Published July 3, 2026 04:35 am
As a child I loved the freedom to roam the forests surrounded by the scent of the earth and the vines. But as the lights faded, so did my outdoor adventures. Camping wasn’t my Southern white-gloved mother’s thing, and in that respect, I’m definitely her daughter. Pitching a tent, sleeping on the ground, avoiding birds, and using midnight bushes is not my idea of fun. My forays into the woods were destined to be fleeting.
that’s up to a trip Explora’s Adventure Lodge My perspective changed years ago in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. I woke up to a view of jagged granite towers rising behind an aqua lake. During each day, I rode horseback across iridescent plains and through landscapes that still top my list of spectacular sights. Every evening I returned to the comfort of a hot tub under the stars, a great steak and a glass of earthy Chilean Cabernet.
That trip planted the seeds for my book Wilderness Relaxation: 100+ Delightful Nature Spots, No Roughing RequiredA global guide published earlier this year by Frommers. Features like indoor plumbing and plush bedding help reassure the creature comforts where they can rest and breathe away from the digital noise.
Here are some of my favorite wild retreats in America, featuring chirping birds, rustling trees and fluffy pillows.
Open Sky Zion, Utah
The craggy sandstone faces rising above the narrow Virgin River make Zion National Park one of America’s most dramatic national parks. The topography also makes it feel like one of the most visited places 5 million people To put into the throat every year.
After a day among the crowd, open sky zion Provides welcome respite and privacy. A dusty narrow road passes through gardens, a family farm and a ravine and ends in a small valley. Eleven tan canvas safari tents are pitched among the stones, angled and angled so that neighbors don’t bump into each other. It’s equipped with a capital G: heat and air conditioning, heated bathroom floors, private deck and even more private outdoor shower, Starlink WiFi, and room service. Dinner is served in the intimate, award-winning Black Sage restaurant, featuring cornmeal-crusted walleye, bacon-wrapped meatloaf with Boursin-whipped mashed potatoes and beet-and-burrata salad.
Guests can kayak or paddleboard in the man-made pond or relax on their private deck overlooking the fire pit. The exclusivity isn’t cheap – rates start at around $650 per night – but the scent of juniper and stars in the light-less sky is worth it.
Flamingo Lodge, Florida
At first glance, 1.5 million acres Everglades National Park The south side of Miami can seem overwhelming. A dark brown covering masks its subtle beauty; Sharp grass, snakes and mud can discourage exploration. But The Glades, as the locals call it, is more about function than form. A slow-moving sheet of water slides from the center of Florida to its southern edge, filtering drinking water and creating a nourishing habitat for wild orchids, alligators and myriad birds including spoonbills and flamingos.
To really appreciate this strange and unique ecosystem, you have to hike 38 miles into the heart of the Everglades and stay a night or two at Flamingo in the Heart of the Everglades.
And now, you can. After a hurricane destroyed the former Flamingo Lodge in 2005, overnight stays meant camping or renting a houseboat. In 2019, breathable glamping tents with a bathroom nearby were added to the park. In summer, when mosquitoes swarm, the tents fill up.
By 2024, visitors will have a new year-round air conditioning Flamingo Lodge It has 24 suites overlooking Florida Bay. Each has a living room with a pull-out sofa, small kitchen, separate bedroom and bathroom with tub. The lodge and an adjacent restaurant are built on concrete stilts to minimize sea encroachment.
From here, guests can kayak, stroll through a wooded bluff, and gaze at the stars scattered across the velvety sky over Florida Bay. Even when the temperature is very hot, you can still keep yourself cool.
Clark Farm Silos, Montana
Even in late summer, the peaks of the Rocky Mountains just outside Glacier National Park remain covered in snow. The afternoon sun casts a glow of gold over the grain fields, and as darkness falls over the mountains, poetic phrase America the Beautiful come to life. The surrounding fields are silent except for a screaming cow and a guest warming himself by a fire in the adjacent silo.
