10 best family glamping resorts in the us

Glamping is a style of luxury camping that offers all the comforts of home—like electricity, air conditioning, and private bathrooms, to name a few—while letting travelers immerse themselves in a beautiful natural setting. Glamping resorts are an ideal family vacation idea because they encourage kids to enjoy the outdoors without forcing parents to plan complicated family camping itineraries.

Best family glamping resorts in the US

With the rise in popularity of glamping resorts, new glamping tents and luxury yurts are popping up across America, including near favorite family vacation spots like national parks. From luxury safari tents and covered wagons to vintage Airstreams in all their glory, these are the best glamping resorts for families.

1. Cape Cod Auto Camp

Falmouth, Massachusetts

Choose from a renovated Airstream, a luxury safari tent, or a modern glamping cabin at AutoCamp Cape Cod, one of the best family glamping destinations in the US opened under the AutoCamp brand. AutoCamp Cape Cod is located near Woods Hole on the southwest tip of Cape Cod, where you can take the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for an action-packed island day trip.

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Kids will love the on-site Adventure Zone and nearby Woods Hole Science Aquarium. Hit the water with a kayak or paddleboard, or choose a deep sea fishing excursion, sail a historic schooner, or bike along the Shining Sea Bikeway. Other AutoCamp locations in the US include Joshua Tree, Russian River, Yosemite, Sequoia, Zion, the Catskills, and Asheville. A location in the Texas Hill Country is in the works.

2. Sandy Pines Campground

Kennebunkport, Maine

Nestled in a salt marsh near Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport, the family-friendly Sandy Pines Campground offers traditional RV and tent sites as well as family glamping tents and family cottages that sleep two adults and two children. For safari tents, you can choose the layout of twin beds in one tent or separately.

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All guests at the glamping site have access to a heated saltwater swimming pool, general store, snack bar, children’s craft sessions, playground and lawn games. Bicycle, paddle board and kayak rentals are also available on site.

3. Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo

River Ranch, Florida

The unique and welcoming Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo is a 1,700-acre Florida dude ranch about an hour south of Orlando. The Luxe Conestoga wagon sleeps up to six guests and comes with a king bed, queen sleeper sofa, and twin bunk beds (read our full review here).

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Reservations include access to the resort’s River Country Water Park, tennis courts, petting zoo, mini golf course and catch-and-release pool. A number of other activities can be added for an additional fee, from horseback riding and airboat rides to archery. The new spacious luxury glamping tent and teepee sleeps four and comes with concierge service, complimentary use of a golf cart and an en suite bathroom complete with walk-in shower.

4. Adventures Far and Away

Valley of the Sun, Idaho

If you’re looking for something more adventurous than just sleeping in a safari tent, Far and Away Adventures organizes multi-day whitewater rafting tours that can cater to families. When you spend the day rafting along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Owyhee River, or Bruneau River, a team of advanced guides will pre-raft with food and equipment so that by the time you arrive at your riverside campsite, your campsite is ready.

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The tent has raised beds, tables, rugs and night lights for maximum comfort. You can also go on backcountry hikes to waterfalls, and there are educational programs on family trips.

5. Glamping Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

Choose from a bell tent, tree house, or clear dome tent at this glamping site in Asheville. Kids will especially love the two dome tents with sleeping lofts and indoor slides. Some accommodations include additional amenities like grills, fire pits, or hot tubs. This glamping resort is ideal for families looking to hike the surrounding mountains or explore downtown Asheville, which is less than a 20-minute drive away.

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6. Under Canvas of the Great Smoky Mountains

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Just minutes from the Sugarlands entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Pigeon Forge is Under Canvas the Great Smoky Mountains. Luxury camping company Under Canvas has locations throughout the US, and its location in the Smoky Mountains offers luxury safari tents in a variety of layout options. Families can choose from a suite-style tent with a king bed and queen sleeper sofa or a Stargazer tent for adults with a separate kid’s tent. Most layouts include a private bathroom, deck and wood-burning stove.

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At the campground, you’ll enjoy free activities like guided scavenger hunts and hikes, on-site dining, and picnic areas with grills. The Great Smoky Mountains location is an ideal base for a family trip, as it is only 10 minutes from Gatlinburg and provides easy access to vacation spots like Mount Ober, the Gatlinburg Space Needle observation tower, and the two-mile cable car called the Sky Lift.

Additional Under Canvas glamping resorts include locations near Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Columbia River Gorge, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Moab, Mount Rushmore, New Hampshire’s White Mountains, North Yellowstone, West Yellowstone and Zion.

7. Royal Canyon Cabin

Canon City, Colorado

Royal Gorge Cabins offers family glamping tents with double queen beds from April to October. They’re super comfortable (think radiant floor heat, Wi-Fi, power outlets, and private patios and fire rings) while still making it easy to enjoy nearby outdoor activities.

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Glamping tents are just minutes from the highest suspension bridge in the US, not to mention whitewater rafting, fishing, mountain biking, hiking and ziplining in the Royal Gorge and Canon City areas. Other nearby attractions include Garden of the Gods, Broadmoor Seven Falls, Wind Cave Mountain Park, and Manitou Cliff Dwellings.

8. Firelight Camp

Ithaca, New York

At the unique Firelight Camps at La Tourelle Inn & Spa in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, families will feel comfortable in tents with double queen beds and private tent patios. Some glamping tents also have electric heaters, fans, floor lamps and power outlets. Additional amenities include a free continental breakfast as well as a bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from local suppliers, a communal campfire and grill, and activities such as outdoor yoga and wilderness hiking (for an additional fee).

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You’ll have direct access to Buttermilk Falls State Park while staying at the campground, as well as the option to book treatments at the hotel spa. And while the campground provides many reasons to stay, Ithaca is only five minutes away and offers local groceries, cafes, restaurants and an ice cream shop.

9. Tree Bone Resort

Big Sur, California

Big Sur’s premier glamping resort, Treebones Resort Big Sur offers stunning views and plenty of outdoor activities for families with older kids who want to disconnect from Wi-Fi and reconnect with each other on their California vacation. (Kids must be 13 and older to stay.) You can go from the truly rustic (campsites where you bring your own tent) to luxury yurts with ocean views or unique solar-powered “cocoon tents” with 600 square feet of living space, a plush king-size bed, an ensuite bathroom, and a private deck and fire pit with sunset views.

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Rounding out the California glamping experience are a pool and hot tub, massage and yoga offerings, seasonal whale watching, and easy access to Big Sur hiking and beach hopping.

10. Tobacco River Ranch

Eureka, Montana

Experience the true Montana lifestyle with the family at Tobacco River Ranch near the US-Canada border. Thanks to its northern location, you can see the Milky Way and Northern Lights on clear nights at this glamping ranch, where you’ll stay in a renovated cabin or vintage trailer with riverfront views. You can also add a ready-made meal package to your stay.

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Kids will love feeding the farm animals, and the whole family will enjoy paddling or tubing down the Tobacco River. Bicycle rentals are available, and the property is connected to the Pacific Northwest Scenic Trail. Hiking opportunities at the Ten Lakes Scenic Area and Kootenai Falls are also always present. You’ll also find world-class hiking at Stone Hill, two golf courses, lakes for paddling and fishing, a historic town center, and even a life-size replica of Stonehenge nearby.

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