Felicity Long
It’s official. Glamping has come to mountain resorts.
For those who don’t know, the term refers to a newish brand of camping that blends the concepts of an outdoorsy experience, like tents and cookouts, with high-end amenities, such as fine wines and en-suite bathrooms.
Felicity Long
The newest entry into the market is Conestoga Ranch, which opened July 1 in Utah’s Bear Lake, an area known for everything from water sports in summer to skiing nearby in winter.
The 18-acre lakefront property, which can accommodate up to 160 guests, features eight tricked-out glamping tents and 16 Conestogas, or covered wagons, the latter of which are mobile and can be grouped together.
Tents and wagons are equipped with comfy beds and fresh linens, and the tents have bathrooms with hot showers.
There also is a game tent for kids with a ping-pong table, arcade and video games; a main timber-framed lodge with a restaurant and bar; a shake shack that serves ice cream shakes; an all-important Bath House with showers and laundry; and an activities field.
“With glamping’s popularity skyrocketing in the West, my partners and I recognized the potential for an upscale, comfort-camping experience at Bear Lake,” said one of the resort’s founding partners Tom Hedges. “Bear Lake has the perfect blend of family-oriented tourism, mountain and lake recreation, and potential for new development.”
Designed to appeal to families, couples and groups, the resort doesn’t stint on cuisine. The Campfire Grill serves breakfast and dinner, including pizza with heirloom tomatoes and imported cheeses in a wood-burning oven, and whips up gourmet picnic baskets for guests to take along on excursions. Adults can also take advantage of craft beers and a carefully selected wine list.
“We try to source as many ingredients as possible from local producers,” Hedges said. “For example, Bear Lake Beef Company supplies us with rib eye steaks and Kobe-style ground beef. This farm-to-table approach ensures our chefs are working with the freshest ingredients, and it also helps maintain our family-friendly pricing.”
High Lonesome Ranch, located on about 400 acres on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies, is aiming squarely at women with its glamping retreat, offered in conjunction with Frontiers International Travel.
The ranch, which operates as a dude ranch year-round, is located about 45 minutes away from skiing and snowboarding in winter.
Designed not only for girlfriend getaways, but also for moms and daughters and other family combinations, the glamping retreat mixes cowgirl activities, like trail rides and fly fishing, with yoga and spa treatments.
Accommodations range from luxury suites to safari-tent camps, and activities include a full equestrian program, fly-fishing, hiking, mountain biking, nature tours, massage therapy, white-water rafting trips, wild-horse tours, golf, cooking classes, and winery tours.
The four-night retreat starts at $1,845 per person, double.