As much as we love the outdoors—the smell of the trees, the babble of a steady stream, the breeze in our hair—overnighting in the throes of nature isn’t for everyone. Fortunately, an entire genre of adventure travel exists for those of us overwhelmed by the idea of pitching a tent and sleeping (poorly) on the ground. Enter the not-so-wild world of glamping.

California is known for its wealth of outdoor spaces, and myriad destinations across the state offer convenient and chic places that make a nature-focused getaway easy. With creature comforts aplenty, from pillow-top mattresses to on-site cafes, these glamping spots let guests commune with the landscapes the Golden State is known for without much sacrifice. Now you just have to decide: Would you prefer your home away from home to be a solar-powered tent with a fully equipped kitchen, a vintage trailer, a treehouse in the redwoods, or something in between?

• Best tourist destination: Mendocino Grove, Mendocino
• Underrated hidden gem: Sonoma Treehouse Adventures, Occidental
• Best for families: Flying Flags RV Resort & Campground, Buellton
• Best for couples: Treebones Resort, Big Sur
• Best for solo travelers: Under Canvas Yosemite, Groveland

No matter what kind of adventure you’re seeking, these are the 24 best places to go glamping in California.

Mendocino Grove, Mendocino

Mendocino County is a gem of a destination, full of cliffside trails, serene woods, and tiny towns with storied histories. For a glamping experience here, head to Mendocino Grove, which offers spacious tents with heated beds, down comforters, and redwood decks outfitted with leather butterfly chairs. You won’t have a private bathroom, but the two communal bathhouses on-site have both indoor and outdoor showers, as well as organic bath products. There’s also plenty of fun to be had without leaving the grove, including a dry sauna, bocce and badminton courts, hammocks, and board games. For off-site fun like wildflower peeping and bird watching, head to Mendocino Headlands State Park, which is just two miles away.

Sonoma Treehouse Adventures, Occidental

Sonoma Treehouse Adventures is a destination for thrill seekers and forest lovers alike—the site has rentable tree houses lofted in redwoods (only guests 10 years old and up are allowed), and your overnight rate includes zipline and treetop tours, a guided hike, a gourmet dinner, and a hot breakfast delivered to your room. Waking up to sunlight beaming through the redwoods and on your floating tent is really the ultimate amenity, though. Treehouses sleep up to four guests.

Flying Flags RV Resort & Campground, Buellton

The Santa Ynez Valley has plenty of spots that thrill kids, such as the eccentric Ostrichland USA. Then, there are gems that please the adults, too, like Vega Vineyard and Farm, with its incredible wines, an on-site restaurant, tractor-drawn wagon rides, and even playground-adjacent, rentable cabanas.

But where should glampers sleep? Flying Flags RV Resort & Campground is a great pick. Expect plenty to do within the resort’s bounds—pools, hot tubs, a splash pad, a playground, and bocce courts—plus an array of glamping accommodations. Choose from tents, vintage trailers, and Airstreams with queen-size beds (all accommodate two guests). A few family-friendly options sleep four and have two queens or a king plus a bunk bed.

AutoCamp Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park protects one of California’s most unique landscapes. The preserve is nearly 800,000 acres in size, and its otherworldly namesake “trees” (which are actually succulents) dot the horizon in every direction. You can rough it inside the park (rudimentary camping spots draw serious campers), but for far more comfort, consider AutoCamp Joshua Tree, located just six miles from Joshua Tree’s west gateway. 

Autocamp is known for its restored and gleaming Airstream trailers, but there are also chic and modern tiny home-style cabins. All accommodations have their own outdoor spaces (think fire pits and deck chairs), and there’s a stunning midcentury modern clubhouse with The Kitchen (which has a killer menu) and an adjacent pool. And while you’ll surely want to get into the park to boulder or hike, diversions right at AutoCamp include everything from morning yoga and stargazing to sound baths and live music under the stars.

Alila Ventana Big Sur, Big Sur

Set on 20 acres and shadowed by towering redwood trees, Alila Ventana Big Sur is located on a 90-mile-long stretch of iconic central Californian coastline, just off the Pacific Coast Highway. At this resort, safari-style canvas tents dot Post Creek and come with wood-burning fire pits, a sink with hot and cold water, electricity, comfy Adirondack chairs, and picnic tables. The tents don’t have private toilets or showers, but there are communal bathhouses on the grounds. And while some might scoff at the thought of sharing a bathroom, when those facilities include teak showers, heated floors, and aromatherapy bath products, they’re still pretty posh by glamping standards. 

