USA TODAY 10Best
Little Arrow Outdoor Resort voted best for glamping
Best Glamping Resort (2020)
When you combine the words “glamorous” and “camping,” you get “glamping.” This form of travel marries the beauty and simplicity of the great outdoors with the modern amenities and creature comforts of a hotel. While the term has only been around since 2005 (it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016), the practice of comfortable tent living is nothing new. These 20 glamping resorts offer some of the best locations and amenities in the United States.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Glamping Resort are as follows:
- Lake Placid / Whiteface Mtn. KOA - Wilmington, New York
- The Resort at Paws Up - Greenough, Montana
- Alpenglow Luxury Camping - Glacier View, Alaska
- Asheville Glamping - Asheville, North Carolina
- Under Canvas - Multiple Locations
- Sandy Pines Campground - Kennebunkport, Maine
- Black Tree Resort - Lake George, Colorado
- Conestoga Ranch - Garden City, Utah
- Collective Retreats - Multiple Locations
- Little Arrow Outdoor Resort - Townsend, Tennessee
Photo courtesy of Lake Placid / Whiteface Mtn. KOA
No. 10:
This KOA campground in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains recently added glamping tents to their offerings. Amenities include a dog park, swimming pool, wifi, playground and plenty of planned activities during the summer season (think hayrides, movie nights and live music).
Photo courtesy of The Resort at Paws Up
No. 9:
The Resort at Paws Up offers glamping from mid-May through mid-October each year. Safari-style luxury tents include en suite bathrooms with heated floors, air conditioning and heating, private decks, nightly communal bonfires with cocktail sand s’mores, in-tent wifi and access to the Blackfoot River.
Photo courtesy of David Crane / Alpenglow Luxury Camping
No. 8:
At Alpenglow Luxury Camping, guests spend the night in canvas glamping tents with private decks, handmade cedar hot tubs and Alaskan decor right near the Matanuska Glacier. Tents feature valley or woodland views, queen beds with down comforters and Adirondack chairs for soaking up the scenery. Daily breakfast is included in the rate.
Photo courtesy of Asheville Glamping
No. 7:
Asheville Glamping offers a range of amenity-rich camping experiences, whether in a vintage trailer, dome, yurt, tipi, safari tent or treehouse. These rentals, spread across three sites within a 20-minute drive of Asheville, come with air conditioning, in-tent refrigerators and real mattresses, all with the playfulness of a campsite.
Photo courtesy of Bailey Made / Under Canvas
No. 6:
Under Canvas specializes in safari-style tent camping, with amenities like king size beds, West Elm furnishings, wood-burning stoves and option en suite bathrooms. To help visitors unplug and connect, Under Canvas has “intentional inconveniences,” like wifi-free grounds, solar energy, pull-chain showers and a leave-no-trace approach. Choose from nine locations around the U.S., including Zion, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone.
Photo courtesy of Doug Merriam / Sandy Pines Campground
No. 5:
Elevated camping takes several forms at Sandy Pines Campground in Maine. Guests can stay in vintage trailers, Conestoga wagons, domes, huts and glamp tents, all equipped with king or queen beds, heat and air conditioning, fire pits, outdoor dining areas. The campground also has a heated saltwater pool, playground, lawn games, laundry facilities and water sports equipment for rent.
Photo courtesy of Black Tree Resort
No. 4:
“High end meets high country” at Black Tree, a luxury camping resort in Colorado. Tents are spaced out with privacy in mind and come outfitted with queen size beds, Pendleton blankets, electricity and access to private bathrooms. Stays include three meals of Colorado cuisine, including a to-go lunch option perfect for exploring the outdoors.
Photo courtesy of Dirk Collins / Conestoga Ranch
No. 3:
At Utah’s Conestoga Ranch, glampers stay in luxury tents or pioneer wagons, all outfitted with electricity, heaters, private patios and Adirondack chairs. Guests enjoy campfire valet service, complimentary access to cruiser bikes, BBQ tents with charcoal grills and dishwashing stations, resort-wide wifi and a host of outdoor activities.
Photo courtesy of Collective Retreats
No. 2:
Collective Retreats chooses some of the nation’s most beautiful and iconic destinations for their glamping resorts, places like Yellowstone, Vail and the Texas Hill Country. Summit tents come outfitted with king or single beads, 1,500 thread count linens, down duvets and private en suite bathrooms. Other amenities include a nightly communal campfire, in-room coffee, electricity and wifi in communal spaces.
Photo courtesy of Little Arrow Outdoor Resort
No. 1:
This camping resort in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains features RV sites, cabins and glamping tents. Luxury tents come with heating and air conditioning, plush bedding, private bathrooms, separate living spaces and a small kitchen. All guests enjoy access to a coffee lounge, swimming pool, splash pad, dog park, playground, laundry facilities, basketball court and a community fire pit.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning glamping resorts!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Ashley Rossi, Stephanie Puglisi & Alexandra Charitan - Togo Group
Ashley Rossi is the managing editor at Togo RV.... Read More
Ashley Rossi is the managing editor at Togo RV. She comes from a background in travel writing which has taken her from Australia to Haida Gwaii. Her favorite national park is Zion and she's helping her parents plan an epic cross-country retirement trip in an Airstream. Stephanie Puglisi is the head of content for Roadtrippers and Togo RV. She is the author of two books—See You at the Campground: A Guide to Discovering Community, Connection, and a Happier Family in the Great Outdoors and Idiot’s Guide to RV Vacations. Alexandra Charitan is the managing editor of Roadtrippers Magazine. She likes things that are bigger or smaller than they should be: novelty architecture, miniature worlds and anything made from fiberglass or neon. She dreams of visiting every state in the U.S. and will always stop for a Muffler Man.
Ashley Rossi, Stephanie Puglisi & Alexandra Charitan - Togo Group
Ashley Rossi is the managing editor at Togo RV. She comes from a background in travel writing which has taken her from Australia to Haida Gwaii. Her favorite national park is Zion and she's helping her parents plan an epic cross-country retirement trip in an Airstream. Stephanie Puglisi is the head of content for Roadtrippers and Togo RV. She is the author of two books—See You at the Campground: A Guide to Discovering Community, Connection, and a Happier Family in the Great Outdoors and Idiot’s Guide to RV Vacations. Alexandra Charitan is the managing editor of Roadtrippers Magazine. She likes things that are bigger or smaller than they should be: novelty architecture, miniature worlds and anything made from fiberglass or neon. She dreams of visiting every state in the U.S. and will always stop for a Muffler Man.
Jeff Cavins
Jeff Cavins is a technology veteran with over 22... Read More
Jeff Cavins is a technology veteran with over 22 years of senior-level experience in emerging growth technology, software, Internet and digital media companies. Highlights of his career include designing and developing the Instant Replay system the NFL uses today and creating over $32B in total market capitalizations. He co-founded Outdoorsy in 2015 and serves as Chairman and CEO of the largest and most trusted peer-to-peer RV rental platform.
Jeff Cavins
Jeff Cavins is a technology veteran with over 22 years of senior-level experience in emerging growth technology, software, Internet and digital media companies. Highlights of his career include designing and developing the Instant Replay system the NFL uses today and creating over $32B in total market capitalizations. He co-founded Outdoorsy in 2015 and serves as Chairman and CEO of the largest and most trusted peer-to-peer RV rental platform.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
