8 Luxury Camping Retreats Incentive Winners Will Love

The Resort at Paws Up

Greenough, Mont.

While the main accommodations at this resort are high-end houses that can fit from two to 10 people, the 37,000-acre cattle ranch also features six glamping compounds with a combination of one-, two- and three-bedroom safari tents each — Moonlight Camp, Creekside, Pinnacle, River, Cliffside and North Bank. From the outside, the tents might look rustic, but inside they are anything but: All have king-size feather beds, Western-chic furniture, en-suite bathrooms with heated floors, and private decks. Guests have access to each camp's dining pavilion, a camp chef and a camping butler, and can enjoy nightly firepit bonfires, s'mores and specialty cocktails. 

Breakfast and dinner are served at the pavilion, with lunch available at Trough at the property's Cook Shack. Each summer, Campfire Chefs brings in guest chefs from around the world to cook at the camps to prepare show-stopping meals. Activities are seemingly endless at Paws Up, which is about half an hour from Missoula. Among them are fly-fishing, hiking, climbing, river and lake adventures, hot-air ballooning, horseback-riding and a host of wilderness workshops. While the six glamping sites are open mid-May to mid-October, guests can stay in the houses to enjoy the resort's winter adventures (snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, etc.).

Open Sky 

Virgin, Utah

With 13 options for accommodations, Open Sky tucks its guests into the gorgeous surroundings in Virgin, Utah, hard by the majestic red rocks of Zion National Park. Each of the part-canvas structures — ranging from 315 square feet to 1,170 square feet — has a porch, a king-size bed and an en-suite bathroom. A bonus in the 960-square-foot Star Seeker and the larger Star Seeker Superior camps is an extra king bed set off in an annex surrounded on three sides by windows and featuring a ceiling window for lying back and looking at the sky.

Fine dining is cooked on property at the Black Sage restaurant (the menu also is available for room-service dinners), and there is a tented event space for group gatherings. Options for outdoor experiences include stargazing, ebike rides, luxury picnics, guided hikes and tours, and horseback-riding. Wellness classes such as yoga and breathwork also are on the activities list.

Under Canvas Acadia 

Surry, Maine

Under Canvas Acadia — one of the company's 12 high-end glamping spots around the country — is set on 100 acres of waterfront land about 30 minutes from Acadia National Park and its 150 miles of hiking trails. The 63 tents come in seven types, so guests have a range of options, all with luxury bedding and en-suite bathrooms; the largest type, the Cadillac Mountain Suite, sleeps 7.

An array of amenities are available at Under Canvas. For meals, café-style dining features seasonal breakfast and dinner options, including catch-of-the-day seafood; participants out and about during the day can pack house-made grab 'n' go sandwiches, salads, parfaits, snacks and more. Complimentary s’mores accompany each night's end-of-the-day fires on the shoreline. Aside from visiting the national park and nearby Bar Harbor, groups can go whale-watching, catch the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain (one of the first places in the United States to see the sunlight), or go for a lobster tour with captain Linda Greenlaw, best-selling author of The Hungry Ocean.

Eastwind Oliverea Valley

Big Indian, N.Y.

In New York State's Catskills region, Eastwind Oliverea Valley does offer a 12-room lodge, but also has 14 Scandinavian accommodations in the woods called Lushnas. Some are full suites, some have decks, all have that woodsy-cabin feel with luxury beds and forest views. Hammocks are strung throughout the grounds for impromptu relaxation. 

For hikers, the property has access to McKenley Hollow Trail, a 2.5-mile moderate hike that also connects to Balsam and Haynes Mountain trails for those who want to stay out longer. Complimentary bicycles are on hand for guests to ride into nearby towns and visit local attractions. 

Eastwind Oliverea's restaurant, Dandelion, is the brainchild of Eastwind cofounder and F&B director Daniel Cipriani, once a favorite of the Brooklyn/New York City restaurant scene, and executive chef Josh Bettencourt. "Forage-to-table" is the key to their menu and its plant-forward philosophy. Also on property is a creative space that holds up to 16 people at one table; larger groups can use Dandelion for their gatherings.

Backland Luxury Camping

Williams, Ariz.

