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Go Glamping in a Winter Wonderland

Sunlight sparkles on the snow like diamonds as you snowshoe along the trail. Later, you’ll warm frosty toes by the fire and reminisce on a day spent in a winter wonderland. Does the thought of winter glamping make your blood freeze? Think again.

You’ll find standard winter activities like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding and sleigh riding at most winter glamping destinations. But it’s the accommodations and location that make each experience unique. From yurts to luxury log cabins, winter glamping is available for all budgets; and there are plenty of woodstoves and fireplaces to warm you up.

Image Credit: Blue Sky Ranch
Antelope Yurt at Blue Sky Ranch

At Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Utah, one Norwegian yurt sits at the top of a hill overlooking the Wasatch Mountains and Deer Valley Park. The world-class view includes 3,300 acres of diverse terrain and not another soul except whomever you’ve brought with you. Powered by solar, LED and wood stove, the yurt includes a propane grill – yes, you’ll be cooking – and outdoor fire pit. Most importantly, an enclosed compost toilet is adjacent to the yurt, although you can walk through the snow to the outhouse if you prefer. Winter horseback riding to a mountain tavern for lunch and yoga snowshoeing are two of Blue Sky Ranch’s unique winter adventures.

Tipi at Ontario Winter Camping
Glamping Tipi at Ontario Winter Camping

You’ll be sleeping on a cushy bed of evergreens at Atelier Arboreal on an Ontario Winter Camping trip. Stay in wood-heated teepees or yurts located at the base of the Bruce Peninsula. Warm up in the log sauna after a day of snowshoeing in the Colpoys Range. Rates include meals and Ontario wines. And your luggage arrives via sleds.

Whitepod's Dome Glamping
Domes at Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel & Alpine Experience

In Valais, Switzerland, go glamping in a geodesic dome. At the Whitepod Hotel, your pod is equipped with wood-burning stove, organic luxury bedding, king size bed and full-service bathroom with a small electric heater. Breakfast (both hot and cold buffet) is served at the Pod-house. Dinner is available at Les Cerniers restaurant. Enjoy a day of skiing on Whitepod’s private slopes.

Luxury Glamping Cabins at The Resort at Paws Up
Luxury Glamping Cabins at The Resort at Paws Up

Glamping goes high end at The Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana, where winter accommodations are in luxurious log homes. Fine dining combined with a 37,000-acre playground makes the experience unforgettable. Don’t miss the sleigh ride complete with the jingle jangle of sleigh bells. Have a yen for downhill skiing? Paws Up will arrange it for you at nearby Whitefish.

Alaska's Log Cabin Wilderness Lodge
Alaska’s Log Cabin Wilderness Lodge

A winter glamping trip to Log Cabin Wilderness Lodge near Tok, Alaska, provides the chance to view the northern lights so bring your camera. Log cabin accommodations come with full baths and the rate includes breakfast and lunch. After a day of winter adventuring, swap stories with lodge guests in the wood-fired hot tub or sauna.

So what are you waiting for? All of the glamping locations mentioned provide plenty of winter activities plus that all-important cozy fire.

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Pine Mountain Camp California

If you’re looking for a great glamping option for a group retreat or get-together, a peaceful place for an intimate wedding, a place that’s relaxing and allows guests to reconnect with nature, a place that not only provides tranquility and seclusion but also great recreational opportunities if a guest should be so inclined,
I have a couple of places to present to you. Each of these places is great for family gatherings, religious and corporate retreats, weddings, and both have had their share of high-powered celebrity guests. I would also consider both as exquisite glamping locations.

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If you have a minimum of 16 people in your group, may I suggest to you the ultimate glamping playground, with two private beaches, tennis courts, a wide selection of water-sports equipment, personal chefs, swimming pools, stunning views, spa treatments, and an aero-submarine that travels 100 feet below the ocean’s surface. The place, you may ask? It’s Richard Branson’s Necker Island, yours for a mere $62,000 per day. Yowza!

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If however your family, group or business doesn’t have that kind of coin, then I have the perfect suggestion for you. It’s the Pine Mountain Camp near Lake Arrowhead, California, where you can have the entire property starting for a mere $1800 a night (2 night minimum) with all the seclusion, nature and recreational opportunities that forty acres of pristine wooded beauty perched high above a picturesque mountain lake can offer.

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In fact, for a true group outing experience, one that provides connection and rejuvenation, I have to say that Pine Mountain Camp is by far the better of the two.

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I do not mean to suggest that you would not enjoy a stay at Necker Island, but it is more likely to cause group distraction than connection. A place that has it’s own submarine is not going to inspire me to “regroup with others” or “restore my inner resources.” I’ll be too busy playing Captain Nemo!

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And how could you possibly “relax with a book” at a place that costs $62,000 a day? Wouldn’t you feel the pressure to do everything the place offers all at once? Sounds like a vacation that requires a vacation from vacation- we’ve all had one of those. So, relax. There’s no risk of that kind of stress with a group stay at Pine Mountain Camp.

