I agree 100%.
A REAL break is no work whatsoever. They're not kidding anyone and if your family wants to give you a "break" by going camping/glamping/whatever, tell them to forget it. You deserve better, and take nothing less.
A REAL break is no work whatsoever. They're not kidding anyone and if your family wants to give you a "break" by going camping/glamping/whatever, tell them to forget it. You deserve better, and take nothing less.
2
The photos of the tents look very similar to the old utilitarian canvas tents we rented at old Camp Curry in Yosemite Valley 'way back in the early 1960s. Then, the tents had metal bedsteads, heavy old wool blankets, and a couple of wood chairs and a small dresser (or so I recall.) What I do remember was the excitement of sleeping with just a piece of canvas above me - one that a squirrel used as a trampoline sometime in the early morning, and one that didn't keep out the smells of dry forest - a bit of pine, a lot of dust. And it gets cold, even in summer - I remember that my head was cold even while me feet were too hot under those heavy blankets. Bathrooms were outside in a wooden hut, and the evening entertainment included the now-banned "fire fall" with hot embers pushed off the cliff top above the Camp, glowing in the dark mountain night. And breakfast - wow - best pancakes and bacon at the Camp Curry restaurant.
5
I have a wall tent, a cot, and a propane camp stove that I pack into my car. Heck, I thought I *was* glamping. And I started camping because I couldn't afford the rates at the beautiful lodges at the national parks.
5
I enjoy long solo motorcycle trips, camping and staying in state parks, my favorite venue. They are-or were-the last vestiges of an older America, refuges from the air conditioned nightmare. Glammers are the ugly anthesis of the old state park ethos of down scale friendliness and simple tastes. Gladly for the most part they avoid the tents only areas.
3
Every touch of luxe further reduces the chances that the consumer will experience the unexpected, the absence of which makes the national parks no different than our living rooms.
4
A 'glamp' experience won't deter a bear, if you leave food out. Be prepared to hear some sniffing and grunting around the tent if you are in bear country. Funny how even an expensive tent is still a very poor wall between you and a determined bear.
1
Glampers are not in the backcountry places I go to, so they're fine. So far horse, mule, and llama packers are tolerable, but I could see that changing if more NYT readers start doing it. But no flush toilets in the wilderness, so the prospect of digging a hole will hopefully keep them away.
5
"interacting with moist soil and insects as well as partaking in tiresome camp chores like tent pitching, fire making, food schlepping and foraging for makeshift, leave-no-trace toilets."
Exactly. Never did understand why this was considered a vacation.
Exactly. Never did understand why this was considered a vacation.
5
If you can't stand the woods, stay out of the park. That's my 2 cents. And take your mattresses and sofas with you.
Mother Nature has stuff to teach you, if you stop thinking you are a "sporty gal" and actually start acting like one.
Mother Nature has stuff to teach you, if you stop thinking you are a "sporty gal" and actually start acting like one.
16
Hmm. Rather santimonious and arrogant. And lots of us "sporty gals" agree with the writer. 15-mile hike? We're in. Sleep on the ground? Nope.
Mother Nature can teach me what I need or want to know on a walk by the stream.
Mother Nature can teach me what I need or want to know on a walk by the stream.
20
Please, don't camp nature must be respected. You don't like discomfort, please do not become poor.
3
I used to camp for vacations in National Parks and on the Appalachian Trail. I did it because it was cheap and affordable. About 20 years ago some enzyme kicked in and I no longer sleep in tents or on a friend's couch. I have seen most of these parks while sleeping in air conditioned rooms and that is just fine.
6
The very privileged used to prove their heartiness by trekking the wilderness, familiar with the constant perils of adventure. Not so much these days!
6
Can you imagine our athlete-in-chief carrying a 40 lb backpack, hiking 10 miles, then cooking his own food. I would pay to see that. Perhaps a new reality show?
Spineless, absolutely spineless. If the year was 1816, or even 1916, these people would not be able to survive for a week. What's next, a monorail along the Appalachian Trail?
And please, don't call this 'exploring'.
And please, don't call this 'exploring'.
10
We once met a wilderness expert who liked to go off on his own into the woods for a couple of nights whenever he could. His equipment: a canteen, a few power bars, and a shower curtain. That was it. He used the shower curtain as a ground cover when it was dry and an awning when it wasn't. Now THAT is roughing it.
As usual, the naysayers are out in hordes. Why do you care, nobody is making you do this. Enterprising small companies have come up with an idea that makes the outdoors available to people who aren't up to roughing it. And that hurts you how?
17
Maybe I'll hire a company and pay them lots of money to tell me how it hurts!
I was going to write an angry comment until I realized this is obviously a parody! Just as the article on fly fishing in Missoula Montana with the recommendation that, while there, you should stay at the $1300 a night 'camp ground' Paws Up was a parody! Really quite clever!
14
I don't want to sound overly excitable or cataclysmic... but this is the death of all things good and wonderful and a sign that the end times are upon us. In all seriousness, what could be worse for our wild spaces than making them more comfortable for those with the means to avoid discomfort of any kind?
I firmly believe that our parks need more outreach and accessibility for those who are not used to them and who cannot afford them, but that should not change the nature of nature. Get a tent, sleeping bag, and go stay outside for a night. Remember what it used to be like to be a person for all but the last couple hundred years. Breath.
I firmly believe that our parks need more outreach and accessibility for those who are not used to them and who cannot afford them, but that should not change the nature of nature. Get a tent, sleeping bag, and go stay outside for a night. Remember what it used to be like to be a person for all but the last couple hundred years. Breath.
13
I'm 68, still carry a 35-pound pack into the mountains several times a year. I like to sleep in a tent in the backcountry, still. And we do a lot of one-nighters, so we can bring steaks and wine and forget the gorp and freeze-dried food.
Glamping- blah.
That doesn't mean we don't like to travel with nice accommodations--but that's different than camping and hiking.
Glamping- blah.
That doesn't mean we don't like to travel with nice accommodations--but that's different than camping and hiking.
14
Enough already. The parks have been underfunded by Congress for a half century, and the best the NYT can do is yet another glamping story? Really?
12
It's really easy to hate on glamping, but I think that this sort of option would be ideal to introduce my parents and siblings (who would never even stay in a motor home, let alone a tent) to the whole concept of camping and to share the experience with them. I think it would help them understand why my husband and I enjoy it so much. And besides... we've "glamped" too, on our anniversaries. It's a low cost way to have a beautiful experience in the outdoors without having to spend your anniversary night on a ThermaRest.
7
This is kind of ironic being The Times just had an article on homeless people camping out in Colorado forests. So the rich can turn camping into an aesthetic experience while the bottom rung can just grin and bear it? Your perfect income inequality illustration.
29
Or you can stay in a hotel or resort if you have money. If my wife and I go to a motel near a National Park, do we demonstrate "income inequality"? Of course. Is there something wrong with "income inequality"-- to any degree?
No.
No.
7
People living on the Spokane Indian Reservation might not agree with you...
4
This is a microcosm of how the Times operates. One day, print a story celebrating how the 1% can have exclusive luxury vacations in national parks with the help of servants. Next day, print an article about how unwelcome minorities feel in national parks (implying racism but totally ignoring the class element). Never make a connection between the two.
14
Can we just sell these people photo-shopped pictures of them at choice locations in National Parks for their Instagram? That is obviously all they are really trying to take away from these excursions.
11
All of these comments about how this will get people to give nature a try... The campgrounds are already full of people with reservations booked up sometimes a year in advance. It's becoming harder and harder to achieve the feeling of getting away from it all. I don't think we need people who don't understand the sacredness of leaving behind the comforts of civilization and the whole point of national parks and the protections we have put in place for them.
Let them go stay at a resort or air bnb. They'll basically get the same result. I've stayed in a yurt on a big piece of land off of air bnb and it was great. But it would be a huge bummer to see something like this in the parks. Keep them out
Let them go stay at a resort or air bnb. They'll basically get the same result. I've stayed in a yurt on a big piece of land off of air bnb and it was great. But it would be a huge bummer to see something like this in the parks. Keep them out
10
what most commenters here are missing is that it's an age thing. not mental age, but physical. the body develops a lot of limits in big and small ways. not everyone cares about status, class, and coddling with thread counts. but in your sixties or even seventies, should the parks be closed to you? a ridiculous notion. but 40 lb backpack would strain my back and leave me, for example, unable to straighten up the next few days. having to get up every two hours at night to pee, come on. pooping is not a two minute affair, the knees couldn't take that. and so on. physical infirmities can make simple normal things forbidding. it's not laziness for a lot of us, not luxury-chasing. we don't need a glass of wine. so to insist that we be eliminated from the experience is harsh and cruel. people need to open up their thinking and have a little empathy.
