With direct flights by Aer Lingus to San Francisco and LA, you may be California Dreamin’. Why not wing your way to the West Coast and camp in California? Here’s some itinerary inspiration for glamping destinations. Don’t forget to check out our interview with Chuck Davison (CEO & President of Visit SLO CAL in California) to find out more about a Pacific Coast road trip from LA to San Fran and what you can experience over there.
Five great glamping destinations in California
Get the starry nights, campfire stories, cosy bed, and all the best parts of glamping in some of California’s most beautiful settings. These destinations provide the best of both worlds – a back-to-nature break from everyday life, but enough comfort that guests won’t wake with a sore back and covered in mosquito bites. Take a look at five fabulous glamping destinations in California.
Tule Ranch, Morgan Hill
About an hour south of San Francisco, Tule Ranch is a working, family-owned eco-ranch that offers leisurely tours where guests can pitch in on all aspects of the operation. There is an opportunity to help out by feeding the livestock, grooming quarter horses, or stocking livestock water with mosquito-devouring goldfish. It also has a single, dream-worthy glampsite set on the tip of the San Francisco Bay Peninsula. This uniquely private setting, perfect for a solo getaway for couples, offers sweeping views, a wine-barrel sun shower, deck, swinging chair, and bed linens amidst ancient oaks and rolling hills. Visitors can explore Morgan Hill and the surrounding Silicon Valley area to discover wineries, breweries, a farmers’ market, and the up-and-coming downtown.
KOA Ventura Ranch, Heritage Valley
With zip lines, climbing walls, teepees, and deluxe cabins, KOA Ventura Ranch isn’t the typical just-off-the-highway group campground. Tucked into the coastal hills of Santa Paula, a little over an hour north of Los Angeles in Heritage Valley, this family-friendly destination is part of the nationwide KOA chain. Guests can stay in a teepee that accommodates up to eight people. The grounds are so spread out here that some visitors opt to zip around on motorbikes or golf carts that are available for rent. In addition to the teepees there are deluxe and studio cabins with partial kitchens, A/C, coffee makers, and WiFi.
AutoCamp, multiple locations
AutoCamp is a luxury tent hotel in multiple locations including Joshua Tree or outside Yosemite National Park. Several of the sleek, vintage trailers are fully outfitted, with a little deck, a gadget-filled kitchen, and cosy quilts for snuggling. In Sonoma, visitors can walk down to the Russian River to swim or canoe, play lawn games, or lounge by a fire pit inside or outside the mid-century-modern-style clubhouse.
Treebones Resort, Big Sur
Along the spectacular Big Sur coast, there’s a unique glamping experience, Treebones Resort, with 16 yurts perched on redwood platforms, each with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. This is just over an hour north of Morrow Bay in SLOCAL.
Visitors can step inside for surprisingly swanky touches, such as queen-size beds and cushy couches, plus sinks, heaters, and electric lights. Outside, deck chairs provide the perfect vantage point for jaw-dropping sunsets. Other truly unique options include the Human Nest and Twig Hut, “wood-art” installations that up to two people can sleep in. At the other end of the luxury spectrum is the solar-powered 500-square-foot “autonomous tent,“ a cocoon-like structure that includes a private deck, claw-foot shower, king-size bed, gas fireplace, and outdoor fire pit.
Sequoia High Sierra Camp, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Located on Sequoia National Forest land between Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park, roughly a four-hour drive south of Yosemite Valley, is the remote Sequoia High Sierra Camp, a wilderness site where guests snuggle up in off-the-grid tent-cabins. This is glamping in truly exceptional California style: Dinners are five-course, open-air affairs prepared by a gourmet chef, and canvas tents are outfitted with luxurious rugs, feather duvets, and woollen blankets on cosy beds. In addition, there are stunning views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada just outside the tent. Upon the return to camp, guests can take a hot outdoor shower under a canopy of sequoia branches and enjoy the unforgettable view of blue sky (or starry skies) above.
Road Trip Recommendations to Whet Your Appetite
Looking for a road trip along California’s Pacific Coast or some itinerary inspiration along the route from LA to San Francisco, check out our interview with Chuck Davison, President & CEO of Visit SLO CAL in California.
Please visit www.visitcalifornia.com for more information.