Nearby are many natural wonders to behold, too. Pick a trail, any trail, at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, or while away a few hours on Andrew Molera State Beach. When hunger strikes, refuel at the iconic Big Sur restaurant Nepenthe (just six minutes from your Ventana tent by car).

Huttopia Paradise Springs, Valyermo

On the northern edge of Southern California’s Angeles National Forest, Huttopia Paradise Springs is a glamping resort with Hollywood history—which makes sense, given Los Angeles is just 85 miles away. Once a hideaway for stars like Clark Gable and John Wayne, the property’s 1920s pool still gets used today, and there’s a bookable, historic stone-walled cabin named after once-frequent guest, Charlie Chaplin. 

But the true glamping accommodations are wood and canvas tents equipped with solar-powered electricity, private bathrooms (in most tents), fully equipped kitchens, barbecues, and eco-friendly toiletries. And since Huttopia is all about allowing people to commune with nature, tents are well-spaced out from one another. Besides the pretty pool and lounge chair-clad pool deck, guests can enjoy guided hikes, yoga classes, and outdoor movies. There’s also a bistro as well as a coffee and juice bar on-site.

Costanoa Tent Bungalows, Pescadero

About 55 miles south of San Francisco, the family-owned Costanoa eco-retreat offers Tent Bungalows in various locations around the property. The two-person Cypress Village tent is the most luxe of the bunch, with heating, daily housekeeping, and access to a hot tub. The other tent bungalows—except for Outer Pine—have a fire pit for s’mores sessions before you snooze in your comfortable bed. These accommodations don’t have private bathrooms, but the communal bathhouses set around the property have showers, saunas, restrooms, and outdoor hearths.

Wildhaven Sonoma, Healdsburg

Floating (or tubing) on the Russian River should be on everyone’s California bucket list, and if you’re looking to glamp in a spot with easy river access—plus proximity to some of the state’s top wineries—try Wildhaven Sonoma. The glamping tents are outfitted with one or two queen beds, electricity (in some), firepits, and picnic tables. And if hot dogs over the fire don’t excite you, there’s a communal outdoor kitchen available, so you can cook up a gourmet meal if you’d prefer. Before you leave, be sure to take advantage of Wildhaven’s private riverfront beach and swimming hole, or hop on your float and see where the current takes you.

The Trailer Pond at Alta Colina, Paso Robles

The Trailer Pond at Alta Colina—located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco in Paso Robles—might win the award for the cutest California glamping getaway. There are five fully refurbished vintage trailers (a 1958 Kenskill Deluxe, a 1959 Terry, a 1962 Aristocrat, a 1959 Shasta, and a 1957 Deville), all set alongside a scenic pond on a vineyard. The trailers are cozy (a max of two adults can fit in the provided double bed), and the midcentury details are charming. The Deville has original flooring and countertops, and all of the trailers have either a 1950s icebox or a vintage-style minifridge.

Treebones Resort Big Sur, Big Sur

Treebones Resort Big Sur has lured glampers for more than 20 years, promising incredible views of the Pacific Ocean from its elevated coastal perch. Accommodations in the Yurt Village come with redwood decks for enjoying your surroundings, but it’s the Autonomous Tent Collection that really impresses—there are only two of these 600-square-foot retreats, and they have 12-foot ceilings and peaceful ocean vistas. They also come with hotel-like amenities, such as an en suite bathroom complete with a Dyson hairdryer.

And if that wasn’t enticing enough, Treebones also has a massage studio and two on-site restaurants (we have our eye on the omakase-only Wild Coast Sushi Bar). Note that children under 13 years old are not allowed at the property.

The Castle House Estate, Joshua Tree

The beautifully designed yurts at The Castle House Estate look like something you’d expect to see at a luxury Bedouin camp in Morocco. They have queen-size beds (with a cot for a small third guest), handwoven carpets, and access to the shared pool. The outdoor bathroom might take some getting used to, but we’re confident you’ll warm up to it quickly. And you’re mere minutes from Joshua Tree National Park and the shops and eateries of the eponymous town.

Getaway Big Bear, Running Springs

Tucked away on 59 acres of Southern California wilderness, Postcard Cabins Big Bear has 40 Scandi-esque tiny cabins just 30 minutes from Big Bear Lake. We love the light wood interiors and comfy touches of the huts. There’s a mini fridge, a two-burner stovetop, a bathroom, a queen-size bed (two, in some cabins), air-conditioning, heat, and—to help keep your eyes on the view and not your screen—a phone lockbox. And it’s baby-friendly, too, if you’re seeking a family escape. Hit up the nearby LuluBelle’s Coffee House and Bakery for morning lattes and breakfast burritos.

