Camping is lovely, save for the rocks, bugs, humidity and random terrifying wildlife encounters during the night. But during the age of Coronavirus, domestic camping is both socially distant enough to be safe and, frankly, one of the few options left to actually travel.
Instead of signing up for a sore back and armfuls of mosquito bites, book a comfortable camping experience with your family in the great outdoors, in extreme comfort and, in some cases, incredible luxury. Here are 11 outdoorsy but comfy alternatives to camping, each perfect for Coronavirus travel. So pack up a 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, the ideal ride for the highways to get close and the off-road trails to get there, no matter where there is for you this year.
The Mohicans Treehouses
One way to bypass the discomfort of being on the ground in a sleeping bag is to rise high up off the dirt! That’s literally what The Mohicans offers via their stunning treehouses in central Ohio, two of which were designed by Pete Nelson, star of Discovery Channels’ hit series “Treehouse Masters”.
The majority of the treehouses sleep four in a bedroom and a loft, and all feature intricate wood construction and marvelous naturalistic touches like the beautiful bridge from the hillside you’ll walk across to enter White Oak, the first treehouse of The Mohicans, and the long wobbly bridge going from metal spiral staircase to the elegant Tin Shed treehouse.
The newest treehouse is the Airstream and the name says it all — an actual Airstream Land Yacht trailer…in a tree!
All of the treehouses include linens, towels, full bathrooms + a private outdoor shower, heat and air conditioning. You will have all the creature comforts, minus a cell signal (although I was able to stream an entire live Fulham FC football match on my phone with AT&T service during a recent stay) — but who needs that when you have the stunning Mohican Valley with which to connect!
Lone Mountain Ranch
Possibly the most luxurious camping-but-not-at-all-camping option in Montana is sandwiched idyllically between Big Sky and the West Yellowstone entrance of America’s 1st national park. On site at Lone Mountain Ranch are a slew of stunning log cabins, each appointed with fine amenities, huge four poster beds that are the antithesis of a sleeping bag on the ground, a turntable with a stack of vinyl from the likes of Merle Haggard and Van Morrison, and bathrooms with heated tile floors.
An hour south by car and you are in Yellowstone, but just 20 minutes on a horse drawn carriage at the Ranch and you are enjoying Lone Mountain’s famous Sleigh Ride dinner in a candlelit cabin set among towering conifers. This place is magic, pure comfy outdoorsy magic far, far away from everything that ails you.
Royal Gorge Cabins
A neighborhood cluster of spiffy new deluxe bi-level cabins and evocative glamping tents highlight this superbly comfy alternative to camping during Coronavirus in Cañon City, Colorado. The property’s restaurant is ready to serve three meals a day, a four-story ropes course and mini golf are also just across the street, and stellar whitewater rafting (Class I-IV available) through the picturesque Bighorn Sheep Canyon along the Arkansas River with expert guides of Echo Canyon River Expeditions is nearby and can be arranged by Royal Gorge Cabins. Whether you ride the historic Royal Gorge Route Railroad, horseback into the Garden of the Gods, or go skydiving with views of the Rocky Mountains as you plummet back to Earth, you will have a plush and luxurious cabin beneath the dark night sky to call home during your Colorado comfy camping vacation.
West Glacier KOA
As a general rule, all KOA cabins are a superb, comfortable alternative to camping but the level of comfy varies from site to site. Located just a stone’s throw from the preferred west entrance of arguably the most glorious national park of the 61 in the NPS is the home of huge, fantastic lodges perfect for a family vacation to Glacier National Park.
The West Glacier KOA is a stellar site with a pool, a bevy of coin operated laundry facilities, and charming bi-level wood cabins that will provide a stellar night’s sleep (with all the necessary lines, plates and silverware too) before spending a day driving Going-To-The-Sun Road and hiking in the park.
Whispering Winds Cottages
If you fancy your outdoorsy accommodations a little more on the a dainty side than rustic (raises hands), this darling batch of cottages just down the road from Mount Rushmore in Hill City, South Dakota and near enough to Theodore Roosevelt and Badlands National Parks, and the marvelous Custer State Park, to warrant using Whispering Winds Cottages as your homebase for outdoor Dakota adventures, is going to be the brightest gem in your family vacation crown. Perfectly clean, elegantly appointed, and extremely comfortable, any of the Whispering Winds’ affordable cottages will whisk you away to dream land and see you rise refreshed in the morning without any of the aches and pains typically associated with camping.
