The Best Glampgrounds for Fall Leaf-Peeping
Imagine opening the flap on your glamping tent to an unobstructed view of fall foliage. Those red, orange, yellow and pink leaves are your morning wake-up call and a calming start to the day. Since this is a luxury camping experience, chances are that a spiced latte paired with waffles or pancakes is also on tap.
With cooler, crisper nighttime temperatures than during the summer months, autumn might be the ideal time to fall asleep in a heated safari-style tent. During the day, hike on the property, at local parks or along rivers and simply take in the view. After a glorious sunset, there’s nothing better than toasting marshmallows over a crackling fire to make s’mores. Since these spots are situated away from the city, trees are in abundance, creating the perfect nature-inspired getaway if you’re game for leaf-peeping. For many destinations, fall is the shoulder season, meaning crowds have lessened and the pace has slowed.
Instead of roughing it by pitching a tent and spending the night in a sleeping bag, glamping means walking into a full-on luxury experience with a hotel-like bed (yes, there’s a mattress), wet bar, electricity, private en-suite full bath and a heat source (often in the form of a fireplace). An outdoor deck provides a chill spot for lounging and taking in the foliage. And you never have to light a fire in order to eat: meals are served in a restaurant on property, and staff at some will even get your fire pit going for s’mores so you don’t have to.
From New England to Northern California, these glampgrounds also host fun, immersive events in the fall, such as canoeing, yoga, sound meditation, and guided hikes and bicycling rides. Most of these North American spots remain open through the end of October or November, leaving you time to plan a trip to take in the fall colors. Think about bringing the family dog, too, as most are pet-friendly.
The Best Fall Foliage Glamping in North America
The Resort at Paws Up
- 40060 Paws Up Rd, Greenough, MT 59823
- From $2,050
This newly minted two-Michelin Keys Montana resort just started offering guided mountain bicycling trips on its 10,000-foot Mountain Bike Flow Trail, designed to get you deeper into the foliage. Or, wind down with the new yoga and sound-bowl meditation therapy for the best vibrations with nature. From mid-May to mid-October, the resort offers half a dozen different designs and configurations for one- to two-bedroom tents; Moonlight Camp is the most remote tent site section, offering impressive mountain views, and Pinnacle Camp boasts luxuries that include a copper soaking tub at the foot of the bed. Each camp section dines at a dedicated pavilion for breakfast and dinner.
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
- Bedwell River Valley, Alberni-Clayoquot C, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada From $3,000
Along the banks of Clayoquot Sound, within an old-growth forest, 25 white tents are stocked with furnishings from local designers and views of the waterfront or the rainforest. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the lodge, folding in locally caught seafood and Vancouver Island ingredients. The season runs from late May to late September, and at the glass-walled Ivanhoe, this lounge pours Pacific Northwest wines paired with Bedwell River vistas, and there’s a deck with a fire pit for warm nights. There’s even a spa building, and if you want to explore the area, guided forest hikes range from two to six hours.
Camp Aramoni
- 818 N 2219th Rd, Tonica, IL 61370
- From $450
Located a 15-minute short drive from Illinois’ most-visited state park (Starved Rock State Park) and along the Vermilion River, this three-year-old, 96-acre boutique campground is available to book from mid-April through mid-November. Each of the 11 tents boasts a large bathroom, and a private firepit for roasting s’mores. Cruise around on a loaner bicycle or canoe at Ristokrat Pond. Sparkling vino from local wineries is poured at dinners, and a restored Airstream has been transformed into a cocktail and coffee bar, with daily breakfast—there’s also free wi-fi in all the tents and the bar area. If you like, staff can pack up a picnic for your autumnal journey.
AutoCamp Cape Cod
- 836 Palmer Ave, Falmouth, MA 02540
- From $175
The Cape is no stranger to leaf-peeping travelers, but the lesser-known AutoCamp Cape Cod (open since 2021) puts you closer to the best fall foliage. Set on 14 acres on Cape Cod’s southwesternmost tip, it’s the only AutoCamp on the East Coast. Bookings for the glamping tents are available from late March to late October. You can walk to the beach from your tent or hop onto the Shining Sea Bikeway, a 10.7-mile bicycle path. Among the accommodations are eight luxury tents, and guests have access to a two-story Clubhouse, where an indoor fire pit and farm-to-fork food and cocktails keep things cozy. If you’re hankering to cook over the fire, its General Store sells BBQ kits and s’mores kits. There are also several experiences you can book (some are complimentary, others at an additional charge), including kayaking and stargazing.