21
I am 54 forget the age thing,
2
Exactly. (Although I have loathed camping since I was in my twenties many, many years ago.) The naysayers on here are quite unpleasant!
7
No worries, real campers. At these rates, the places we love won't be overrun with chic adventurers. At least the theme of these retreats is respect for nature's beauty. The real problem and danger to our wild places comes from gun-toting rednecks who disturb the peace and vandalize the backcountry with their garbage and gunfire, ATV's and snowmobiles. If you want to get upset about something, get upset about that menace. Fancy campers aren't a danger to our beautiful wilderness. They'll be just as shocked as the rest of us roughing-it tent-dwellers if they hear gunfire in the woods or see a national monument vandalized by idiots.
12
Why is this article back??? If certain people want to use private for profit glamping, they should do it exclusively on private property, no where near public taxpayer supported and owned park properties unless the glamping is provided by the park service itself.
Or they should stay in park lodges like the Tenaya (renamed Ahwahnee) in Yosemite. I have no problem with people staying at the Tenaya. It is private, non park concessions, for-profit glamping using public lands that irritates me.
Or they should stay in park lodges like the Tenaya (renamed Ahwahnee) in Yosemite. I have no problem with people staying at the Tenaya. It is private, non park concessions, for-profit glamping using public lands that irritates me.
6
This verges on the obscene.
There are permanent facilities in some parks (LeConte Lodge in the Great Smokies is one) which provide the identical experience and are cheaper. Of course, you have to climb for miles to get to Le Conte Lodge, which I suppose these people are unable or unwilling to do.
As to glamping, haven't they been doing this for eons on St. John's in the Virgin Islands? I first heard the word in connection with the Badminton Horse Trials in Great Britain several years ago.
There are permanent facilities in some parks (LeConte Lodge in the Great Smokies is one) which provide the identical experience and are cheaper. Of course, you have to climb for miles to get to Le Conte Lodge, which I suppose these people are unable or unwilling to do.
As to glamping, haven't they been doing this for eons on St. John's in the Virgin Islands? I first heard the word in connection with the Badminton Horse Trials in Great Britain several years ago.
4
My my. What a bunch of elitist snobs here. If you don't back pack, don't rough it, don't carry a week's provisions on your back, you are not really experiencing nature. Thosewho don't are just a bunch of rich weaklings, amirite?
My back packing days are done. My ol' bod just won't do that any more. I park my very comfortable 5th wheel and spend the days hiking about, taking photos and having lots of nature encounters, from squirrels (Bandelier) to moose (Denali). At night, I set up my telescope and enjoy truly dark skies. Get off your high horses and stop being so judgmental. And yes, a nice glass or two of wine after a shower is dang fine as well.
My back packing days are done. My ol' bod just won't do that any more. I park my very comfortable 5th wheel and spend the days hiking about, taking photos and having lots of nature encounters, from squirrels (Bandelier) to moose (Denali). At night, I set up my telescope and enjoy truly dark skies. Get off your high horses and stop being so judgmental. And yes, a nice glass or two of wine after a shower is dang fine as well.
23
If you need luxury, why don't you just "camp" in an even more monstrous motor home? Bring it all with you! Or better yet, stay home.
Okay, okay, I shouldn't be so harsh. It's important for the less ruggedly-inclined to know they can enjoy the national parks, but rather than duplicating an early 20th century safari experience, why not just stay in a hotel near the park and rent a car to drive to the trail heads. You'll be making much less of a physical impact on the land.
Okay, okay, I shouldn't be so harsh. It's important for the less ruggedly-inclined to know they can enjoy the national parks, but rather than duplicating an early 20th century safari experience, why not just stay in a hotel near the park and rent a car to drive to the trail heads. You'll be making much less of a physical impact on the land.
18
Must we? Let's just pave everything and be done with it.
I do tire of the Times only suggesting the high end trips that only those with a central park view can afford (and toss in travel $$ for example).
Now, to each his own and as I age I'm appreciative of the notion that I can have my (it sure used to fell much lighter) pack brought along on mule or llama. It can be done on a much more frugal budget however and retain the notion that you're actually in the back country.
and PS, 22 guests!!!!!!!! What's the point. Might as well stay in central park.
I do tire of the Times only suggesting the high end trips that only those with a central park view can afford (and toss in travel $$ for example).
Now, to each his own and as I age I'm appreciative of the notion that I can have my (it sure used to fell much lighter) pack brought along on mule or llama. It can be done on a much more frugal budget however and retain the notion that you're actually in the back country.
and PS, 22 guests!!!!!!!! What's the point. Might as well stay in central park.
17
What ever happened to Leave No Trace? This sort of nonsense ruins the Parks not only for those less fortunate financially, but for those of future generations that deserve publicly preserved natural treasures that have been minimally impacted by the human stain. And that stain is so much worse when it takes this ostentatious, ecologically unsustainable form.
Shame on you, NYTimes, for even giving a venue for a word like "glamping." This is just ridiculous.
Shame on you, NYTimes, for even giving a venue for a word like "glamping." This is just ridiculous.
20
I guess the whole idea of nature and the national parks, and what wilderness is is lost here. Oh well.
5
Always amused by folks that say 'this is the only way I can get my husband/wife to come camping with me'.
A bit like saying 'the only way I can get them to come to a drag race is to go to the opera instead', i.e. nonsensical.
A bit like saying 'the only way I can get them to come to a drag race is to go to the opera instead', i.e. nonsensical.
3
I found this article interesting. Equally interesting are the comments, all of which reinforce the human prerogative, "to each his own."
6
Earlier this week was the REAL story of our parks - rising fees, climate change effects, bicycles/mopeds allowed to devestate the understory.
How completely irresponsible of the Times to print this. Editors have no brains as well as no conscience. They probably all have reservations to stay in one of thes obsecenities.
On the other hand, these make it easy for Madame de Farge to identify who gets into her knitting.tho
How completely irresponsible of the Times to print this. Editors have no brains as well as no conscience. They probably all have reservations to stay in one of thes obsecenities.
On the other hand, these make it easy for Madame de Farge to identify who gets into her knitting.tho
6
In the winter of 1990, I had an opportunity to hike in the Grand Canyon. It was suppose to be a day hike, starting down the South Kaibab, taking a cross trail over to the Bright Angel and up and out. Spoke to the park rangers the day before, asking if I would see the Colorado River on my adventure. The answer was no, not on this hike. This was my first hike. Disappointed, but excited, I loaded up my day pack with high calorie fruit drinks, trail mix assortments, fruit, a small first aid kit, and off I went. Missed my cross trail turn off because of crawling over rocks taking pictures. Just did not see it. Then I saw the River and was awe struck! Then oh boy, am I going to make it out today?! Nope, dunsky. Crossed the River, started up the Bright Angel and stayed overnight at the Indian Garden Camp Grounds, where the rangers were kind enough to let me borrow a sleeping bag. After chewing on me a little bit for not being better prepared. So I slept under the stars in the Grand Canyon, on the ground, and every part of my body started telling me how dumb I was. I hurt for days. I was in my 30's at the time, and I think it was one of my best personal accomplishments! I saw the sun set and rise in the Grand Canyon! Should have brought a sleeping bag along as a just in case. But there is no better way to experience the beauty of the Canyon.
9
When I read the headline I instantly knew that some readers would rant about the "1%" - sadly I was right.
Camping as a teenager and young adult I didn't care much about being cold, wet and hungry being outdoor was well worth it. Camping like that today would put my body into extreme pain and would therefore like to try one of these luxury camping packages. Should I really feel ashamed about that!?
Enjoying the great outdoors, camping in the wild should NOT be for the young or able–bodied only. Thanks Amy Koch for the article!
Camping as a teenager and young adult I didn't care much about being cold, wet and hungry being outdoor was well worth it. Camping like that today would put my body into extreme pain and would therefore like to try one of these luxury camping packages. Should I really feel ashamed about that!?
Enjoying the great outdoors, camping in the wild should NOT be for the young or able–bodied only. Thanks Amy Koch for the article!
6
Camp out of your car. You can have a larger tent and a cot. You can even bring a more comfortable toilet, which can ease a lot of discomfort for us oldsters. You don't need concierge service.
5
There are a lot of campgrounds that have built small cabins to rent if you don't want to pitch a tent or haul an RV. The cabins are comfortable, and some have their own bathroom and kitchenette. These are great for older people who don't want to give up the camping/outdoor/nature experience but can no longer deal with pitching a tent or walking to the public restroom in the middle of the night. Unless you travel frequently, it's also a lot cheaper than buying and maintaining an RV. I don't know if they have any of these cabins inside national parks, but, most likely, you could find a private campground nearby.
