The best places to go glamping in New York, from yurts to tents

Governors Island’s Collective Retreats outpost is the ultimate urban camping experience. After you unwind on the short ferry ride to the historic, car-free isle, check in to one of the luxe lodgings right on the harbor. This getaway includes running water, 1,500-plus thread-count sheets and electricity. Plus, the on-site restaurant Three Peaks Lodge serves drinks and food throughout the day, with glittering views of downtown Manhattan just across the harbor.

Glamping doesn’t need to automatically mean “tent life.” This family-owned inn has four sites you can stay at—two canvas camps and two tiny cabins. The cabins include a “Cosmic Nomad Cabin,” a bright red converted wagon, and a “birdhouse” with a 6-foot-tall skylight above the bedroom and an 11-foot-tall window wall in the living space. It was featured on A&E’s Living Smaller. It’s all located in the Catskills in Roxbury (three hours from the city) on a 10-acre property full of wildflowers and woods that you can walk through.

Well, look at that view for starters. But that’s not the only reason to book this brilliantly rustic Airbnb in the little hamlet of Brooktondale. If you’re up for a pretty serious return to nature then you might like the fact that beyond the hot water, lighting and electricity at the bathhouse, it’s very basic here. And yes, that means no Wi-Fi… in fact, your carrier might struggle out here, too. Unplug and relax.

There are four tents in this charming little campsite in the Catskills and boy are they dreamy. You’ll be out glamping in the wild (you’re two minutes from Hemlock Falls) but there are plenty of creature comforts too…we’re talking queen-sized beds with lux linen, covered decks, BBQ grills and fire pits. Make sure you bring your walking boots–it’s a short hike in.

Tentrr acts as a sort of Airbnb for fully-rigged campsites with gorgeous canvas tents set up and waiting for you in pristine locations like mountaintop meadows and deep forests. Amenities vary based on site but many include Adirondack chairs, fire pits, benches, wood stoves and trash cans. After you book, you can get in touch with your “camp keeper,” the person who owns the property, to make sure you pack everything you need for your wilderness adventure (it’s super helpful so you know exactly what you’re getting into). Add-ons are available for sites ranging from propane stoves and sun showers to boats for exploring nearby waterways. Basically, you’re able to customize your camping getaway to make it as chic or as rustic as you want.

Getaway has perfected the art of tiny houses with its crop of tiny cabins spread across the U.S., including its outpost in Roscoe, NY. Set in the virtual wilderness, just south of the Pepacton Reservoir, staying in one of its tiny cabins offers a total escape from “civilization,” placing you on quiet acreage with just a few neighbors around you. You’re isolated, but you’re isolated together. It’s unlikely you’ll see or hear your neighbors since everyone is spread out and disconnected from technology. Each cabin has heat, one or two comfy queen-sized beds depending on your reservation, a large picture window for admiring nature through, books, games a full bathroom, a kitchenette with a stovetop and mini-fridge as well as an outdoor fire pit for those nights you want to roast some marshmallows together. Getaway provides logs and firestarter as well as a s'mores kit—for a fee—which we think is worth it. 

This nouveau nature retreat offers 17 cedar “tiny houses” with minimalist pine interiors. Amenities comprise a circle of hammocks, a firepit and a picnic area, plus an architecturally stunning event pavilion.

This Scandinavia-inspired getaway houses three newly built A-frame micro-cabins, called “Lushnas.” The chic, triangular pods tender private bathrooms as well as glass windows that face Windham Mountain that provide an “almost camping” aesthetic.

This gorgeous glamping ground is spread out on 15 acres of a former apple orchard in Hudson Valley with free-range chickens, ducks and friendly goats. You have your pick of stays, from a yurt to a small cabin or A-frame house. Not only that, you can order food from a list of locally sourced and in-season vegetables, meats and provisions.