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The Pine Mountain Camp website makes the claim, “Be in nature, within luxury accommodations,” which succinctly sums up the essence of glamping. Guests enjoy “wireless internet and flat-panel TVs” at a resort set deep in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest, and can instantly step away to smell the mountain pine and feel the breeze.

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Remember, it’s not just a retreat- it’s a resort. Hiking, biking, boating, swimming, water-skiing, fly fishing, hot springs, there’s plenty to do in the summer, and you can even catch a movie nearby or shop if you can believe that! I’d like to be here for one of the weekly summer concerts at Lake Arrowhead Village.

ponderosa winter

With activities like skiing and sledding, wintertime group outings are a great option, too.

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Stay in the luxurious Ponderosa Lodge, which sleeps 13 with a main floor master suite, a bunk-room for 6, and 2 upstairs private bedrooms.

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The lodge has a fully appointed kitchen (cooking classes available with advance reservation!) and a cozy, spacious central living area set with a warm and inviting stone hearth fireplace.

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If you want to get away from the group a bit, you can always opt for one of the two “enchanting” cabins, or even “brave” the tepee. It’s a pretty cool tepee, on an elevated deck, with 2 futons inside and is nicely appointed with a nearby eating area and restroom. The tepee is described as a “Lakota-Sioux design, but with more durable and weather-resistant fabrics.” Kids dig the tepee, and you might, too.

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I’ve been to plenty of lodges, and many of them are way too “lodgy,” over crammed with deer and moose antlers and woodland tchotchkes in every possible space. While the lodge décor here isn’t subtle, it isn’t over the top, either.

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I don’t want my lodge to be subtle. A place like this has to be confident in it’s identity, and Pine Mountain Camp understands it’s character, a beautiful woodland retreat perched above Lake Arrowhead nestled in 40 wooded acres and the décor strikes the right balance. (Thank you, Pine Mountain Camp).

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I’m sorry, Necker Island, I didn’t mean to bash you. I’m sure you’re amazing but you helped me make my point- for a place for groups to get their glamping rejuvenation on, Pine Mountain Camp is the place to be. I do hope, however, that Glamping.com will send me to review you someday. Wish me luck!

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Eolo Glamping Review

Arriving to Eolo in Patagonia’s La Anita valley is unlike any other hotel approach experience out there. Surrounded with nothing but windswept pampas and the peaks of the region’s iconic mountains as far as the eye can see, it’s hard to imagine that a luxurious property even exists round these parts. Surprising guests is part of what makes Eolo so alluring.

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After driving around, seeing nothing but the natural glory of Argentine Patagonia, Eolo appears as if out of nowhere, this low-lying lodge modeled after a classic sheep farm, an unexpected refuge in a desolate yet beautiful locale.

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Located 30 kilometers west of El Calafate, the touristy nucleus of this pocket of Patagonia where there are meaty restaurants and shops for souvenirs or whatever you may have forgotten to pack for the trip, Eolo really does act like a tucked away retreat. Set on a private 4,000-hectare estate with virtually no visible neighbor, you can’t dream up more reclusive accommodations in a region known for providing travelers with space, especially in the luxury market. And with only 17 private suites, things don’t ever get crowded at this property.

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Once you get inside, it’s all about subtle design touches, giving Eolo the warm intimacy of a private home. Worn-but-refined leather furniture, complementary antiques, carved wood, crisp linen, patterned area rugs and plush animal hide combine to create an atmosphere that honors the destination in a luxurious and relaxing way. There’s never too much to look but everything works together to deliver one design narrative: that there’s harmony between what’s inside and out.

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Private rooms are spacious and chic with beds facing floor-to-ceiling windows. (And the corner rooms get two!) There’s no hiding of Patagonia here. Same in the bathrooms, which are simple and rustic-looking. The showers come equipped with eye-level windows so there’s really no getting away from glorious views of the outdoors. And depending on which room you have, you could be peeking at Lago Argentino, La Anita valley, the Torres del Paine or the Rico branch.

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This is a Relais & Chateaux property so you know that food is going to be exceptional. Breakfast is a wonderful start to the day with a ton of sun usually flooding the dining room as you while away on fresh juices and flakey pastries.

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Your day will likely be spent on a excursion so Eolo can prepare a gourmet picnic lunch, which you’ve selected the day before, ticking little boxes to say you want sun-dried tomatoes in your sandwich and a brownie for dessert. You may not be at the hotel when you enjoy these treats, but the meticulously prepared boxes is one of the best examples of how exceptional the service is at Eolo. You feel like you’re being taken care of, even when you’re miles away from the staff.

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Dinner service is when Eolo’s full culinary prowess is unleashed when a menu of locally sourced deliciousness will be on offer. Each course provides a handful of choices – if you’re staying a few days you can sample them all – that will satisfy even picky eaters among us.

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A starter could be grilled local vegetables or soup while Patagonian lamb is usually among the options for a main course; but you are in Argentina, perhaps a perfectly seasoned cut of steak is the unbeatable choice. And don’t forget the wine. Eolo boasts a selection of vintages sourced from all over the great wine-making regions of the country.