1
Eco rants aside. I once took a trip from Kings Canyon down to Giant Forest. Gear was carried by mules and food was prepared by our guides with our support if we wished. When hiking one carried a day pack. I would recommend the Sequoia High Sierra Camp or arrange a trip to Yankee Boy Basin in Ouray CO. Arriving "in camp" to see tents set up and a glass of wine at the ready is over the top wonderful. My experience was 35 years ago and still center point in my memory. I brought my whisper stove and an espresso maker. My "glamcamp mates" all made fun of me until the next morning….
5
A pack mule trip makes sense. They allow you to travel far into roadless wilderness while making minimal impact on the land. You can take some luxuries - a cot and a bigger tent - but you won't be hawling a generator.
I'd ask that you use box wine rather than bottled. Spare the mules as much weight as possible.
I'd ask that you use box wine rather than bottled. Spare the mules as much weight as possible.
1
If I were camping and hiking and came across one of these nature resorts, it would be a downer. I go to the wilderness to get away from this stuff.
13
One of the greatest pleasures of camping in the backcountry is overcoming the numerous challenges that the wilderness offers. The beauty of a view you worked, for will always trump a view provided for you. If the author had the wherewithal to face and conquer these challenges, she might realize the true pleasures of camping, bugs, mud, sweat and all. Glamping has robbed her of this opportunity.
11
I think somewhere in between camping and glamping would be ideal for some of us. Maybe, framping? The more frugal version of glamping.
8
Seriously, has the author never heard of a Thermarest mattress? Banishes the cold and wet for less than a hundred bucks, and lasts forever. And my new, very reasonably priced tent practically puts itself up. Traditional camping doesn't have to be a miserable slog anymore. Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised-- and save a ton of money in the process.
6
These services take away what I like best about backpacking in National Parks: being away from noisy, annoying people and enjoying the peace and solitude of nature. I will happily pee in the woods for that privilege.
14
Yup. If you're going to live like a bear for a while, you have to do what a bear does.
5
These kinds of developed experiences help keep the truly wild places empty. I couldn't help feeling a sharp pang of pity for the author, who doesn't understand the deep feeling of satisfaction and luxury that comes when you and a friend or two are safely far away in some mountain fastness, with everything you need for days of adventure carried on your back.
I wonder, though, if we are losing our toughness, our interest in demanding physical skills; even losing our ability to be truly one with nature (laugh away, city people).
I wonder, though, if we are losing our toughness, our interest in demanding physical skills; even losing our ability to be truly one with nature (laugh away, city people).
10
This is up there for "Most Foolish Article" printed by some tone-deaf editor who doesn't think it's more important to talk about the impact of climate change and conspicuous consumption on our National Parks. If you cannot abide being away from the comforts of home, then stay home.
36
The National Parks are far more threatened by Congressional budget-slashing and the ongoing GOP push to open public lands to private exploitation than they are from individual choices to "glamp."
14
Excuse me, but unless these glamps are park concessions, they are exploiting public property for private gain. Are the glamps run by REI, for instance, park concessions or not? It makes a big difference whether the public parks get an appropriate cut from the private glamping companies' profits.
1
My husband and son like roughing it (although they also like luxury travel) and I like feeling a little pampered when I vacation. This seems like the best of both worlds. I thought this was seems fun and turned me on to a mode of vacationing that gives everyone in the family what they want. I think it could be a great part of a bigger vacation where a few nights are spent roughing it, a few in a regular hotel and a few in these high end "tents."
10
You would probably enjoy Cumberland Island! You could stay in the luxury Greyfield Inn while hubby and son camp in tents!
1
In the late 70s I pulled into Jedidiah Smith park on CA coast. Just me and the dog. .Dog & I went for a walk. When I got back this huge thing had parked beside me. First "RV" I ever saw. Bigger than a bus. I built a fire in the BBQ pit provided, made dinner, cleaned up. My new neighbor pulled a drawer out of the side of his aluminum monstrosity which turned out to be a gas grill. He cooked the steaks. Peacefulness destroyed by the sound of a whirring blender next door, wife came out with margaritas. They finished steaks, put them on a platter, disappeared behind their tinted windows inside to eat, the front door pulled tight.
I ate my dinner at the picnic table listening to the sounds of wind and water and insects. And I looked at that thing wondering "What's the point? Why not just stay home? "They didn't know anything about the park they were supposedly in. They didn't come out again until morning when they pulled out without once walking around. Dog and I slept in the car because even back then as a woman alone I felt safer with a little metal wrapped around me--so I am no purist. But they could have spent the night at Walmart and never known the difference. Puzzled me then, puzzles me now.
I ate my dinner at the picnic table listening to the sounds of wind and water and insects. And I looked at that thing wondering "What's the point? Why not just stay home? "They didn't know anything about the park they were supposedly in. They didn't come out again until morning when they pulled out without once walking around. Dog and I slept in the car because even back then as a woman alone I felt safer with a little metal wrapped around me--so I am no purist. But they could have spent the night at Walmart and never known the difference. Puzzled me then, puzzles me now.
28
Leave the dog home next time. I've had more bad experiences with dogs off leash on backpacking trips than with people in RV's.
3
I'm just now returning from a 2 week private safari in Tanzania, and this article resonates fantastically for me. In Tanzania we (my wife and two daughters) visited 4 national parks. We stayed in private temporary campsite, which the company moves every season (requiring regulated permits on where they can set up). Completely eco-friendly - everything they bring in, they take out. 3 minute bucket showers, fantastic food, tents as described in the article. Had a fantastic guide for the entire trip that was an expert in tracking, spotting, identifying all the animals and their behaviours. My family learned a great deal on this trip. We hiked (ok, maybe hike is a strong word, but I would call several 3 hour walks "hikes" rather than strolls...), we interacted with local Masaii, I'm just getting/feeling too old to wake up in the morning with aches and pains. ANd I greatly preferred the Tanzania luxury camping experience versus staying in permanent bricks and mortar lodges/hotels/building structures. I would do this again in a minute.
I would love to find something similar to this to visit a few of the key US national parks on a single trip. I would want the expert taking me around and simplifying life for me, combined with great activities. In Tanzania it's a booming industry with extremely strong conservation restrictions. I think a great model to follow.
I would love to find something similar to this to visit a few of the key US national parks on a single trip. I would want the expert taking me around and simplifying life for me, combined with great activities. In Tanzania it's a booming industry with extremely strong conservation restrictions. I think a great model to follow.
17
Who did you organize your through in Tanzania? Sounds amazing.
4
FWIW, we had a great experience with Africa Dream Safaris. They took care of everything, start to finish. Great encounters, knowledable guide, comfortable digs at night.
I agree with this visitor to Tanzania. In Kenya it is the same
I really enjoyed this article. Our family has had great experiences on Backroads family camping trips. We've seen the sun rise over Bryce Canyon and stopped our cycling so that bison could cross the road in the Tetons. We've huddled with our kids reading via headlamp in our tents and sung around a campfire under the stars. According to one commenter, my experience was "fiction" because we didn't pitch our own tents. My children would disagree. I'd love to check out the other options suggested.
9
The parks are visited by millions. There are a million ways to see each park, and there are a million guide books out there. There are at least 100,000 that will tell you how to see the parks in relatively luxurious fashion. Pay $60 for a guidebook and do it yourself or pay $6,000 if you are too lazy to read.
2
just so depressing. folks want that old times vibe. they want the community vibe. they want the organic experience. but, heck, who wants to get gritty, sweaty, tired, and have to commune with real people when you can just BUY the experience.
and check it off your friction " bucket list"????
and check it off your friction " bucket list"????
10
I teach scuba diving. You can load your gear in your car, drive to the site, gear up and go dive. You can also book your dives, meet the boat at the dock, get on, go out to the site and dive. You will have the benefit of dive professionals to help and/or care for you along the way. You can also go on a week long live aboard which is a floating all inclusive dive resort. Every day you see 2 or 3 different dive sites. You are fed, cared for, pampered a bit, and get to see a wide variety of sites. Most of these are not accessible in any other way.
Now - which one of these is the more "authentic" diving experience? I contend they are all equally valid. Walking in with 60 pounds of gear from shore does not make you a more "real" diver. Bucket list indeed!
Now - which one of these is the more "authentic" diving experience? I contend they are all equally valid. Walking in with 60 pounds of gear from shore does not make you a more "real" diver. Bucket list indeed!
6
Sounds like what the Victorians were doing in the Gilded Age up in the Adirondacks!
I get that roughing it: be it backpacking, canoe camping or car camping may not be right for everyone, but glamping seems a bit excessive. RVs and cottage rentals can provide the same exposure to being in the woods without the work of pitching tents and dining canopies, but I think that "glampers" are also looking for people to do all the work for them, so even a cabin with hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing and a flly equipped kitchen would be too much effort for them.
