No other kind of resort does rustic luxury quite as well as a good glampground. And with the arrival of a handful of design-forward properties in the last few years, Northern California is now home to some of the best glamping around.
From Big Sur’s OG Treebones Resort to the new tents at Dawn Ranch, our favorite glampgrounds aren’t just ideal for summer, they are great escapes year-round.
Dawn Ranch
Guerneville's century-old stay Dawn Ranch got a glow-up last year. This summer, the lovely wooded retreat pulled back the canvas on its new glamping experience for enhanced immersion into its natural surrounds. While the property's meadow chalets are lovely, of course, the king tents, which are tucked away on an old fruit orchard, have the old fashioned summer camp vibes we want for a sunny weekend on the Russian River—but with elevated style to suit our grown-up tastes. While the queen tents each have their own full bathrooms, the larger kings share a common and sparkling clean bathhouse clad in cedar and stocked with Le Labo products. Roll out your mat for morning yoga in the meadow, take a free kayak out on the river, or walk a couple blocks down the main drag for ice cream at Nimble & Finn's. Note that these tents are stocked with coffee, tea, and a few small snacks, but there's no fridge or cooking allowed. Plan to dine out—nearby Boon Eat + Drink is Guerneville's best.
// 7x7 Social Club members will receive 20 percent off glamping stays beginning in July plus 10 percent off spa bookings; Dawn Ranch, 16467 CA-116 (Guerneville), dawnranch.com.
Wildhaven: Safari Tents on the Russian River
With heaters, fans, and covered porches, the safari-style tents and cabins at Healdsburg’s Wildhaven toe the line between creature comfort and the great outdoors. Laid out along the Russian River, each tent comes with a personal fire pit, picnic table and patio furniture (pro tip: snag one on the river bank to get a two-person hammock, too). The 10-acre property also features a communal outdoor kitchen, complimentary wifi, regular events like yoga and live music, and a general store stocked with enough wine, beer, and cheese to last for days. If you love the property but wish it were a little more mountainy, you’re in luck: The recently opened Wildhaven Yosemite offers both safari tents and cabins just outside the national park in Mariposa.
// 2411 Alexander Valley Rd. (Healdsburg), wildhavensonoma.com;; 4808 Hwy 140 (Mariposa), wildhavenyosemite.com
AutoCamp: Retro Airstreams + More in Guerneville and Yosemite
AutoCamp, the country’s most popular glampground outfit, has three locations within a few hours of the city. You’ll find the first in Midpines not far from Yosemite, with a collection of vintage Airstreams, luxury tents, and classic cabins with porch swings. The second, AutoCamp Russian River, has the same great stays (instead of cabins, they have retro sleeping campers) among the redwoods in Guerneville. AutoCamp Sequoia is the most recent addition to the brand's estate, with airstreams that are almost within spitting distance of Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park. While the properties offer different amenities—Yosemite and Sequoia revolve around a mid-century modern clubhouse and swimming pool while Russian River offers complimentary Linus bikes—wifi, coffee, and tea is complimentary at both.
// AutoCamp Yosemite, 6323 CA-140 (Midpines), autocamp.com/yosemite; AutoCamp Russian River, 14120 Old Cazadero Rd. (Guerneville), autocamp.com/russian-river; AutoCamp Sequoia, 40457 Sierra Dr. (Three Rivers), autocamp.com/sequoia
Treebones Resort: The Yurt Resort in Big Sur
(Courtesy of @treebonesresort)
Treebones was glamping before the term was even coined. Opened in 2004, this 10-plus-acre resort in Big Sur features yurts, some with full ocean views, and stunning autonomous tents, seaside lodgings with full bathrooms, front porches with fire pits, and canvas frames that glow at night. Bring-your-own-tent sites are also available, including at the human nest and twig hut, and two unusual wood constructions built by local artist Jayson Fann. Two restaurants on site, The Lodge and Wild Coast Sushi Bar, and daily morning yoga will keep you full and well-balanced throughout your stay.
// 71895 Hwy 1 (South Big Sur), treebonesresort.com
Sequoia High Sierra Camp: Furnished Tents + Full Meals at Giant Sequoia National Monument
(Courtesy of Sequoia High Sierra Camp)
Perched above Kings Canyon National Park, the hike-in Sequoia High Sierra Camp features more than 30 canvas tent cabins gussied up with artisan furniture, plush mattresses, and down pillows. A bathhouse provides hot showers and flush toilets, and there's an open air yoga pavilion to stretch out in. Every overnight stay at the environmentally low-impact resort also includes three square meals a day, including a full mountain breakfast buffet, a pack-your-own picnic lunch, and a "casually elegant" communal dinner.
// Open mid-June through mid-September only;65745 Big Meadow Rd. (Giant Sequoia National Monument), thesequoiahighserracamp.com
Ventana Big Sur: Luxurious Glamping on the P.C.H.
(Courtesy of @ventanabigsur)
Glamping goes next level at Alila Ventana Big Sur, the luxurious resort on the Pacific Coast Highway’s most iconic stretch. The 20-acre canyon features Instagram-perfect elevated canvas tent cabins, each with electricity and USB ports, private porches, built-in fire pits, Adirondack chairs, and picnic tables. If you need something—firewood, s’mores kits, a bottle of wine— just use the glampground’s communication system, Zingle. For a more affordable option, try Ventana’s more basic campground, which has 63 campsites available.
// 48123 Hwy 1 (Big Sur), ventanabigsur.com/glamping
