The 2023 Glampy Awards: The Top Glamping Destinations in the U.S.
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COMING SOON
JULY 2022
Credit: Slava C
Price: $40-330
Number of sites: 21
Type of sites: Tent Sites, RV Sites, Group, Tent Cabin, Yurts
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
At first glance, this glampground looks like a spaceship just happened to land in the desert close to Big Bend National Park by the Texas-Mexico border. For the older crowd or fans of classic TV, there’s a definite Mork from Ork vibe going on here.
The mirror space pod at Space Cowboys is the centerpiece of this 10-acre property and is situated on a volcanic hill surrounded by meteor rocks. Full 360-degree views of the desert landscape and mountains in the distance can’t be beat. There are also numerous tent and RV sites at Space Cowboys, but the pod is what earned the property this year’s top spot on our list.
It comes fully equipped with a memory foam queen-size bed, plush comforter, sherpa fleece blankets, electrical outlets, a refrigerator, fan and lasers to light up the ceiling with moving nebulas.
The soft, clean water for the outdoor shower comes from a 750-foot-deep aquifer. Towels, shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided.
1. Space Cowboys - Texas
Credit: Desert Glamping Getaway
Price: $80
Number of sites: 3
Type of sites: Tent Sites, Tent Cabin
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
Like a sort of glamping bee hive, these hexagonal hideaways provide luxury accommodations fully immersed in a spectacular Arizona desert setting with mountain vistas.
Desert Glamping Getaway is an offering from Arcadian American Farms, an agricultural enterprise with a community model trying to get the world excited about farming and village life. What better way to do that than with a glamping visit to AAF complete with miniature goats, chickens and gardens.
The glamp pods come equipped with a full-size mattress, custom-built wooden door and window, and private fire pit. There are also community fire pits for bonfires and s’mores as well as a hot tub, lounge chairs, hammocks, frisbee golf, corn hole and a large shared sun deck.
Healing services offered during your stay include bodywork, sound healing and yoga classes. This is truly a place for the mind, body and spirit.
2. Desert Glamping Getaway - Arizona
Credit: Jeff P
Price: $125-175
Number of sites: 1
Type of sites: Tent Cabin
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
Glamping is reaching new heights. Especially when you spend some time 10,000 feet above sea level at 105 West Ranch. Thin air, don’t care. This glampground sits on more than 100 acres of private, pristine Colorado mountain land and offers 100 miles worth of visibility that contains Pikes Peak, Beaver Creek Canyon and the Arkansas River Valley.
There are three miles of private hiking trails among the towering aspen trees, pine forest ravine and rolling meadow. This place doesn’t skimp on the topography.
Options include the self-service Land's End Geodesic Dome and the full-service Quaky Flats Tiny House with its queen-size mattress, futon, stove and heater. And just in case you don’t want to haul all your gear up 10,000 feet, an adventure gear shed is packed with fishing equipment, kayaks, SUP boards, hiking gear, outdoor games, an extra tent and chairs.
3. 105 West Ranch - Colorado
Credit: Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa
Price: $97-156
Number of sites: 2
Type of sites: Tent Cabin, Yurts
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
For context, Mangalitsa is a Hungarian breed of domestic pig. So yes, this glampground in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains is also a pig farm. These 95 acres are all about private farmland views, the surrounding mountains and the half-mile of river that flows through the property.
The Bamboo River Tent is a beautiful riverside retreat for two adults (no kids allowed for this one) with a king-size bed with fine linens and a headboard crafted from tobacco sticks found on the farm. It’s perched on a large deck nestled in bamboo.
The Riverbend Mangalitsa Mtn Club boasts a Lotus Belle canvas tent and many of the same amenities as the Bamboo. As is the case with many farms, the owners here are very mindful of protecting and sustaining their land. The Riverbend tent is supported on a large deck which protects the highly erodible stream bank. And there’s a hammock on it, so everybody wins.
4. Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa - North Carolina
Credit: Huttopia Southern Maine
Price: $110-490
Number of sites: 107
Type of sites: Tent Sites, Cabins, Tent Cabin
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
First things first — Huttopia rhymes with utopia, so don’t go around saying “hut topia.” Although they’d love to have you as a guest either way.
Huttopia was started by Céline and Philippe Bossanne of France, and there are now more than 60 Huttopia locations on three continents. Huttopia Southern Maine features a large, freshwater pond and mature forest setting. There is a variety of wood and canvas tents to choose from, two-bedroom Trappeur tents with electricity, a kitchen and bathroom, or Vista tiny houses with large glass walls and screened-in porches.
An on-site bistro provides fresh, handmade foods throughout the day, and there’s also a heated pool, camp store, kids club and yoga classes. Sounds like utopia to us.
5. Huttopia Southern Maine - Maine
Credit: Glamping Canyonlands
Price: $150-195
Number of sites: 4
Type of sites: Tent Cabin
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: No
Go off the grid at Glamping Canyonlands in Utah where all the power comes from the sun.
There are four bell tents, a canvas wall tent and a pod. Each is furnished with a comfortable bed fitted with linens, extra blankets, area rugs, string lights, board games, a phone charging pack, deck chairs, private fire pit with grill top, shaded hammocks and a picnic table.
The Desert Sunset Wall Tent is a safari tent crossed with an artist studio. Art supplies and a beautiful view to the west are provided for your inspiration. A king-size bed, lanterns and candles are provided for your relaxation.
Communal areas include three bathrooms — one with a glass roof — an outdoor kitchen and sauna. Freshly brewed, locally sourced French press coffee is delivered in the morning and recently installed Starlink internet enables you to hop back on the grid real quick if need be.
