Camping season is right around the corner. I have never been much of a camper, but it truly is a great family bonding activity. I’ll admit that my curiosity was piqued when the glamping craze caught on. Since then, I have ditched my open-toed shoes and champagne for hiking boots and sparkling bubbles in a can to merge my love of being comfortable indoors by a fire and Netflix with my love for being only slightly uncomfortable outdoors with good company and bug spray in hand.
Here is a round-up of some of the most luxe camping sites in the Northeast. Some are tried and true, while others remain on our family travel bucket list.
Eastwind Hotel and Bar has locations in the Catskills and Adirondacks. Eastwind offers “Lushna” cabins and cabin suites. Cabins come with private bathrooms and jaw-dropping nature views. Skylight roofed showers are one of the main features. There is an onsite lounge and bar with a seasonal menu and daily light fare offerings. Other luxe amenities include two wood barrel saunas, hammocks, firepits, and smore kits.
Camp Here Here is located in the Catskills hamlet of West Fulton, NY. Amenities include a full-service bar, a farm-to-table vegetarian mess hall opened on weekends, a high-end camp-style communal bathhouse, and a communal kitchen for cooking. Each tent has a wood stove for heat. Owner and host Kat Schaufelberger offers hospitality at its best.
Collective Retreats has Northeast locations in Governor’s Island and Green Mountains, Vermont. They also have locations in Vail, Colorado; Big Sky, Montana; and Sonoma, CA. All ready-made tents offer electricity and linens. They offer different activities at their various locations (i.e., in-tent breakfasts, in-tent massages, culinary classes, and gourmet dining overlooking the Statue of Liberty, to name a few.) Standard bell tents have shared bathrooms, while a few luxury tents offer en suite bathrooms. Individually designed accommodations are appointed with locally sourced décor.
Gather Greene is tucked away in the Catskill, NY, village of Coxsackie. This nature retreat offers cabins, solitude, and privacy. Known as an upscale event venue for most of the season, they host weddings, photo shoots, and group events.
Gatherwild Ranch is located in Germantown, NY, on a 15-acre apple orchard in the Hudson Valley. They offer unique cabins and bell tents and are reopening in Spring 2023.
Firelight Camps are located in Ithaca, NY. Co-founder Emma Frisch was a top finalist on season 10 of “Food Network Star” and has her own cookbook. You’ll find tents with hardwood floors equipped with battery-powered lanterns, writer’s desks, rocking chairs, and a complimentary locally sourced breakfast. Bathhouses are a two-minute walk from the tents. It also hosts a bar and provision store with trail snacks.
Terra Glamping has 30 safari-style tents on the waterfront in East Hampton, NY. This “glamping pop-up” without Wifi offers continental breakfast and tents stocked with games and cards.
Under Canvas (Acadia). All tents have king-size beds, West Elm patio furnishings, private bathrooms, and private decks with wood-burning stoves. The Acadia location offers live music, onsite dining options, bar morning yoga, and kids’ activities.
Honorable mentions are Sandy Pine Campground and Getaway.