I get that roughing it: be it backpacking, canoe camping or car camping may not be right for everyone, but glamping seems a bit excessive. RVs and cottage rentals can provide the same exposure to being in the woods without the work of pitching tents and dining canopies, but I think that "glampers" are also looking for people to do all the work for them, so even a cabin with hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing and a flly equipped kitchen would be too much effort for them.
12
I know that a week of luxury will spoil me for real life. When I go on a cruise, I don't want to leave. So what if people take care of my needs for a week. I scrimp to save the money and these people have jobs. We are not talking about slavery.
1
Mixed feelings here, but the big picture is that our taxes go to foreign wars instead of providing a decent budget to the National Parks which leads to selling off the experience of the parks to the highest bidder. In WA state we have to buy a Discovery Pass to use the state parks because of budget concerns. But if you are a family on a budget you might be excluded from something that should be every Americans right to enjoy. If the parks remain unfunded the day might come when prime property is sold or leased to private individuals to build homes.
33
Just imagine what will happen when our ecologist-in-chief finishes privatizing our entire government. You'll be lucky to get a reservation for a campsite in 10 years, but only if you donate to his re-election campaign this minute. Making America the property of the 1%/Corporate Overlords again. Carnegie would be proud.
2
Camping so often is Mom gets to do housework in the rough which is not much fun for her. Yay for letting her hang out and chill out rather than trying to do everything that's not much fun at home, outside with no electricity and then go home and clean up after everyone afterwards.
38
Exactly. Mom gets tired getting everything ready for the camping trip, is on call 24/7 during the exhausting hiking and cooking, etc. and then gets to go home and wash clothes, clean, cook and get everything back to "normal". Then men want to know why we are tired.
I would call these "lodges." They are super cool and a great way to get people who wouldn't experience the outdoors to give it a try. They also can include a lot of cultural exposure that isn't possible when truly roughing it. I have stayed in a great eco-lodge in Belize and a very culturally interesting Bedouin camp in Jordan. The phrase "glamping," however, has the processed aftertaste of a hashtag-ready marketing campaign. Perhaps pitched on a whiteboard with venn diagrams about millenials, instagram and other successful marketing portmanteaus. I can't picture myself using it with a straight face.
8
This use of public spaces for private gain is getting out of control. Throughout the West this summer, we have seen huge travel groups transform half of a campground into something out of a brochure. First-come/first-served campgrounds are somewhat spared, but reservation only campgrounds have enabled corporations to reserve multiple sites for less than $25/night. Some circumvent the 2 site per-reservation limit by simply using different names, while larger outfits, like REI, manage to get reservation carte blanche by making 'donations' to park organizations. They can then put up to 8 "glampers" in that site for 20 times that amount. The footprint, of course, is huge, and taxpayers ultimately will have to pay for the cleanup.
And, as for that 10% that REI tosses out to make people feel good, that $500 Kingdom 6 tent (like every tent sold at REI) is manufactured in China for pennies. It's something worth considering while enjoying that American experience.
And, as for that 10% that REI tosses out to make people feel good, that $500 Kingdom 6 tent (like every tent sold at REI) is manufactured in China for pennies. It's something worth considering while enjoying that American experience.
33
This so speaks to me. I love the mountains but hate to camp...I too love my creature comforts. But really, at these prices, just go to the YMCA camp in Rocky Mountain Nat'l park. They have nice cabins and you are close to one of the best drives in Colorado...the Peak to Peak Highway.
5
Unbelievable! The author should just run on a treadmill in a gym with VR glasses on...
13
This is absolutely idiotic. Forget about the supreme irony of "getting back to nature" without actually encountering said nature. As others have noted it's what is essentially the privatization of public lands, and the wealthy's need to further segregate themselves from the rest of us that is really so offensive. Looking at the pictures of these tents with their colonial era style, I couldn't help but think of British aristocrats setting out to "civilize" the jungle. Perhaps these companies could complete the fantasy by purchasing some litters and enslaving some Native Americans to carry their customers around in style. . . . It's things like this that make me think that what the world really needs right now is another Lenin. And yes that last bit was facetious. Sort of.
16
Another example of how the 1 percenters are capitalizing on public good. I have read about how these glamping sites are often in prime spots, which are unaffordable to the average American. These spaces are paid for by taxpayers, and should not be further segregated for the wealthy.
66
This is ridiculous.
You either camp or not.
If not, fine then, take a cruise.
You either camp or not.
If not, fine then, take a cruise.
20
This is off topic but related. It is about Cannery Row (John Steinbeck wrote about it). After Monterey Bay Aquarium was built right on Cannery Row, it attracted so much additional visitors to Cannery Row that most of the old Cannery Row has been replaced with very high end hotels and shops. The shack of Steinbeck's friend Doc, which used to be on the street is now preserved inside the MBA. The entrance fee for the MBA has gone from $17 per person to close to $100 person. Cannery Row is much more polished now. It is also less affordable to the average American family. The MBA is a private aquarium, funded by the Packard family. As such they are free to become as exclusive as they please. I would hate to see what happened to Cannery Row, the ever increasing exclusiveness, also happen to taxpayer supported public parks.
11
This letter exaggerates the ticket prices of the MBA. Though not cheep, the full adult price is $50 not $100. For those who want to visit often, family memberships are a reasonable option at $250. Yes Cannery Row is no longer the rundown smelly place it once was but I think it would have changed without the Aquarium. Look at what has happened to nearby Carmel. It is no longer the sweet, livable town I grew up in and there is no equivalent to the Aquarium there.
2
When going for an outdoor adventure in the wilderness, to truly experience it all try to leave the creature comforts at home. That is a good path to the essence of wilderness.
16
I'm partial to tarp + foam pad + sleeping bag (maybe face net for bug infested areas) with a shelter or small tent for weather that can't be overcome by folding the tarp over. Cleanup is a breeze as it is almost always just the tarp that gets dirty/wet. It is super convenient both in the wilderness and when within a day or less of your car not to mention extremely compact and lightweight. Still, you have to accept that not everyone is cool with it and plan for your group's needs. As long as you are respectful of the environment and minimize your impact, do what is comfortable for you and enjoy the outdoors.
8
It doesn't really matter what sort of accommodations one utilizes in the back of beyond, the important thing is it is just about the last place where various electronic tethers don't work, and serve to disconnect us from not just mother nature's realm, but also others who are in the same boat.
A funny thing happens to those going through withdrawals, often you'll see folks pulling out their smartphone in vain, trying to establish contact-to no avail...
A funny thing happens to those going through withdrawals, often you'll see folks pulling out their smartphone in vain, trying to establish contact-to no avail...
6
If there's an auto, truck or van in sight -- it ain't camping.
8
Seem's like a real good way to get my wife to finally go camping with me, sort of... :)
4
One of the great joys of a wilderness trip is the expedition planning aspect of it, the understanding that you'll be on your own and need to plan for food, shelter and medical emergenies without anyone else's help.
Building a fire and cooking over it is worderfully dirty. Eating freeze dried food is blissfully awful. After spending the night in the open without a tent above the timber line, does it get any better than waking up at dawn under a sky filled with fading stars, having to pee badly but fighting to hold it in because it's 25 degrees and you're in your underwear and then you can'take hpld it in anymore and get to pee and shiver while you do and then get back into your sleeping bag until the sun clears the ridge line?
It does not.
Building a fire and cooking over it is worderfully dirty. Eating freeze dried food is blissfully awful. After spending the night in the open without a tent above the timber line, does it get any better than waking up at dawn under a sky filled with fading stars, having to pee badly but fighting to hold it in because it's 25 degrees and you're in your underwear and then you can'take hpld it in anymore and get to pee and shiver while you do and then get back into your sleeping bag until the sun clears the ridge line?
It does not.
18
Mike Marks, I'm in love with you!
8
I'm curious if any of these facilities are actually in the parks. Concessionaires generally have contracts and private groups are rarely, if at all, allowed to guide in the parks without such a contract. I think more than the accommodations are getting glossed over here. Or are tourists supposed to figure out what the requirements to have a car means on their own?
4
Be honest. It's pretend camping for the wealthy who are afraid of nature. The other 99% of us buy tents, sleeping bags and campstoves at Walmart.
32
Why not?
6
It would be helpful if the prices indicated the number of days per price, whether food is separate,etc.
2
Sounds great to me! I've never really enjoyed traditional camping, partially because grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up afterward is part of my work at home and something I don't want to do when I'm supposed to be on vacation. Glamping seems like a very good compromise for couples in which one person is really into nature and camping, but the other person not so much.
