, wood-burning fire pits, and picnic tables complete the outdoor setup. The campgrounds are dog-friendly, with well-maintained shared bathhouse facilities available for restrooms and showers.

The on-site Sur House Restaurant is open to all glamping guests, providing a dining option that reflects the quality of the broader Alila brand without requiring guests to leave the property. Some amenities — swimming pools and fitness studios — are reserved for resort guests staying in the main property, with a limited number of resort passes available to glamping guests on a reservation basis. Securing a pass in advance is strongly recommended; the scarcity reflects Big Sur's broader commitment to limiting the development footprint of any single property, and passes are snapped up quickly during peak season by guests who planned ahead.

The Big Sur location is not a backdrop for the glamping experience — it is the experience itself. Alila Ventana sits within a landscape that has drawn writers, artists, and travelers for more than a century on the strength of what it looks, sounds, and smells like: the fog, the redwoods, the sound of the Pacific below the cliffs, the particular quality of coastal light on a clear morning. A safari tent in a 40-acre redwood canyon is a format that engages with that landscape directly rather than insulating guests from it. For travelers who want Big Sur's scenery without sleeping on the ground, Alila Ventana is the most direct and most considered option currently available.

Credit: Treebones Resort in Big Sur

Treebones Resort offers a range of accommodation options broader than most glamping properties attempt, spanning standard yurts with king-size beds and modern furnishings through to the Autonomous Camp Collection's twin units, described as full apartments fitted into tents, solar-powered and complete with a bedroom, en suite bathroom, lounge area, and outdoor deck with ocean views. The Human Nest is a futon pad inside a collection of large woven sticks and branches, open to the elements and requiring guests to bring their own bedding in case of wind or rain. The Twig Hut offers a more sheltered version of the same rustic format. The accommodation range at Treebones is wide enough to suit guests with fundamentally different ideas about what sleeping outdoors should feel like, from a solar-powered apartment to an open-air nest — and wide enough to justify multiple visits.

The Wild Coast Sushi Bar is the property's most unexpected feature — a full omakase experience in which guests sit face-to-face with the chef across a 15-course tasting menu. The Lodge Restaurant serves a complimentary breakfast buffet, lunch and a four-course dinner. The combination of an omakase sushi counter and woven-stick sleeping structures on the same property captures something genuine about Treebones' character: it is a resort that does not resolve the tension between comfort and wildness but leans into both simultaneously. The sushi bar is not ironic, and the Human Nest is not a gimmick — both are taken seriously, and that seriousness is what makes the property distinctive.

Additional amenities include a massage studio and yoga, as well as guided excursions that allow guests to explore the Big Sur coastline with local knowledge most self-directed visitors lack. The rugged coastal views rival those of anywhere else in the region. For travelers who want to sleep in Big Sur across a range of formats and eat exceptionally well while doing so, Treebones is the more adventurous of the two Big Sur options on this list and the one more likely to produce a story worth telling afterward.

Credit: Under Canvas

Under Canvas is the most widely distributed glamping brand on this list, with more than a dozen locations across the country, including Zion National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and Acadia National Park. The consistency of the product across locations is its primary strength for first-time glampers: the format, the amenities, and the quality baseline are predictable in a way that independent properties cannot guarantee, and that predictability has genuine value for travelers who are uncertain what to expect from their first glamping experience and do not want the uncertainty of a novel property to define it. Suite, Stargazer, and Deluxe tent options include king-size beds, wood-burning stoves, West Elm patio furnishings, and en-suite bathrooms with organic bath products and hot running water.

On-site cafe-style dining uses locally sourced ingredients, and complimentary camp programming runs throughout each stay: yoga, guided hikes, live acoustic music, fireside chats, and s'mores provide a structured daily rhythm for travelers who want guidance on how to spend their time outdoors without being fully scheduled from morning to evening. The programming is consistent enough to feel reliable across locations while remaining responsive to each site's specific landscape and character — the experience at Zion is not identical to the experience at the Great Smoky Mountains, but the standard that connects them is. Specific amenities and seasonal operating dates vary by location, which means booking in advance and checking site-specific details matter.

The national park adjacency is Under Canvas' defining asset across its entire portfolio. Proximity to Zion, the Grand Canyon, or the Great Smoky Mountains gives each location an immediate excursion anchor that removes the question of what to do during the day entirely — the park is always there, always accessible, and always sufficient. For travelers new to glamping who want a reliable, well-managed introduction to the format in a scenically significant location, Under Canvas is the most straightforward and consistent entry point on this list.

Credit: ULUM Resorts

ULUM Moab is positioned as the premium tier of the Under Canvas family, and its specifications make that positioning legible from the moment of arrival. Suite Tents include a plush king-size bed with Parachute linens, a living area with a queen-size bed and additional seating, an en-suite bathroom with a rain shower and Aesop toiletries, Turkish cotton bathrobes, a wood-burning stove, and a private deck. All accommodations are dog-friendly. The specific brand choices — Parachute for linens, Aesop for toiletries — signal a standard of finish that places ULUM significantly closer to a luxury hotel than to most glamping properties, and the difference is immediately felt rather than merely noticed in a description.

On-site dining, three dipping pools, a yoga deck, and sound bath meditation give the property a wellness dimension that suits Moab's increasingly health-conscious visitor base, and that extends the daily experience well beyond the tent itself. Guided adventures are available for booking across a range that takes full advantage of the surrounding landscape: stargazing in Moab, rafting the Colorado River, and hiking in Arches or Canyonlands national parks are among the options. Moab sits at the center of a landscape of red rock formations, canyon country, and desert wilderness that draws visitors from around the world solely on the strength of its scenery, and ULUM's position within that landscape gives the property a backdrop no amount of interior finishes could substitute for. The three dipping pools are exceptional; the views from them are even more so.

Reviews of ULUM Moab are strongly positive, with guests consistently citing the location and staff as the highlights of their stay — a combination that reflects the Under Canvas brand's core proposition at its highest expression. For travelers who want the glamping format at its most polished, with premium linens, Aesop toiletries, and a sound bath to prove it, ULUM Moab is the strongest option on this list.