Camping isn’t for everyone. That’s especially true for folks living in the Pacific Northwest, where unpredictable weather and the starting costs for quality gear can be daunting. But do you know what can be for everyone? Glamping.
While the definition of glamping varies, it can generally be described as camping ornamented with amenities and comforts, such as beds, indoor plumbing, and electricity, that aren’t typically available with traditional camping setups.
According to a Kampgrounds of America report, glamping is growing in popularity. It also found that in 2024, more than half of new campers preferred sites that offered a full range of amenities.
The convenient alternative’s rise in notoriety can be attributed to several things: its appeal to families and individuals seeking comfort; minimal gear requirements; cost-effectiveness compared to hotels and resorts; reliable pet-friendliness; accessibility; and access to nature without the sometimes-uncomfortable downsides of “roughing it.”
Speaking of roughing it: While some glamping accommodations prize sturdy and spacious tents atop wooden platforms or heated pop-up domes, some places have more unique quarters that take things to the next level.
Below, you’ll find a range of options, including thoughtfully designed minimalist huts, treehouses, and more that offer a comfortable spin on the traditional camping experience.
Methow Valley’s Herd of Rolling Huts
For those who prefer the comfort of four walls, consider Methow Valley’s minimalist Rolling Huts. The huts are designed by Tom Kundig of Olson Kundig, an award-winning architectural firm based in Seattle that emphasizes thoughtful, sensory, and functional design. The huts are grouped in a “herd-like” manner but with enough space in between to offer privacy, and each comes equipped with a small refrigerator, electric tea kettle, microwave, fireplace, queen-size sleeping platform, modular living area that can be reconfigured into a double sleeping platform, and limited Wi-Fi. Each hut has an adjacent portable toilet, and full bathrooms and showers are located just a short distance away. “These spaces were designed for a different kind of connection,” the accommodation’s website reads. “No TV. No streaming. Just the quiet of the valley, a warm fire, and time to stretch out.” Rates begin at about $180–$200 per night.
Treehouse Point in Fall City
Nested among the trees of Fall City sits Treehouse Point, a destination where guests can stay among the canopy in one of its seven bespoke treehouses. The property officially began its treehouse stays more than 20 years ago with its well-known Temple of the Blue Moon structure, which features a private balcony, queen-size bed, and a small bathroom. Over the years, Nelson Treehouse and Supply has added six additional treehouses that all contain unique features such as floor-to-ceiling windows, fireplaces, roofs with prime acoustics for rainfall, and more. While many of the treehouses have toilets, the property also includes a centrally located bathhouse with two private showers, heated floors, and an outdoor shower for the warmer months. Prices vary from $309 to $579 per night, depending on the treehouse.
An Island Getaway at Lakedale Resort
At San Juan Island’s Lakedale Resort, guests have more than 82 acres to roam and around 40 acres of water to float, if they so desire. The resort’s glamping accommodations include two choices: a canvas cottage and a duplex canvas cabin. The former option includes a lakefront site suitable for four people. Each cottage includes a king-size bed fitted with a cozy flannel duvet, a daybed, a full bathroom and shower, and electricity. The latter option, the Duplex Canvas Cabin, is more suitable for two families and includes side-by-side canvas cabins. The San Juan getaway also features seven 24-foot-diameter yurts on site.
Lakedale’s “glamp-ground” is open between May and September. Each stay includes a complimentary continental breakfast in the resort’s communal “mess tent.” While no pets are allowed in the canvas accommodations, furry friends are welcome in the site’s log cabins. Stays begin at $299 per night.
Experience ‘Forest Cocooning’ Near Olympic National Park
Menizei is a tranquil luxury campground burrowed in the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula, perched above the Pacific Ocean.
The destination is adults-only and aimed toward couples looking for a calming seaside escape. Menzei owner Janice Wilson coined the term “forest cocooning,” an activity she specifies as “a travel wellness wake-up call designed to help couples ditch the urban grind and reconnect with nature and each other.” What the blackout canvas tent campground lacks in Wi-Fi, it makes up for in amenities like king beds, velvety linens, luxe Toto bidets, an electric sauna, and a floating bathhouse. Each year, the destination opens its calendar on Valentine’s Day for reservations between April 1 and Oct. 31. Rates start at $529 a night.