36
What's the thread count on the sheets?
70
I think you forgot to mention the part where they also wipe themselves with twenty dollar bills...
I love camping, and as a former park ranger I respect that everyone has a different level of comfort with the great outdoors. Outdoor pursuits--and camping in particular--are often held to elitist, "minimalist" standards that discourage people with limited experience, money, and outdoor expertise from participating. While I applaud efforts to make the National Parks more accessible, costly "glamping" is counter to the Park's current mission of inclusion and accessibility.
I love camping, and as a former park ranger I respect that everyone has a different level of comfort with the great outdoors. Outdoor pursuits--and camping in particular--are often held to elitist, "minimalist" standards that discourage people with limited experience, money, and outdoor expertise from participating. While I applaud efforts to make the National Parks more accessible, costly "glamping" is counter to the Park's current mission of inclusion and accessibility.
129
Parks Canada (our national park service) is now offering oTENTik camping. It's a sort of "glamping" - tents with walls and everything provided, and together with the "Learn to Camp " programme, is aimed at those with little or no camping experience (especially new Canadians) to help them try camping. Otherwise, as you say, the inexperienced are discouraged from trying, especially those for whom the word "camp" has a rather more ominous ring.
And next year our national parks will all have free admission to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday!
And next year our national parks will all have free admission to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday!
6
Gwyn, you seem to want to exclude the handicapped from camping. Glad you are able bodied.
2
I have slept in a two-man tent in Montana, after hiking into the wilderness and leaving the nearest road ten miles behind me. Just the grizzlies for company, and the howls of wolves at night. All I had was what my back could bear. It was awesome.
I have also stayed at one of these glamping places with wifi and room service. It was different, but that was awesome too. There is a place for both.
I have also stayed at one of these glamping places with wifi and room service. It was different, but that was awesome too. There is a place for both.
84
But which would you pick first? I pick bears and wolves...
1
Thanks, me too. I feel that most of the other "campers" are very arrogant in thinking that all of us are able bodied. I can still hike, but setting up a tent or carrying heavy gear is beyond me. Arthritis makes sleeping on the ground miserable. I loved the camping of my youth and still need to be able to have nature at my fingertips... something that isn't afforded by any hotel.
2
I spent all of July in the Alaskan wilderness: backpacking, hiking, kayaking and sleeping in a tent near glaciers and on the tundra of the Brooks Mountain Range. I would not swap my experience for anything including glamping. The idea of wilderness has taken on a new meaning for me. If you want to experience the wilderness be a part of it. By-the-way, I am not a 30/40 year old guy but and happy, content and fit man in his 70's.
42
You must have been in Bettles the same time I was. Wasn't it fabulous there?
2
What a joke. If you want to immerse yourself in nature ... try actually enjoying an authentic experience in the outdoors.
17
It easy to feel and think wow, people with money can have luxury even in a place that should be indifferent to wealth & status; however this is the marketable world we live in. Entrepreneurs who have a love for the outdoors have manger to figure out a way to offer & profit from nature's free gifts of earth, wind, and easy start fires. There could be an upside to this environmental capitalism: more power & care for pristine regions of our nation. Survivalists may soon feel as if they're caught in new form of monied genstrification & create conflicts. Well glampers could always hoist security cameras around their perimeter of campsites.
BTW Tentrr.com does prepared campsites in Catskills with less luxury & much cheaper. Going weekend this August. As an urban dweller I don't have room for camping gear so looking forward. Anthing to get people back to nature is a good thing :) Check out new movie Captian Famtasic and you'll see whole family gong off grid. NYT did review on movie.
BTW Tentrr.com does prepared campsites in Catskills with less luxury & much cheaper. Going weekend this August. As an urban dweller I don't have room for camping gear so looking forward. Anthing to get people back to nature is a good thing :) Check out new movie Captian Famtasic and you'll see whole family gong off grid. NYT did review on movie.
3
I realize I might be (am) snobbish about this, but I find it amusing how some folks find even the cushiest national park accommodations (smoothed out campsites next to your parked car, running water, soap and toilets, restaurants, general stores to buy anything you might have forgotten at home/realized you need) to be too uncomfortable for them. It's a different experience for sure, especially if you're used to the city, but isn't that why you're coming to a national park in the first place? Or is it just for the Instagram photo and to say you've done something "adventurous"? I mean, if you're willing to dish out $1,200/person vs. the $120 combined that my friends and I pay for virtually the same experience (except mine's better *wink*), go ahead. Just please don't call it "roughing it".
I will agree with the commenter below that it'd be nice if these accommodations were provided for those people who NEED it (e.g. disabilities, elderly, families with small children), rather than those who just want a little bit more Four Seasons in their national park experience. Maybe the author does fit into this category of folks, and I did not give her the benefit of the doubt, to which I apologize. But to those who don't, I'd encourage them to give a weekend camping trip a real shot before dismissing it out of fear of...discomfort.
I will agree with the commenter below that it'd be nice if these accommodations were provided for those people who NEED it (e.g. disabilities, elderly, families with small children), rather than those who just want a little bit more Four Seasons in their national park experience. Maybe the author does fit into this category of folks, and I did not give her the benefit of the doubt, to which I apologize. But to those who don't, I'd encourage them to give a weekend camping trip a real shot before dismissing it out of fear of...discomfort.
41
I went to sleep-away camp for several years in the 1960's, but our family never camped. My husband (of 6 years) was raised camping in tents, he hiked Mt. Washington with family, and loves the outdoors so much he bought a pop-up which expands to sleep several, although the bathroom is the woods or the campground facility. (First husband worked for major hotel chain and we traveled in comfort 2-3 wks/yr-)
My idea of camping is a Holiday Inn, but these photos are enticing!
My idea of camping is a Holiday Inn, but these photos are enticing!
7
LOL, CJ, I'm with you about the Holiday Inn, it's my standard line when folks bring up camping.
That, or anything three stars or under.
That, or anything three stars or under.
1
The real gem within the confines of Sequoia National Park is the Bearpaw Meadow High Sierra camp, a 11 mile walk from the trailhead in the Giant Forest...
Established in 1934, it has perhaps one of the best views of the Southern Sierra-the majestic Great Western Divide. It can accommodate a total of 12 guests in 6 tent cabins each with 2 beds, and has a flush toilet and hot showers, along with a dining hall where the staff prepares meals. It is located right on the High Sierra Trail which eventually goes onto Mt. Whitney 50 miles later~
Open only from June to September, reservations are typically sold out within hours on January 2nd, although you might get lucky and get in on a cancellation at a later date. Try and stay for at least 3 nights, as the dayhiking possibilities are marvelous, Hamilton Lake, Tamarack Lake and Redwood Meadow each being 4-5 miles away.
Established in 1934, it has perhaps one of the best views of the Southern Sierra-the majestic Great Western Divide. It can accommodate a total of 12 guests in 6 tent cabins each with 2 beds, and has a flush toilet and hot showers, along with a dining hall where the staff prepares meals. It is located right on the High Sierra Trail which eventually goes onto Mt. Whitney 50 miles later~
Open only from June to September, reservations are typically sold out within hours on January 2nd, although you might get lucky and get in on a cancellation at a later date. Try and stay for at least 3 nights, as the dayhiking possibilities are marvelous, Hamilton Lake, Tamarack Lake and Redwood Meadow each being 4-5 miles away.
6
I realize why this could be a good thing for people who are a little bit hesitant about nature, are older, or have health issues, but I have an instinctive recoil reaction to this non-camping. I also detest the awful G word.
It's just my opinion, and people are perfectly entitled to do what they want/have the ability to pay for, but the idea that camping is somehow the same experience if you eliminate the hiking, hauling of gear, and limiting of possessions to things you can reasonably carry just makes me sad.
If you didn't get there on your own two feet, and someone carried your things for you, I guarantee your meal doesn't taste as good, no matter what chef cooked it with fancy organic ingredients.
It's just my opinion, and people are perfectly entitled to do what they want/have the ability to pay for, but the idea that camping is somehow the same experience if you eliminate the hiking, hauling of gear, and limiting of possessions to things you can reasonably carry just makes me sad.
If you didn't get there on your own two feet, and someone carried your things for you, I guarantee your meal doesn't taste as good, no matter what chef cooked it with fancy organic ingredients.
19
You do not really need a luxury tent to enjoy camping. There are great parks, National and state parks, in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. I have never had a bad experience camping (the old fashion way, no luxury) in any of the parks I have camped in within these 3 states. Advance reservations are required unfortunately.
7
Every time the NY Times publishes an article about the outdoors, all the comments are angry "purists" who insist that their chosen form of enjoying nature is the righteous one, and anyone who can't handle the minimal/rugged experience they like isn't worthy of attention or consideration. Just watch. It happens every. single. time.
