Short for glamorous camping, the term glamping refers to resort-style accommodations in scenic destinations that provide guests easy access to the outdoors. Also known as “boutique camping”, glamping combines all the amenities and creature comforts of the indoors (gourmet meals, cozy beds, heat and AC, and of course, proper bathrooms) with an opportunity to immerse yourself in the outdoors’ restorative effects or go off and seek adventure. Canvas tents, bell tents, and yurts for glamping are most common, though the Golden State has so much more to offer. Visitors can also stay in an Airstream trailer or a treehouse—both valid glamping accommodations if you stretch the definition just a bit.
Whatever your prerogative, glamping is ideal for your brunch-loving, camp-curious crew or even new outdoorists who aren’t ready to make the jump from soft, cozy bed to cold, hard ground—no judgement here!—but still crave a proper adventure. It’s the perfect compromise that comes with the added benefit of experiencing unique design and the great outdoors all at once.
Over the years, this more deluxe mode of escapism has graduated from a popular trend to a mainstay of adventure travel, but a little known fact reveals that today’s form of glamping is really just a modern take on something that is centuries-old. In the early 1920s, wealthy travelers from Britain and the US would go on an African safari in the classic canvas tents that are still commonly used in glamping today. Go even further back in time and you’ll find historical records of royalty who galavanted all over the globe in lavish, palatial tents.
With colonizers and monarchs (mostly) behind us, glamping today is a popular and more inclusive way to travel to destinations like California, a world-class outdoor adventure hub with luxe glamping resorts and mom-and-pop options for everyone. From its sun-drenched southern beaches and lush Mendocino Coast to the desert landscapes of Palm Springs & Joshua Tree, ancient Yosemite Valley forests, and year-round fun of Lake Tahoe and the High Sierra, California has something to offer every taste. Skip the crowds and any chance of heat by visiting from September through October when it’s pleasantly warm (not too hot) and sunny statewide—and conveniently, harvest season in Napa Valley.
Read on for our top picks for the best open-air escapes, expertly vetted, highly curated, and divided by region.
Field Mag's Top California Glamping Destinations
Best Northern California Glamping
- Waldhaus Retreat — La Honda, CA
- Running Springs Ranch — Ukiah, CA
- Pinecone Treehouse — Bonny Doon, CA
- Wildhaven — Sonoma, CA
- Treehouse in Vineyard — Los Gatos, CA
Best California Coast Glamping Spots
- Glamping Tent — Soquel, CA
- 1972 Airstream — Atascadero, CA
- Ventana Big Sur — Big Sur, CA
- Spartan Trailer — Arroyo Grande, CA
- El Capitan Canyon — Santa Barbara, CA
Best Southern California Glamping
- La Boheme — Los Angeles, CA
- Bohemian Bus — Ojai, CA
- Pool Ranch — Borrego Springs, CA
- Blue Sky Center — New Cayuma, CA
- Cuyama Badlands — Cuyama, CA
Best Luxury California Glamping Locations
- Bad Moon — Idyllwild, CA
- Mendocino Grove — Mendocino, CA
- Wylder Hope Valley — Hope Valley, CA
- Treebones Resort — Big Sur, CA
- Autocamp Yosemite — Yosemite, CA
