Glamping & Treehouses

Despite its newfound popularity, glamping has been around a long, long time.

Glamping – an unlikely mash-up of ‘glamourous’ and ‘camping’ – was once a thing with medieval monarchs, who took the field with all kinds of exotic tentage. Then came safari folks, who roamed the African veldt and the American West along with servants and furniture. The urge to get back to nature – all while being pretty darned comfortable – is hard to break.

Today, glamping ranges from nice and comfy to seriously over the top. Some spots offer nice beds in wall tents with wood stoves in a woody environment; others up the game with snazzy shelters with butlers.

At Under Canvas in Surrey, stay in airy tents along the oceanfront near Acadia National Park. You’ll hardly be roughing it as you enjoy plush amenities like king-size beds, organic bath products and wood-burning stoves, but you’ll get all the perks of camping, from s’mores by the fire to incredible stargazing. Or consider Huttopia Southern Maine in Sanford. Part of an international company, Huttopia Southern Maine is a vacation village of wall tents with a restaurant and pool. Sandy Pines Camping, in coastal Kennebunkport, offers tents with unique designs (some with chandeliers!) along with lodging options like Conestoga wagons. Sandy Pines has games, a pool, a snack bar and general store. Tops’l Farm in the MidCoast town of Waldoboro, is an 83-acre farm and retreat center with tents, a multi-purpose yurt and concierge services. They host wedding and corporate events as well as a summer dinner series on Medomak River. In the DownEast & Acadia region, the dog-friendly Terramor Outdoor Resort in Bar Harbor offers nifty wall tents with lots of extras, an airy central lodge and a wide choice of meals. 1 Big Sustainable Island has glamping options including a gorgeous yurt and cozy A-frame, luxury tents and a floating waterhouse, all on a 14-acre island.

How about staying in a yurt? These round, semi-permanent shelters are popping up everywhere. Acadia Yurts and Wellness Center, in the town of Southwest Harbor, is on Mt. Desert Island, like much of Acadia National Park. Acadia Yurts offers some well-appointed yurts (kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems) along with services such as yoga, sauna, massage therapy and a float room at the wellness center. Another rustic-yet-relaxing retreat near Acadia National Park is Acadia Wilderness Lodge in West Tremont. Featuring a whimsical “yurt village,” you’ll have no trouble making yourself at home in the multi-room yurts, with comforts such as an indoor fireplace, full bathroom, comfy bedding, spa-like bathroom amenities (think soaking tub and essential oil diffuser) and even optional grocery service. The Maine Forest Yurts, in the town of Durham (near Freeport), are tucked away on over 100 acres of woods. The kid-and-pet-friendly yurts are open year-round. Folks who stay there can do everything from kayaking on adjacent Runaround Pond to cross-country skiing.