6. Glamping Canyonlands - Utah
Credit: Grand Canyon Eco Retreat
Price: $45-135
Number of sites: 6
Type of sites: Tent Sites, Cabins, Tent Cabin
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
Another off-grid offering is Grand Canyon Eco Retreat, which is located on 10 acres near the Kaibab National Forest. Everything here is done with sustainability in mind. Most items are built from up-cycled wood and the use of concrete and plastic is limited. Reusable metal water bottles are available for purchase.
Three glamping yurts are open six months out of the year and a tiny A-frame cabin is open year round. There’s a yoga deck, cold tub, composting bathrooms and open-air hot showers, with more projects in the works. Four-day yoga retreats take place from Friday to Monday on most weekends, and there are also guided hikes, a sauna and Reiki available as an add-on.
The accommodations come fully furnished with comfortable beds, solar power, lights and lots of extra blankets for those cold Arizona desert nights. Some listings come equipped with a camp stove and cooking gear, or ask Chef Zach to make you a vegetarian breakfast!
7. Grand Canyon Eco Retreat - Arizona
Credit: River Island Adventures
Price: $24-40
Number of sites: 15
Type of sites: Tent Sites, Dispersed, Tent Cabin
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
This one-acre outpost on the Waccamaw River in South Carolina features yard games, tree swings, hammocks, a large fire pit, boat dock and ramp, riverside picnic tables and access to a 48-acre private island in the middle of the river where you can camp overnight.
Float down the river on a tube and get picked up by a pontoon boat for the return trip. There is also a pontoon island tour or guided kayak tours if you want to spend some solid time on the water. If you really want to crank it up a notch, sign up for Escape River Island, where teams of two go to the private island to compete in 10 Survivor-style challenges.
If you’re just here to relax, that’s perfectly fine too. The canvas glamping tents have queen-size beds with a handmade headboard, propane heater and even a chandelier. Nothing puts the “glamorous” in glamping like a chandelier.
8. River Island Adventures - South Carolina
Credit: My Tiny Creekside Retreat
Price: $75-82
Number of sites: 2
Type of sites: Cabins, Tent Cabin
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
On the north side of the Columbia River near the Washington-Oregon state line, My Tiny Creekside Retreat is tucked into the hills above Longview. The waterfront A-frame glamping cabin has two beds and a bathroom in a cozy, rustic space. There’s also a campers’ kitchen and a cooler.
Open the side walls to create an open-air glamping experience and let the sounds of the river lull you to sleep. Common areas on the 2.5-acre property include a grape arbor sitting area, fire rings, picnic tables, yoga decks and creek-front beach area.
Another option at the retreat is a completely rebuilt 1963 Scotsman RV right by the water. There’s electric heat and cooking options in addition to a hot, handheld outdoor shower.
9. My Tiny Creekside Retreat - Washington
Credit: Emberglow Outdoor Resort
Price: $40-200
Number of sites: 40
Type of sites: Tent Sites, RV Sites, Group, Cabins, Tent Cabin, Yurts
Fires allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
Seventy-two acres in the rolling hills of western North Carolina are home to the Emberglow Outdoor Resort. The private valley has picturesque spring-fed creeks and at night there are more stars than you can count even if you pull an all-nighter.
Conveniently located near Asheville, Charlotte, Greenville and Columbia, Emberglow is a perfect way to get away from it all without going too far. There are 20 unique lodging opportunities to suit parties of all sizes that include RVs, treehouses, vintage campers, tiny homes, safari tents and yurts.
Amenities include Wi-Fi, a premium bathhouse, resort-quality pool, playground, food truck, enclosed dog park, community fire pit and plenty of other games and activities.
10. Emberglow Outdoor Resort - North Carolina
The 2023 Glampy Awards: The Top Glamping Destinations in the U.S.
Glamping, in addition to being the greatest portmanteau ever created, is becoming quite popular these days. More than 80 million Americans went camping last year and, according to The Dyrt’s 2023 Camping Report, 1.7 million of them said they primarily went glamping (in addition to millions more who dabbled in the glamorous side of camping).
Among The Dyrt’s community of campers, there was a 10 percent increase in the number of people who went glamping in 2022 compared to the year before. If you’re wondering why glamping is so hot right now, we have just one question for you: Have you seen some of these places?!
A mirror space pod in the middle of the Texas desert. Hundred-mile views from 10,000 feet up in the Colorado Rockies. King-size beds perched above a river bend in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains. No, these are not Mad Libs. These are all actual glampgrounds that you can book right now on The Dyrt!
They are also among the winners of the 2023 Glampy Awards. Last year’s inaugural Glampys featured cocoon treehouses, a fire tower and a caboose. This year’s group of honorees is just as impressive and all new — with so many amazing glampgrounds across the U.S., we decided a property can only be recognized once in our completely subjective ranking.
If your favorite glampsite didn’t make the Top 10 list, write a glowing review on The Dyrt and nominate it for the 2024 Glampy Awards!
So, without further ado, the 2023 Glampy Awards honorees are …
1. Space Cowboys - Texas
2. Desert Glamping Getaway - Arizona
3. 105 West Ranch - Colorado
4. Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa - North Carolina
5. Huttopia Southern Maine - Maine
6. Glamping Canyonlands - Utah
7. Grand Canyon Eco Retreat - Arizona
8. River Island Adventures - South Carolina
9. My Tiny Creekside Retreat - Washington
10. Emberglow Outdoor Resort - North Carolina