54
Yes. Here I am. I am so sick and tired of entitled rich Americans who want no contact with the middle class or poor except as servants. These glampers are not "cannot" handle the traditional park experience; they are "do not" want to handle the traditional park experience.
2
The 'purists' that are accused being too harsh on glampers are not saying that these people should not be allowed to enjoy the parks. The National Park Service offers very amenable campsites for people who do not want to 'rough' it. Please enjoy the parks from your campers at these sites! It just increases our society's appreciation of nature and we are all the better for it.
What this services offer is going into the backcountry and transforming the terrain into a rich-people hotel. That is being disrespectful of nature and of anyone else who wants to enjoy these pristine landscapes. You are unable to justify this as anything but selfish.
What this services offer is going into the backcountry and transforming the terrain into a rich-people hotel. That is being disrespectful of nature and of anyone else who wants to enjoy these pristine landscapes. You are unable to justify this as anything but selfish.
3
I agree with the other commenters who say this glamping ( with chef prepared meals ) is not really camping at all. The whole article reads like something that, printed on paper, would have in a very tiny font up in the right hand corner of the page the words "Paid Advertisement." Or something that would appear in an AAA member magazine ("Via" in California).
16
it may not be your cup of tea but there's no reason to denigrate it. Their day of hiking or tree gazing is the same as yours. Who cares what kind of tent they go back to or who cooks their food? I've done Backroads camping trips and they were great. I've also done backpacking trips through Joshua Tree and Sequoia Natl Park and they were great too. It's all good! Don't be such a snoot. :)
75
I am remaining a snoot. There are only limited "spaces" to be reserved for camping in public parks. In order to run these glamp businesses, luxury outdoor experiences, the businesses reserve the campsites in advance, probably at the same rate as an individual who reserves a campsite just for themselves. These businesses probably reserve large blocks campsites at the low rate, prep them and for weeks run these profitable glamps with a group after group of wealthy glampers. This I do not like. I am inferring that the more glamping that is done in publicly owned parks (which must include additional camp space for the glamp servants/staff), the fewer reservation openings for traditional campers who have more modest requirements. It is one thing to have a concession like the old Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park (which pays the park service accordingly) and another to run a business that is not a concession that scoops up large blocks of limited campsites in advance to run glamping businesses to the detriment of your average Joe trying to reserve just one campsite for his vacation.
15
From the articles it sounds like these camp sites are near to/adjoining public lands/parks on private property, so they are NOT taking away campsites from traditional campers.
3
Golly, instead of being in contact with the messy outdoors, you could just sit under your canvas tent, occasionally jog on your treadmill, watch nature shots on your vid, turn on your battery powered fan and spray yourself with pine scented perfume. I assume such folks are the same ones boasting that they have 100,000 "friends" on Facebook
46
Very soon these people will be able to put on a virtual reality headset and get this experience while they tan by their pools in the Hamptons.
3
Dear silly person who wrote this article. Don't like camping? Stay in a hotel. There are lots of them near and around our National Parks. Really? You want to stay in a fancy tent with furniture and pretend you're communing with nature? Good grief.
BTW, "glamping" isn't a word. Can we dispense with this stupid trend of making up words? For the love of god, please just STOP.
Also, luxurious accommodations in the wilderness? This is not a new thing. See: Exhibit A: Victorians on safari.
BTW, "glamping" isn't a word. Can we dispense with this stupid trend of making up words? For the love of god, please just STOP.
Also, luxurious accommodations in the wilderness? This is not a new thing. See: Exhibit A: Victorians on safari.
108
If Shakespeare stopped making up words, how sorry a state it would be for the English language.
PS -- If you doubt, take a moment an research how many words are attributable to him.
PS -- If you doubt, take a moment an research how many words are attributable to him.
6
must be nice to be so self-righteous. good thing you're not the least bit judgemental.
13
I've stayed in several of our national parks, and the official accommodations are no bargain- so what is wrong with choosing an alternative to escape over-priced Xanterra food (the supplier for many of the parks' facilities) and get a little closer to nature without actually sleeping on the ground. I am certainly no less able to love and 'commune' with nature simply because my back won't allow me to sleep comfortably on the ground and because I am incredibly allergic to certain bug bites. I wouldn't call big tents with decent furniture a la REI 'luxurious.' As soon as I read this article, I predicted there would be snarky comments from 'purists' who seem to think you can't love the wilderness and enjoy nature unless you're on the trail all day and sleeping on the ground at night!
13
Re Glamping. While I consider myself an independent spirit, camping without some comforts puts me in pain for a week now. What's that old canard: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." I probably wouldn't pony up $1100-$4000 for a camping trip, but each year my inflatable sleeping pad gets thicker. Oh, and coffee is a non-negotiable camping item for me. Doesn't have to be hot, but it has to be coffee.
18
"Rates range from $1,149 to $3,999 per person" Forgive my naivety, but that is for how long? Per night? Week?
27
Another very beautiful and unique glamping experience can be had at Treebones Resort in Big Sur, California. They have lovely yurts and a restaurant with food from an onsite organic garden. The views and area are stunning.
7
I reject the notion that the sometimes higher fees for this type of experience are a bad thing, so long as the cheap alternatives remain. The more people we can attract into our ailing National Parks the better. We need to support these incredible gifts in every way possible.
24
What happens if glamping becomes so popular that no unreserved campsites are left for non glampers who want to camp the old way? It could happen.
3
These "glamping" (admittedly horrible word) sites are not in the parks or in regular, reservable campgrounds. They are on private property, near the parks, with semi-permanent structures and plumbing. It's not roughing it in the slightest, and that's why we chose it. Not a fan of camping or cheap motels, but loved seeing a coyote run through the Moab desert shrubbery in the early morning with a good cup of coffee in my hand.
4
I have seen luxury "tents" like these in a park in the Coos Bay area of Oregon. Alas, I did not get to stay in one. We were staying in a motel that was built between the North bound and South bound lanes of a highway that went through the town (not joking). I bet there was a loooooong waiting list for those tents. The other parts of the park we visited in that area were lovely.
6
We took a Backroads family camping vacation to Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon a few years ago. It was fantastic. We've camped on our own in Acadia where we can drive in with our tents and cooking supplies. It's lots of fun, but also lots of planning and work. What a treat it was for this mom to not have to haul lots of equipment and do all the planning and coordination. The guides were well informed, helpful, and great with kids. This was an economic stretch for us, but well worth it providing memories that will last a lifetime.
24
As a life long tent camper, I'd be embarrassed to call myself a 'Glamper' and say that I am going 'Glamping'. Please find a B&B or motel room if that's what you desire. The delivery of coffee, muffins and a newspaper is called room service.
Plenty of that available at the park entrances. Or go rent an RV.
Leave the wilderness for the rest of us to enjoy.
Plenty of that available at the park entrances. Or go rent an RV.
Leave the wilderness for the rest of us to enjoy.
17
Our national parks are treasures and should be preserved for all to enjoy. High end tent glamping is a niche for those who want the next newest thing to brag on. In the meantime, families will tent camp, others will car camp, more will rv camp, some will just lie out under the stars, and life will go on.
13
I'll be glad to cede your tent, a decent cot (or bed), prepared meals or at least the proper equipment to do so, if you will cede any TV, iPhone, or other electronic device. (Yes you can have one for true emergencies).
You went to "commune with nature", do so.
You went to "commune with nature", do so.
9
We did this for 3 nights in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park a few years ago.
There were about eight "luxury" tents for guests, a dining tent, a library-wine bar tent, plus more accommodations for staff and driver/guides, who joined us for dinner.
After dinner, more wine around a blazing campfire, which we imagined kept the lions at bay.
There were about eight "luxury" tents for guests, a dining tent, a library-wine bar tent, plus more accommodations for staff and driver/guides, who joined us for dinner.
After dinner, more wine around a blazing campfire, which we imagined kept the lions at bay.
8
We have tent camped and paddled 41 states and 4 Canadian provinces, but have also enjoyed trips with Road Scholar (kayaking/dorm or lodge accomodations) and REI (primitive camping and kayaking). Anything to start families getting out in the great American/Canadian wilderness. There are incredible state/provincial park (and also municipal/county) camping areas. Get on your state park websites to find out what is available -- some have tenting resources and some also have programs for beginner campers. (REI rents camping gear, including tents.) Over the years we are heartened to see more families in tents (not RV's and 5th wheels) -- we wish there were more family-sized tent camp sites to encourage extended family camping. And the National parks are an real outdoor experience resource which we should not take for granted. Recommend Road Scholar Columbia River kayaking program at Skamokawa, WA.