Alila Ventana Big Sur
- 48123 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920 | From $240
You’re sure to get in plenty of fall colors and leaf-peeping on the scenic drive to Big Sur, and it only gets better once you’ve arrived. Tucked into a 20-acre redwood canyon in Northern California, each of the 15 tents is open year-round and has access to a modernized communal bathhouse. Take in the natural surroundings from your picnic table or private deck, which features a fire pit, two Adirondack chairs and the opportunity to roast s’mores with fully stocked kits. Coffeemakers gift you with a lazy morning and more time in bed. Hand-held lanterns are a fun, but functional, throwback item to explore the property after dark. You could also add this on as a stop on a longer fall road trip on the Northern California coast.
Under Canvas Acadia
- 702 Surry Rd, Surry, ME 04684
- From $399
This glamping brand only puts guests up in luxury safari-style tents, and intentionally chooses campsites near national parks. The Maine property is set on 100 waterfront acres neighboring Acadia National Park, yielding to 1,200 feet of Atlantic Ocean shoreline. The lobby tents are outfitted with West Elm furnishings, which translates to clean, minimalist lines where nature’s the shining star. Each guest tent—no matter which of the seven design types, including ones with a kids tent and the mammoth Cadillac Mountain Suite, with two baths and capacity for seven campers—features a wood-burning stove and a private deck, providing flexibility for one’s comfort depending on the weather, and you can enjoy local hikes or simply bask on the beach. It’s open between early May and mid-October.
Under Canvas Smoky Mountains
- 1015 Laurel Lick Rd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37862
- From $199
Set on 182 acres a 10-minute drive from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Tennessee property’s experience coordinators help curate a leaf-peeping adventure in the area. And then, of course, there’s the region’s misty blue-tinted skies. Other on-site activities include morning yoga and live music. Like the Maine property, the common spaces are furnished with West Elm wares. Among the nine tent types are a few with an adjacent kids’ tent for family-friendly travel. The season is a bit longer here; this one is open for stays between early April and early December.
Big Cedar Lodge
- 190 Top of the Rock Rd, Ridgedale, MO 65739
- From $300
Accommodations at this 4,600-acre resort in the Ozarks include glamping tents at Camp Long Creek, overlooking Table Rock Lake. Open from early April to late October, each flaunts a chandelier for some surprising bling—and an outdoor soaking hot tub, so you can bathe under the stars. Outside of their tents, guests have access to fishing, an infinity-edge pool, pontoon rides, boat rentals, dinner cruises and a bocce ball court. You don’t have to lift a finger to prepare your own meals or grab a drink as those are served at the 14 eateries and bars on property, including a converted vintage Airstream, a wine cellar, poolside grill, frozen-custard shop, steakhouse and weekend brunch buffet.
Backland Luxury Camping
- 6929 E Rosilda Spgs Rd, Williams, AZ 86046
- From $361
This 160-acre property surrounded by National Forest lands in Arizona features 10 glamping tents, which are available to book from early March to late December. New this year, Harvest Picnic Baskets can be packed for guests to eat after a hike on property. Learn more about the night sky through the resort’s telescope and end the evening enjoying nightly turndown s’mores over a fire pit. The property also books guided hiking trail trips at nearby Antelope Canyon and Grand Canyon National Park. Breakfast is continental style and dinner is served in the glass-walled restaurant, with lunch boxes available to order.
Collective Retreats Governors Island
- 825 Gresham Rd, New York, NY 10004
- From $310
You don’t have to go to the Catskills or elsewhere in upstate New York for a camping trip—only an eight-minute ferry ride separates this 173-acre glamping retreat from Manhattan. Some of the tents, which are reservable for stays between early May and mid-November, are equipped with luxury perks like 1,500-thread-count bedsheets and a walk-in shower, and all have a private deck and bath. Activities at the property include sunrise yoga, lawn games, bicycle rides and sunset cocktails (paired with farm-to-retreat dinners) on the terrace. Wake up to an in-tent breakfast and wind down the night with s’mores at a community campfire. Governors Island is also completely car-free, making it an ideal camping destination away from it all.