Grown-Up Camping

Glamping removes the headaches of camping and offers comfort and style

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

You’ve done the kiddie camping as a child and with your own children.

Maybe you have even taken the grandchildren. It’s hot, the cot is hard, the camper or tent is small and the food is so-so and smoky.

Why not upgrade to grown-up camping to enjoy the outdoors in luxury? Known as “glamping,” a portmanteau of “glamorous” and “camping,” glamping removes all the headaches of camping and offers comfort and style.

• Posh Primitive (www.facebook.com/poshprimitive, 518-744-6808) in Chestertown offers the right mix of rugged and cozy for an Adirondacks adventure. Enjoy a queen-sized bed, stocked woodstove for chilly evenings and farm-to-table meals. The camp provides canvas and timber tents or cabins and a bathhouse.

• Firelight Camps (https://firelightcamps.com, 607-229-1644) in Ithaca fully furnishes safari-style tents with hardwood floors, king or double queen beds, private screened porches, and seating. Some tents offer electricity and fans and heaters. Guests also receive a locally sourced continental breakfast and access to a bathhouse with hot showers and flushing toilets, use of the sauna, steam room and tranquility room at La Tourelle Resort on the same property.

• Camp Orenda (https://camporenda.com) in Johnsburg provides furnished “canvas cabins” with wood burning stoves, electricity and outdoor showers and communal bathhouse. Three meals are provided. Children younger than 12 are not permitted for regular booking, but only for retreats. So, expect a tranquil retreat at Camp Orenda.

• Harmony Hill Retreat Center (www.harmonyhillretreat.com) in East Meredith includes treehouse yurts set up with king-sized beds, wifi, bathroom with a hot shower and kitchen. Yurts include a five-foot domed skylight and deck and charcoal grill and picnic table. Guests can also order from the nearby Stone & Thistle Farm, which delivers farm-to-table dinners.

• Outlier Inn (www.outlierinn.com) offers several types of accommodations, but their geodome is unique. Picture a giant playground jungle gym as the structure with a canvas cover and generously sized windows. The dome includes wooden floors, bed, seating, electricity, kitchen and grill. The Outlier keeps farm animals and is primarily used as an artist space and retreat center.

• Loomis Lair (https://loomislair.com) in Waterville offers a private camping experience with 80 acres of forest and fields laced with hiking trails. The 16-foot yurt includes heat, shower, bathroom, queen bed, twin futon bed, seating, and kitchenette. A few farm animals live on the property, including goats and geese.

• Gatherwild (www.gatherwild.com) in Germantown offers accommodation including tents, yurts, tiny house, and guesthouse spread across 15 acres of former apple orchard. The property features ducks, goats and free-range chickens. The lodgings offer coolers and use solar and battery-operated lighting as no electricity is available and private camp-style composting toilets and outdoor showers. Firewood and ice are available for purchase from the camp. A shared, outdoor kitchen is available for campers’ use and cruiser bikes to borrow for going to the local market.

Glamping Tips

➜ Verify if the site includes linens before booking.
➜ Before bringing your dog, ask if pets are permitted. Some facilities that allow pets charge a fee.
➜ The bathroom and bathing facilities vary among sites. Most provide only shared showering facilities.
➜ Some owners remain onsite for guests; others don’t.
➜ Ask about what food is available. Some provide meals, some provide kitchens and others recommend restaurants in the area or a combination of these approaches.
➜ Plan what you will do before booking. Some remote sites provide a back-to-nature experience. Others are near points of interests and cultural offerings.

For more glamping sites, peruse https://glampinghub.com. Rentals through VRBO and AirBnB also offer unique properties.

Featured image: Woman sitting outside luxury tent on glamping trip in Glacier National Park. Via Getty Images