7
I love anyone getting outside and exploring our outstanding national parks. Glamping takes the wilderness out of the outdoors. Sounds like a lot of fun but not the fundamental experience many are looking for.
7
I have always loved hiking and trail running, but hate camping. Luckily, we live in a ski town and can enjoy trails on a daily basis while still returning to a shower and bed at the end of the day. I tried "glamping" one year, as my husband and son were determined to get me out with them, but it's still not for me. They're off in King's Canyon on their annual summer trip right now, and I am happily staying home with the dogs and cats!
12
When you compare the worst camping possible to "Glamping" there is obviously a huge chasm between the two. But it is also true that very light weight water proof backpacking gear now exist. And that doesn't even begin to say what is now possible when you go car camping. I have a 4 person (plus gear) backpacking tend that is water proof and weighs only 6 lbs 5 oz. My sleeping bag and pad together weigh just a little more. Add in a water filter, a jet boil, freeze dried food, some 10 + year scotch, a headlamp, some coffee, beef jerky, and light weight ax...and that is more than enough glamour for me. That kind of gear isn't cheap, but when comparing the cost of paying to "glamp" it is very competitive if you go more than a couple times a year. Plus, I don't think of gathering wood, chopping, and starting a fire as a chore. For me, it is one of the joys of camping. Though, and I honestly mean this, who am I to judge how someone else enjoys the great outdoors? As long as they are practicing "leave not trace", I say ENJOY!
11
If you're "gathering wood, chopping, and starting a fire", you're definitely leaving a trace! Freeze-dried food and coffee can be prepared perfectly well using a lightweight camping stove.
1
It's not always easy to get a reservation in a national park during peak season. Are these companies taking blocks of reservations that will not be available to individuals who cannot afford glamping? I do not think that our national parks should be participating in this.
57
The whole concept of Glamping sickens me. I live in the mountains of Colorado and every year I have to deal with thousands and thousands of rich tourists....they are 99% white and 99% entitled. To envision them camping with a luxury couch to sit on is infuriating.
There are over 400 homeless people sleeping in a 15 mile slice of forrest up here where I live. They get hassled and arrested all the time, and they have done things like start the Cold Springs fire a few weeks ago and leave trash all over the forrest. I'd rather have all 400 of them than even one glamper.
I mean, RVs are bigger nowadays than a majority of Americans actual homes...we don't need sofas and minibars in our tents. Enjoy nature, not sitting on your butt!
There are over 400 homeless people sleeping in a 15 mile slice of forrest up here where I live. They get hassled and arrested all the time, and they have done things like start the Cold Springs fire a few weeks ago and leave trash all over the forrest. I'd rather have all 400 of them than even one glamper.
I mean, RVs are bigger nowadays than a majority of Americans actual homes...we don't need sofas and minibars in our tents. Enjoy nature, not sitting on your butt!
26
Good Grief Gal, take a pill and relax.
We're not discussing the fate of mankind here.
We're not discussing the fate of mankind here.
1
I just gotta write another comment. Glamping sounds so so so horrible. There is no way anyone paying 3 grand to "camp" in luxury is experiencing any more than they could get watching a YouTube of the Rocky Mountains (my home) from their million dollar 1 bedroom apartments (also funny, as have a three story house and 2 acres of beautiful forrest for a fifth of that).
If you are Glamping you are lying to yourself. Just stay home and pretend and save yourself the trouble. I definitely don't want you anywhere near the beautiful forrest that I live in every day of my life and love with my very soul. You don't deserve to come to a place as beautiful and pure as Colorado. Stay in the ugly city you paid a million dollars for some reason to live in.
If you are Glamping you are lying to yourself. Just stay home and pretend and save yourself the trouble. I definitely don't want you anywhere near the beautiful forrest that I live in every day of my life and love with my very soul. You don't deserve to come to a place as beautiful and pure as Colorado. Stay in the ugly city you paid a million dollars for some reason to live in.
10
Wow. Angry much?
15
Let the idea of this sink in a little more as to what the glamping trend means to the vast American public who want to reserve a (just one) camp site in our National and state parks but cannot afford to pay glamping prices. A hint: it is the camping equivalent of Trickle Down economics.
7
> Though I love communing with nature, I detest discomfort.
Reminds me of the tiger-hunting white sahibs in the Indian colonial days -- who were succeeded by the bureaucrat brown sahibs after Indian independence :)
Can't we create a virtual wilderness for Ms. Koch and her ilk so that we can spare the real natural world of their invasion and at the same time sparing them all discomfort?
I'm in my 50s, and just returned from a backpacking and fishing trip in the high Sierras with my pre-teen son. After lugging 40 lb+ backpack over 20 miles and 3000 ft, my knees are sore and a good part of the body covered with bug bites. But the best part was the solitude, the campfires on a sandy beach by a waterfall, the excitement of feeling the fishing line tugged by a brook trout, and watching a bald eagle swoop for prey. No glampers there for sure !
Reminds me of the tiger-hunting white sahibs in the Indian colonial days -- who were succeeded by the bureaucrat brown sahibs after Indian independence :)
Can't we create a virtual wilderness for Ms. Koch and her ilk so that we can spare the real natural world of their invasion and at the same time sparing them all discomfort?
I'm in my 50s, and just returned from a backpacking and fishing trip in the high Sierras with my pre-teen son. After lugging 40 lb+ backpack over 20 miles and 3000 ft, my knees are sore and a good part of the body covered with bug bites. But the best part was the solitude, the campfires on a sandy beach by a waterfall, the excitement of feeling the fishing line tugged by a brook trout, and watching a bald eagle swoop for prey. No glampers there for sure !
20
Campfires do not belong on a sandy beach anywhere in the wilderness of the high sierra. Your permit requires that you set up camp at least 100 feet from any body of water.
4
You are indeed correct. We were just over 80 feet from the water So I think we were in compliance for all practical purposes. We did cover the ash with sand and dispersed the rock containment ring so that there was not obvious trace of the fire.
2
REI Adventures is one of the best travel companies out there. I've personally taken about 8-9 domestic and international trips with them since 1998. Every trip was 5 star! My girlfriend and I just recently got back from a 2 week trip to South Africa with REI, and that was the BEST trip I've ever been on! The groups are usually smaller and more personalized than Backroads and generally cheaper. REI guides are professional and very knowledgeable. I'd highly recommend REI, and I don't even work for the company!
8
The national parks are our greatest treasure. While I love sleeping under the stars, fighting mosquitos is not fun; cooking in the wilderness for which I have little experience, would be a jar of peanut butter. So while I've done a 23 day Outward Bound, complete with a 3 day-no-eating-solo, I'm now proudly a Glamper. This is very helpful.
12
The "car camping" version of Glamping does not have to be expensive. All you need is a vehicle, a well located camp site (with immediate access to excellent day hiking) and a few provisions (including an air mattress!). Forget about yuge RVs, they only limit the number of camp sites you can choose from.
20
These are quite wonderful. In fact, I just stayed at the Conestoga Ranch in Garden City, Utah. It was amazing. Our family had a blast. I'm not much for camping but, boy, I can swing it when the amenities are equal to staying in a luxury hotel.
7
Shame on REI. Let people stay in luxury on private property. The demographic they are targeting doesn't give a darn about the wilderness. They are rich people who want servants who do their bidding. They are the same fools who hire guides to drag them up mountains and then they think they are mountaineers. The National Parks don't need to become profit centers for private businesses. Oh and by the way my family have been REI members since the days when the catalogue was mimeographed.
108
We have done 2 REI kayaking/camping trips on Yellowstone Lake and the other on Coastal SC near Charleston. Both were active, primitive camping experiences (they cooked, we helped) with pack it in/pack it out regimen. On one we had strong winds and waves, on the other we had one full day of rain and wind. The Coastal SC one was rich with local food (group resourced oysters), local environmental and historical lore. Both were as rigorous as tent camping/paddling trips we do ourselves. Highly recommend Coastal SC one -- great outfitter!
9
To Ceilidth - I urge you to be more open minded and accepting of those who may be different than you. If some people might not feel they're as comfortable in rugged surroundings as you do, that doesn't mean they should be shunned from the experience of staying in one of our national parks. I reckon many people might just need a boost, or a more comfortable introduction to living outdoors, what a great way to draw more people into our parks and introduce them to the joys of nature!
24
I could accept it if REI used these trips as a cash cow to support their original mission, which was a cooperative that found and sold good quality, low-priced outdoor equipment.
Unfortunately, when my old REI down parka finally fell apart, and I looked for a new one in their catalog, they were selling the Marmor line which cost as much as a fur coat. I patched up the old one and kept going.
I'm still an REI member. Are we going to get a share of their profits on this operation?
