A non-camper experienced 'glamping' with Under Canvas — here's the real scoop.

Camping is not my thing.

To me, sleeping outdoors in a tent is primarily for survival when facing zombies, not something I'd choose for a "vacation."

Yet, I recently spent a night in a canvas tent close to Glacier National Park and surprisingly enjoyed it. My feelings about camping haven't changed, but this specific tent had all the comforts: a king-sized bed, housekeeping, charging ports, a couch, a real toilet, and a private hot shower—all within the 'tent.'

If that sounds more like glamping than traditional camping, you're absolutely right. As Under Canvas puts it, enjoying the outdoors doesn’t have to mean roughing it.

This year, my kids and I decided to try something new: glamping in an Under Canvas tent in Montana. Just because I'm not a camper doesn't mean I want to deny them the chance to enjoy the great outdoors and find out if it's their kind of adventure.

Unfortunately, if they depended on me for gear, setting up a real camp, starting a fire from scratch, and avoiding a miserable next day, it wouldn’t end well.

However, I can now attest that you don’t need to be a classic happy camper to relish a night or two of tent glamping. Still, some folks may find this version of glamping not glamorous enough.

Here’s what booking a stay with Under Canvas is really like.

Reservations

Bad news for campers: Glamping isn't exactly budget-friendly—especially this year.

You’re certainly paying a premium for the glamping experience with Under Canvas, so don’t assume this is a way to sidestep pricey hotel rates. It’s the "Disney version" of camping, complete with corresponding prices.

Under Canvas boasts nine locations across the U.S., including the one near Glacier National Park where we stayed.

You'll find them just 10 to 25 minutes away from national parks like Zion, the Grand Canyon, Acadia, the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, and more. None of the locations are open year-round, and all close for the winter. The Glacier location has the shortest season, operating only from early June to mid-September. In fact, our mid-June visit was just a few days after the season kicked off.

Prices vary by location, date, and tent type. For instance, I looked up a random date about six weeks away in late July, and the lowest rate at any location was $219 for a safari tent without a private bathroom at the Smoky Mountains location in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, while the highest starting price was $499 at the new Acadia site for a deluxe tent.

On that day, like many others this summer, the Glacier location was completely booked.

For our June visit, we reserved a few months in advance and ended up paying a hefty $557 total for the suite tent where my girls and I stayed, and $469 total for the treehouse tent my parents booked nearby. (For context, this was more per night than what we paid for a large house down the road the nights before.)

You can save quite a bit if you’re okay with using a communal bathroom and opting for the smallest, simplest tent. However, since we've established I’m not a true camper, we chose two of the largest, most luxurious tents with ensuite bathrooms to enhance our chances of having a fantastic experience.

Thankfully, the charges went through as a travel expense on my Chase Sapphire Reserve, so I earned 3 points for every dollar spent on our extravagant outdoor getaway.

Check-in

Official check-in for the Under Canvas tents starts at 3 p.m., but we were still exploring Glacier National Park until after dinner. We arrived around 7 p.m. just as many other campers were busy with the line of grills available. There isn’t any real food service at this Under Canvas beyond perhaps a packaged snack or premade sandwich, so it’s a perfect opportunity to showcase your grilling skills.

Having already dined while still in civilization, we headed straight to check in for our tents.

Several staff members were at the check-in tent, eager to give us a tour of the lobby. During our visit, masks were mandatory inside the lobby tent, but not anywhere else on the property.

Inside the lobby, there were nonalcoholic beverages for sale, some packaged snacks, (adorable) shirts, and complimentary coffee or tea available around the clock, which was much appreciated.

In many ways, it was evident that this wasn’t going to be a typical hotel experience.

Firstly, there were more forms to fill out than you’d encounter during a standard hotel check-in, including one acknowledging that we were staying in nature and that wild animals could be present, for which the hotel wouldn't be held liable. In this vein, no food is allowed in the tents to minimize attracting unwanted wildlife. You can keep your food or coolers in your vehicle, but beverages are permitted inside the tents.

Next, we received a tour of the lobby where we were shown how to operate the stoves and their accessories, ensuring we wouldn't spend the night shivering or accidentally smoke out our tent by misusing the vents. No pressure at all.

To enhance the campsite vibe, we were informed at check-in that bingo would be starting soon and that s'mores would be available by the fire at 8 p.m. This left us just enough time to unpack and explore our temporary home nestled in the trees.

The Tent

Most of the tents at this site didn’t allow cars to park directly in front, which was frustrating initially but became understandable later, as the absence of vehicles contributed to both the atmosphere and safety. We parked in the designated lot, collected our comically large amount of bags, and were then transported by golf cart down the dirt paths to our canvas-covered lodgings.

As we arrived at our tents, I felt a wave of nervousness. It suddenly seemed much more like traditional camping than glamping.

I also realized that I didn’t receive a key during the check-in process. However, the woman driving the golf cart assured me that keys weren’t necessary. I’ve stayed in many different hotels, but I’ve never encountered one that didn’t use keys. The list of new experiences just kept expanding from there.

We began by exploring my parents' tent. This treehouse tent is exactly what it sounds like—it's situated up in a tree.

Don’t ask me what happens during a lightning storm because I have no idea (and neither did the front desk). But on a clear day, you get to ascend 14 stairs and fulfill your childhood dream of living among the trees—even if it’s just for one night.