At 7,000 feet elevation on 160 acres outside Williams, Backland's 10 roomy tents with wide windows, patios and en-suite bathrooms are surrounded by the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world. There are two of the largest tents, the Grand Sky Suite, which feature a ceiling window over a king bed, plus a queen sofa bed and a twin bed. More tents are planned, but the final number has not been revealed yet. 

Breakfast and dinner are served in the Backland Restaurant's glass-walled space, which looks out on Arizona's San Francisco Peaks, the camp's pond and the forest. Box lunches are available for guests to bring on their adventures. The property also has a spa tent for nature-infused treatments. Groups can head out during the day to Grand Canyon Railway, Sycamore Falls, Sunset Crater Volcano and more; experiences such as guided tours, 4x4 tours and sight-seeing flights can be arranged.

With an eye toward sustainability, the custom-designed tents are fully insulated and energy efficient; low-flow water fixtures have been installed in the tents and the kitchen; ecological toiletries are provided, and sustainable cleaning supplies are used; most food is sourced locally; and the dishware is compostable.

Camp Aramoni

Tonica, Ill.

Eleven safari-style tents of various sizes, named for the Midwestern flowers and grasses surrounding the property, make up Camp Aramoni in Tonica, Ill. On 96 acres just 90 minutes south of Chicago, the former brickyard has been transformed into a forested oasis. Tents hold from two to six guests and feature en-suite bathrooms, indoor seating areas, decks, and, yes, air conditioning and heating. 

Breakfast and dinner are provided in the Barn, which also houses Gertie's, a general store stocked with sundries, snacks and curated merchandise. Larger gatherings are held in the former blacksmith shop of the brickyard, Bricks & Stones, a 150-year-old building with seating for up to 75 guests, a full-service bar and two kitchens.

Two ponds are on the grounds, and the tents themselves are just off the banks of the Vermilion River. Full outdoor activities are available at nearby Starved Rock and Buffalo state parks, but the camp also has its own private trails, bicycles and canoes for enjoying the surroundings, and sunbathing and swimming in the ponds.

Dunton River Camp 

Dunton, Colo.

Dunton River Camp, near Telluride, is a former cattle ranch set in an alpine clearing in the Rockies, on about 500 acres on the banks of the Dolores River. The four river and four mountain safari-style tents each sit on a 640-square foot wooden platform anchored to bedrock. The rooms are straight out of a luxury hotel; their en-suite bathrooms feature 6-foot soaking tub/showers and even towel warmers. Each cabin is provided with two mountain bikes for exploring the grounds and surrounding trails. 

The main lodge — a restored 19th-century farmhouse — serves up all meals; the wraparound deck offers views of the San Juan Mountains. Dunton's chefs source locally, including produce from the local farms and the property's partner vineyard. (The main resort, Dunton Hot Springs, is 15 minutes away.) The camp, which is available for buyouts for 16 people, uses 100% renewable energy as part of its sustainability practices. 

A host of activities can be arranged for groups, including fly-fishing, horseback-riding, guided hikes, mountain biking, water sports, rock climbing, four-wheel-drive tours, and a hike or horseback trek to Sand Canyon followed by a tasting at Sutcliffe Vineyards. The property is just over an hour from Mesa Verde National Park.

Veranda Suite at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire

Los Angeles

An ideal individual incentive option for a winner who prefers the city to the wilderness, the Veranda Suite on top of the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire has all the high-end trappings they'll love (including a king-size bed indoors, a walk-in closet and a deep soaking tub) — plus a luxury tent bedroom on the terrace under the stars. 

Amenities at the posh property (which served as the setting for the movie Pretty Woman) include a Forbes five-star spa with a tranquility lounge, a eucalyptus steam room, an invigorating ice fountain, and the experience shower with three settings: cold mist, Caribbean rain and Atlantic storm. Guests also receive complimentary access to the 24/7 bilevel fitness center and to the Mediterranean-style outdoor pool that was modeled after the one at Sophia Loren's Italian villa. For fine-dining, reserve a table for the VIP at the Blvd Restaurant or the Michelin-recommended Cut by Wolfgang Puck.