Unfortunately, when my old REI down parka finally fell apart, and I looked for a new one in their catalog, they were selling the Marmor line which cost as much as a fur coat. I patched up the old one and kept going.
I'm still an REI member. Are we going to get a share of their profits on this operation?
I'm sorry, but none of this is glamping. As someone who camps with roofed accomodation in Canadian and American provincial and state parks, I can say that those people who own spacious RVs are glamping. Sure, the people who own those RVs (which are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars) may be doing ok financially, but culturally they're working class, which is why the NY Times will never report on them.
39
I think $1,149 to >$3K per person is quite ridiculous - thus the "glamour" aspect of it. I've stayed in National Forests for $8 a night without having to be near such desperate "upper crust" adventurers. The filthy rich should keep their wants and needs tightly controlled behind gated and sanitized communities. If you can't keep yourself warm, fed and happy while outdoors, do not go - you won't like even the beautiful, natural rain.
11
Even robust Teddy R. had big trouble on the Amazon back in the day, despite state-of-the-art gear, medicine, the best guides, etc. That journey probably shortened his life.
1
You can say that again although the book "River of Doubt" tells us his trip was poorly planned, beginning with the person they hired to put together the equipment and provisions. A cautionary tale for anyone who intends to challenge the wilderness.
1
After a lifetime of hiking and backpacking all around the country, I have gone in the opposite direction, dumped the tent, opted for a bivvy sack, which allows me to lie on my back, on the actual ground, and look at the sky and the tops of the trees waving, meteorites flashing. It really doesn't get much better than that.
81
Truth, I also dumped the tent a few years back and it was a great decision.
7
Me too, and in truth it is an acquired taste that takes work. It's hard to explain how and why the tent et al really only offers psychological comfort and the alternative to Glamping is some reasonable form of packing way, way less.
None of us likes "discomfort" and there are many strategies to reasonably eliminate real discomforts that preserve mobility and allow us to hike into less visited and just as awesome places as the Parks.
I could never Glamp, but only because I'd much rather spend that kind of cash on really good special purpose gear that could get me into rarer cooler places.
None of us likes "discomfort" and there are many strategies to reasonably eliminate real discomforts that preserve mobility and allow us to hike into less visited and just as awesome places as the Parks.
I could never Glamp, but only because I'd much rather spend that kind of cash on really good special purpose gear that could get me into rarer cooler places.
1
For this price you might as well stay in a nice hotel or lodge in the park.
47
Why not just call it "going on a nature retreat" instead of pretending this is anything like camping?
101
I can feel the ground rumble as Teddy Roosevelt thrashes around in his grave.
101
TR did "rough it" to some extent, but do a little research as to just how he really did it.
3
Whatever gets folks out into nature is great.
Sleeping on a pad on the ground is not for everyone, getting out and smelling a camp fire, brewing coffee, melting marshmallows are all events that trigger those deep long lasting memories of ghost stories and spelling bees, day hikes and moon watching.
Go, find nature again.
Sleeping on a pad on the ground is not for everyone, getting out and smelling a camp fire, brewing coffee, melting marshmallows are all events that trigger those deep long lasting memories of ghost stories and spelling bees, day hikes and moon watching.
Go, find nature again.
59
I'm not sure about that. Perhaps the best way to preserve "nature" is to stay away from it. Nature suffers when it receives too many visitors, and I wouldn't be surprised if glampers do more damage than real campers.
9
Gives you that old timey colonial vibe when wealthy Westerners could pack up a smaller version of their opulent lives and pay locals peanuts to lug them into exotic locales where ruling class travelers could have tea and crumpets as they oversaw the new lands they had conquered and would soon civilize. Ah, the good old days.
149
Just what I was thinking when I read one of the comments by a woman from the hedge fund capital of Fairfield, CT.
8
Give me a break. I'm not wealthy but need help in order to camp in the wild. The smugness of your comment is hurtful to those of us who can no longer or were never able to camp.
It would be great if there were a moderately-priced, fewer-frills, option for people who need services set up for them due to age or disability, but don't need "glamor" or fancy furniture.
This would also allow for multi-generational camping, when able-bodied campers cannot manage the needs of elderly grandparents and small children, along with hauling their own essentials.
This would also allow for multi-generational camping, when able-bodied campers cannot manage the needs of elderly grandparents and small children, along with hauling their own essentials.
77
I agree with this comment. As a veteran of traditional family camping when my children were young (they are now 50-something & I'm 77), I'd appreciate a service with just the basics: tents, cots, chairs, meals & decent toilets. No heavy lifting, no tests of one's capacity for getting up & down.
38
Many state parks offer this. Ohio state parks offer yurts and rent-a-camps (tents set up on a wooden platform) stocked with basic equipment for about $40/night and cabins for $50/night.
20
It's called roofed accommodation, with yurts, trailers or cabins. Some have running water, some don't; most have electricity and you can usually find some that are wheelchair accessible. Look at state and provincial parks. Feed are often pretty reasonable too.
3
I have camped the national parks my whole Midwestern life, just as my parents did. I have been distraught to see how campsite fee inflation has slowly eroded the ability of middle-class people to enjoy the parks. $25/night is not a burden for me - it is an honest pleasure to support NPS - but it does present another barrier to getting ALL AMERICANS outside to enjoy what is OUR LAND.
These articles, advertisements, social media posts about $250/night luxury escursions only fuel the perception that OUR PARKS are not available to everone, or worse are for rent to the 1% and the international jetset. Nothing could be further from the truth. You really only need a sleeping bag, a tent, the 10 essentials, and a good attitude to enjoy a night under the stars. Next time I suggest you ask Nick Kristof to write your outdoor travel article, and leave the African safari-themed fluff to Eric Trump.
"How hard to realize that every camp of men or beast has this glorious starry firmament for a roof! … In such places standing alone on the mountain-top it is easy to realize that whatever special nests we make — leaves and moss like the marmots and birds, or tents, or piled stone — we all dwell in a house of one room — the world with the firmament for its roof — and are sailing the celestial spaces without leaving any track." - John Muir
These articles, advertisements, social media posts about $250/night luxury escursions only fuel the perception that OUR PARKS are not available to everone, or worse are for rent to the 1% and the international jetset. Nothing could be further from the truth. You really only need a sleeping bag, a tent, the 10 essentials, and a good attitude to enjoy a night under the stars. Next time I suggest you ask Nick Kristof to write your outdoor travel article, and leave the African safari-themed fluff to Eric Trump.
"How hard to realize that every camp of men or beast has this glorious starry firmament for a roof! … In such places standing alone on the mountain-top it is easy to realize that whatever special nests we make — leaves and moss like the marmots and birds, or tents, or piled stone — we all dwell in a house of one room — the world with the firmament for its roof — and are sailing the celestial spaces without leaving any track." - John Muir
171
I think everyone knows it's possible to camp at our national parks. What I need to know is that I can find accommodations like this because otherwise I can't go. Good for you that you can, but for me "glamping" is a blessing.
Kind of funny, as camping is meant to for independent spirits, making it on your own and not having third parties service you. The prices quoted are for those weak on adventure but not on spending money.
68
Yes, and no. Recently two women were killed while jogging; one in Queens, the other in Massachusetts. Many of the people who participate in such excursions (which are expensive, here I agree) are solo travelers.
2
I wanted to write something snarky and self-righteous about the whole idea of cushy "camping," but I have to confess -- it looks REALLY appealing. If they could just drop the price by 90 percent...
50
They won't. I think the price is part of the appeal for patrons of these trips. Makes it exclusive (derived from the verb exclude). It is like erecting a gated community within public parks. Ostentatious consumption is alive and well on publicly owned lands.
14
if you want "hospitable perks" like "in-tent delivery of coffee, tea or hot chocolate each morning and Epsom salt foot baths at the end of the day", not to mention "homemade chocolate brownies extracted from the trip leader’s backpack at the icy blue summit of Harding Icefield Trail in the Kenai Peninsula", it's gonna cost ya! Of course, I have serious doubts that those brownies were really homemade. I imagine that the author of this article fell for the company's commercial pitch -- probably copied it right off a brochure.
1
HA!
I have done the hiking with tired children, staying in a cabin and after hiking 5 miles, I got to cook in an "old-fashioned kitchen, wash dishes, bathe children, change diapers. Oh the joy of "roughing it for mothers. Enough. When it was over, I got to go home. wash the clothes, bathe the children, cook meals. At least I had a dishwasher and did not have to spend hours at the laundromat. Looking for food in those quaint country stores was a challenge.
Judge not and ye shall not be judged. Mothers who take care of young children 24/7 need a "real" break. I changed diapers and nursed for a year at 35. I was tired all the time.
Give me a break.