The Depot Lodge
Glamping doesn’t get much more glamorous than this darling property in the foothills of Virginia’s Alleghany Mountains. Choose to stay in a renovated authentic Norfolk & Western caboose, a genuine silver bullet 26’ Airstream Trailer with all the retro refurbished touches you can imagine, or an actual glamping tent complete with a high-ceiling, chandelier lightening and best of all, your own fully-appointed private bathroom. The Depot Lodge offers families a true comfy alternative to camping during Coronavirus and a dreamy backdrop to make your Instagram friends and followers totes jealous.
Ventana Resort and Glamping
Whether you opt for one of the glamping tents or set down roots inside the resort itself, the outside will always be a part of your stay at this upscale Big Sur alternative to traditional camping. Each tent is stocked with fine linens, a basket with s’mores kit, mugs, tea, cutting board, cheese knife, bottle opener and wine glasses, hot-water bottles for heating your bed, and electric lamps and power outlets with USB ports for charging all of your devices. Sure, Ventana isn’t your, “hey let’s go camping this weekend” spur of the moment destination but when you want to plug into the great outdoors and come away with special memories instead of sore body parts, this is your dreamiest escape.
Mojave Desert Glamping Eco-Pod
This set of three secluded, comfy camping eco-pods are the best way to experience the magnificent night sky above the Mojave Desert in California devoid of all light pollution and possible the best camping during Coronavirus because socially distant is always on the menu at a Mojave Desert Eco-Pod. Small, charming, totally Instagram-able and WITH a private bathroom, each unit features comfortable beds, linens, and TVs with digital antennae, not that you’ll need it — because the best show to watch is on 24/7 just outside your pod’s huge windows. An epic and comfy desert camping adventure awaits you and your family!
Conestoga Ranch
Situated north of Salt Lake City, on Bear Lake by Utah’s border with Idaho is a one-of-a-kind comfy camping experience called Conestoga Ranch. Your kids will never forget the time they spent a family vacation hitched up in an old fashion chuck wagon, in bunk beds beneath the canvas lid of a 19th-century style conestoga wagon. During the day, take complimentary cruiser bikes out for a spin to see the sights then wash off in the ranch’s bathhouse. It has luxurious rainfall shower heads, and is stocked with towels, shampoo, conditioner, and soaps. When the sun goes down, live the pioneer life 21st-century style with your kids in a circle of Adirondack chairs, among the picturesque wagons, making s’mores by a shared fire pit under the stars.
Ingalls Homestead
Back in South Dakota, just above Sioux Falls, is another and an authentic (read: not glamping) covered wagon camping experience that will transport you back to the prairie days…with a bit more of the comfort and modern conveniences we expect today. Ingalls Homestead is part living pioneer history museum, part prairie life ‘theme park’ with the chance to make a corn cob doll, drive a pony cart, play in a real one-room school house, learn hay twisting and wheat grinding, make a jump rope and clean clothes on a washboard! 1880’s life comes alive again for just $60 a night in eastern South Dakota.
Mendocino Grove
Located on the Pacific coast, just 167 miles up scenic California Route 1 from the heart of San Francisco is the upscale campground Mendocino Grove perfect for those who want to ‘kinda’ rough it out in nature. Stay in a tented cabin and sleep atop of a comfy bed (with bunk bed for the kiddos) during an outdoorsy NoCal retreat that will see you just 5 minute drive to the redwood forests, ocean beach or into the village of Mendocino.
Saturday morning yoga is offered on a redwood deck for just $10 and free guided weekend AM hikes with a local naturalist are the ideal way to ease into a new day at this glorious glamping site. Horse shoes, bocce ball and board games are available on site and a short stroll down to Big River leads to opportunities for kayaking, canoeing or trying your hand at a bit of mountain biking. If all of that sounds too strenuous for your family’s luxurious camping adventure, complete the unplugged puzzle by cozying up with a book or for some much deserved shuteye in a hammock at Mendocino Grove.
Travel has changed dramatically because of the pandemic but with comfy camping during Coronavirus you can still explore America, stay safe, and leave at least some of your worries behind.
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