Yes, silo. Build one of five cylindrical metal towers once used for grain storage that now house cozy guest accommodations just 30 minutes from the glacier, which is named Clark Farm Silos. Eli Clark brought 160 acres of silo from Idaho on his fifth land– Generation family farm outside Kalispell as a way to diversify revenue. The ground floor of each tower has been converted into an expansive sofa bed, kitchenette and private bathroom. A spiral staircase leads to a loft set with a comfortable king bed that overlooks the living area, with long views of the mountains beyond.
The silos are close enough for an early trip up Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, yet far enough away from the hubbub of the popular lodges within the park. Unlike the historic Macdonald Lake Lodge and many glacier lodges on park property, the silos are open year-round. Most glaciers break in winter 3 million annual visitors Stay away, leaving its 1,500 square miles to bears, elk and big sheep and a few hearty humans.
Moose Meadow Lodge and Treehouse, Vermont
In childhood, trees are the addresses of fairies and castles and invisible magical hideaways from disturbing little siblings. Who says things have to change just because the years go by? Obviously not, this is why Moose Meadow Lodge and Treehouse Waterbury is almost always booked out.
Unlike some treehouses, this two-story log cottage isn’t just nestled among the trunks; It is hung from a pair of mature pines. The expansive balconies are supported by wooden pillars crafted and installed by students from the neighborhood Tomorrow Design/Build School And completed by his trainer Erich Stauffer and his professional team. The interior reflects New England sensibilities: a light is made from deer antlers, a beaver, ducks and trout decorate the walls. The outdoor sink is made from stone found on the property.
The decor may be rustic, but the electrical, plumbing, stairs, and windows are fully up to code. When the weather is hot, guests can stay inside, warmed by the heating stove. But most, as I did, prefer balconies overlooking the private trout pond, where they can daydream with the elves.
Mendocino Grove, California
If a rug on the floor, a warm bed, and a pillow for the dog aren’t enticing enough, the campfire concierge might put you off.
Experienced glampers know that resorts can vary widely. Some include tea craft cocktail bars and chef-driven restaurants. Others are surrounded by tarmac, filled with the noise of cars passing by roadside motels. Mendocino Grove There’s tent camping with the comfort of a proper warm bed in the redwood forest overlooking the Pacific. What it lacks in luxury—no private bathroom or hot shower—This is compensated by the charm of the wild flowers in the bathhouse, sauna, cappuccino bar, kayaks and the yoga platform near the sea. Need a massage or sound-healing session? Mendocino Grove has it covered.
With “easy access” tents on low platforms near the parking lot, the welcoming atmosphere includes couples, families and people with mobility issues. Another bonus is its location; A short walk leads to canoes, the river and the beach, while a two-minute drive ends in plain Mendocino VillagePopulation 574. Take time into town for lunch; Eggs and vegetables taste like they just came out of the earth, because that’s how they came out.
Lone Mountain Ranch, Montana
Gallatin Valley’s historic homes are proof that Dutton Ranch-style living exists beyond the TV screen.
A few miles north of Big Sky’s Gallery & Sushi Bar, Lone Mountain Ranch It has remained as it is for 100 years, because a Chicago industrialist bought this 148-acre land for a vacation during the holidays. Twenty-six log cabins among the pine trees host trail rides, hikes, yoga, archery lessons, or the weekly summer rodeo for couples and families. Most evenings end at Lone Mountain’s Horn and Cantal restaurant, where a stuffed bison head presides over a sophisticated menu featuring tuna tartare, elk and porcini ravioli and smoked cheddar-and-bacon mac and cheese. Of course there’s a bar; Where else would you have your martini?
just south of big sky 320 Guest Ranch is locatedWhich was once owned by a leading female physician. His early 20th century patients came here for the fresh air and simple activities. Today’s visitors come for the same reasons: to cast a line into the oncoming stream. river flows through itTake a gentle horseback ride, nibble on bison short ribs, and gaze out into the galaxy.
Jane Wooldridge loves the outdoors but she hates camping barefoot. His exploration of options included two coast-to-coast cross-country driving trips and visiting every continent. the result is Wilderness Relaxation: 100+ Delightful Nature Spots, No Roughing RequiredPublished this year by Frommers. His work has been honored with the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year award.