At the foot of the king-size bed stands the main support for the entire tent: the tree itself.

Although this particular tent type doesn’t offer a lot of extra space, it still features bedside tables—each equipped with a battery pack charger, a fan, a lantern, and a chair.

There’s also a balcony with additional chairs—ideal for stargazing under the night sky.

This tent included a toilet, sink, and a shower operated by a pull chain.

In yet another new experience for this non-camper, you can enjoy a hot shower inside the tent, but it only works while you’re actively pulling down on the chain. Plus, there’s no way to control the water temperature—it’s either on or off. I found the temperature acceptable, but just keep in mind that while it’s glamping with a hot shower, it’s not exactly a typical shower by any means.

The toilet, while low-flow, felt like a much more standard part of the experience. Just remember that the safari tents don’t have private bathrooms, so you’ll be using the community facilities. On the bright side, I noticed wheelchair-accessible showers in at least one of the community bathrooms. When I asked, the front desk staff mentioned there are also one or two wheelchair-accessible tents available.

Across the walkway from the treehouse tent, our suite tent offered much more space and was definitely my favorite of the two.

The shower area had the same amenities, including EO soap and shampoo, but it also featured a barn door-style partition that could separate that space from the living area of the tent.

This tent also included a couch, two chairs, and a coffee table. Instead of a tree like in the first tent, this one had a spot for storing your belongings.

If a treehouse stay isn't on your wishlist and you prefer a bit more room, I recommend choosing the suite tent.

Although the space and bathroom facilities can differ, all the tents share one common feature: luxurious, real beds.

You can add cots for kids for $25 in some tents, but the permanent bedding in the Under Canvas tents is a significant upgrade from cots or sleeping bags.

In fact, while I was in the lobby, I overheard a guest asking on the radio about the type of bedding used because they were eager to buy it—it’s that remarkable. The beds come with fluffy pillows, a blanket, and a comforter, keeping us quite warm once we settled in.

This location is just a few minutes from Glacier National Park, and while summer temperatures can soar into the 80s and 90s during the day, nighttime can drop into the 40s, making it quite chilly—even with the cozy bedding.

To warm up the tent, you'll need to use the stove to start a fire. It might sound intimidating, but as someone who isn’t exactly a camping expert, I gave it a shot for the sake of research.

Fortunately, they make it quite straightforward, even for beginners at fire-starting. Matches and kindling are provided to help you get started.

Once you get a good fire going, you can start adding larger logs. I wasn't the best at maintaining the flames for hours, but we did use it a couple of times just to take the chill off the air.

For seasoned campers, these tents might seem overly luxurious and comfortable. However, those not accustomed to camping might feel a bit unsettled by the outdoor sounds and the fact that there's just a layer of canvas between them and the wild.

As for me, I embraced the experience and loved being close to nature without fully immersing myself in it. That said, your experience may differ. My parents, for instance, are light sleepers and struggled with the constant train noise, midnight fireworks, and sounds from the nearby highway.

Amenities

At the Glacier Under Canvas location, you won’t find typical hotel amenities like a breakfast buffet, pool, hot tub, or gym. Instead, you'll enjoy evening campfires, lawn games, s'mores, well-maintained grills, and wholesome evening activities.

During our stay, the activity schedule included bingo night, a scavenger hunt, a bird presentation, trivia, yoga sessions, and storytelling around the campfire.

Most other locations (except Moab, Utah) do offer actual food services. I've discovered that many also serve adult beverages on site. Honestly, as I searched in vain for some wine to sip by the fire, having that option would have truly enhanced the experience. I've heard that the Glacier site is working towards getting a liquor license.

As stated on the website, the Yellowstone location offers access to a pool and hot tub at a nearby property. However, your leisure time at Under Canvas will mainly revolve around activities typical of traditional campsites. If you’re not a fan of campfires, reading, stargazing, playing guitar, or engaging in card games, you might find the absence of television and Wi-Fi a bit unsettling.

Bottom line

Over the past year, my typically suburban family has ventured beyond conventional hotel stays multiple times. After all, if you’re not exploring new travel options during a pandemic, when will you?

We've rented cabins, stayed in a tiny home on wheels, rented an RV, and now experienced sleeping nearly under the stars in an Under Canvas tent. Thanks to the cool weather in Glacier, we were comfortable, enjoyed warm showers, had fluffy towels, a cozy bed, ample lounging space, and the ability to recharge our phones for the next day's adventures.

However, at nearly $500 per night for a fully equipped tent, this option would never be the primary choice for our vacation accommodations.

While having a hot shower in the tent is wonderful, it would be even better if it didn’t involve pulling on a chain with one hand the entire time. Also, a few food and beverage options on-site during the mornings and evenings would really enhance the 'glam' aspect of the camping experience.

That said, spending a night at Under Canvas with the kids bundled up in soft blankets under the tent, sharing stories while I awkwardly tried to figure out the stove, was a delightful way to enjoy a break between our national park adventures.

If you absolutely despise the outdoors and camping, this likely won't be the escape you're looking for. However, if you crave an outdoor experience without the hassle of sleeping on the ground, pitching your own tent, or having to manage everything alone, Under Canvas could be your ideal glampsite.