Under the Stars | A Chic Glamping Experience
Your Home & Lifestyle Magazine
When they call this corner of Montana’s North Yellowstone “Paradise Valley,” they’re not kidding. In summertime, everything from the jagged mountain peaks to the lush green grasslands really are paradisiacal. It’s just as nineteenth-century naturalist John Muir wrote: “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” And that’s just as true when you bed down with nature, too. That’s likely one reason why Under Canvas—a collection of twelve seasonally operated glamping locations in natural wonderlands that range from Moab, Utah to Acadia, Maine—decided to pitch their tents right here on the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park.
These are not the standard-issue pitch tents that the Boy Scouts would recognize. Let’s answer your biggest question first: Yes, each “tent” does have an en-suite bathroom with a shower (and a toilet that actually flushes). And they’re stocked with organic toiletries, too. You won’t find a bedroll for your sleeping quarters; instead, each of these suites is outfitted with West Elm furniture such as leather butterfly chairs, cowhide rugs, and supple leather sofas with hidden tucked-in sofa beds. “Stargazer” tents sleep two, with king beds swaddled in sumptuous linens and a window above the bed for romantic stargazing. Larger families and friend groups will want to consider booking one of the “Yellowstone River Suites,” which are tricked out for up to six people with two separate “wings” connected by a main deck, plus two bathrooms and a lounge where everyone can meet for cocktail (or cowboy coffee) hour. Best of all, each and every tent comes with a wood-burning stove plus complimentary firewood at the ready. All the fixins you need for s’mores? They’re included in your stay too.
But the best part of glamping experiences are the adventures to be had alfresco, and Under Canvas has curated some unforgettable ones. That might include safari-like wildlife watching tours to see everything from moose to bighorn sheep in their native habitat; private hikes with a naturalist guide to some of Yellowstone’s most eye-candy natural wonders; and hair-raising whitewater rafting whirls down the Yellowstone River.
Blessedly, the food scene here is about as far from a camp mess hall as one can get. At Embers, the on-site restaurant, dinner options may include honey whipped ricotta toast with chipotle peach salsa and mint; miso marinated skirt steak with garlic potatoes and mint chimichurri; and warm brownies topped with a mountain of vanilla ice cream. (Kiddos are doted upon, too, with all the dishes tiny cowhands demand—including chicken tenders and angus cheeseburgers). The fact that your dinner table sits overlooking the rushing Yellowstone River is just a bonus.
/ Written by Kathryn O’Shea-Evans
Photography by Buffalo Media.