28 Palms Ranch, Twentynine Palms

28 Palms Ranch sells itself as the ideal destination for stargazing, and that makes tons of sense—there’s no light pollution in this desert retreat and no Wi-Fi or phone service, either. Located about an hour from Palm Springs and just 20 minutes from Joshua Tree National Park, the Mongolian-style yurts at this ranch have a comfy queen-sized bed, a private bathroom with a heated shower, a fire pit, a barbecue area, and a picnic table. There are five yurts to choose from, each of which can accommodate up to four guests. Kids and pets are welcome.

Sequoia High Sierra Camp, Sequoia National Park

You need an adventurous spirit just to find Sequoia High Sierra Camp—there’s a full page of instructions on what roads to take and where to leave your vehicle before you can begin the one-mile hike to the property. 

Once there, you’ll bask in nature from the comfort of a canvas-tented cabin with Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Parks as your backdrop. You can expect 30 glamping tents (they measure about 330 square feet) with cozy plush-top mattresses and down pillows on either one king or two twin beds. The shared bath house has modern toilets and hot showers. The biggest perk of a stay here? All three of your day’s meals are included—a buffet breakfast, picnic lunch, and a communal dinner alfresco, all made with local, seasonal ingredients. Bird watching, hiking, and meadow gazing await between meals. And don’t forget to pay reverence to the mighty Sequoias that stand before you. The property is open seasonally from mid-June to mid-September.

Inn Town Campground, Nevada City

Inn Town Campground is located in California Gold Country—about an hour and 20 minutes north of Sacramento, an hour east of the mountain town of Truckee, and just 10 minutes from the Empire Mine State Historic Park, once home to one of the state’s biggest gold mines.

AutoCamp Russian River bills itself as a “refuge in the redwoods.” The property offers furnished adventure tents, classic Airstreams, mini Happier Camper trailers, and tiny house-style cabins (all of these options come with beds outfitted with Tempur-Pedic mattresses). We love the communal Clubhouse, where a fire is often roaring and complimentary morning coffee and granola are served. Guests can also borrow a beach cruiser at no charge and pedal into the charming town of Guerneville. 

Guests in tents have access to shared bathhouses, where they can scrub up with luxe bath products. And, as with other AutoCamp locations, the activities calendar is full of free and at-cost happenings like wine and beer tastings, yoga, live music, and forest bathing. Don’t miss a walk in Armstrong Woods State Natural Reserve—it’s stunning and just three miles away.

El Capitan Canyon, Santa Barbara

About 20 minutes from Santa Barbara and hugged by 2,500 acres of protected parkland, El Capitan Canyon is home to cabins that can accommodate two to seven guests and yurts that have domed skylights, so you can stargaze without leaving the comfort of your queen-size bed. The yurts also have electricity, a space heater, a mini fridge, a microwave, and a fire pit. Communal bathrooms are adjacent. Site amenities include a pool, hiking trails, beach cruisers to borrow, and seasonal activities; from Memorial Day through Labor Day, there are Saturday afternoon concerts to enjoy. The popular Canyon Market—a combination cafe and general store—is at the base of the gently sloped property; glampers who don’t care to cook can pick up breakfast burritos, burgers, pizza, and more here. Firewood, wine, and other essentials are for sale, too. 

Desolation Hotel Hope Valley, Hope Valley

Desolation Hotel Hope Valley is a riverside site with minimalist-but-cozy cabins and furnished yurts. The latter accommodations sleep two guests and have king beds, fireplaces, partitioned bathrooms with soaking tubs, and skylights. Sorenson’s Cafe has an elevated menu of post-hike meals (smoked trout dip and wild mushroom risotto, yes, please) and a new bar and grill specializing in classics like bratwurst and pulled pork sandwiches. Sweat out any stress in the wood-fired sauna, or take advantage of the property’s great hiking trail access. If it’s lake time that you seek, drive 30 minutes to its sibling property Desolation Hotel Lake Tahoe to swim and sun on a private Lake Tahoe beach.

The Camp at Carmel Valley, Carmel Valley

The Camp at Carmel Valley has three safari-style canvas tents (open seasonally, mid-March to mid-November) and 33 cabins. All of the cabins have electricity and either private exterior bathrooms or access to the communal bathhouse. Beds across the tents and cabins come in either queen or two twin options, and family-friendly entertainment options abound. Campers of all ages can participate in activities like tennis, swimming, and lawn games daily. On Saturdays, there’s guided tie-dyeing, archery, and yoga.

Under Canvas Yosemite, Groveland

Under Canvas has been synonymous with luxury camping ever since its debut in West Yellowstone in 2012. This year, the brand is opening its first California outpost just 10 minutes from Yosemite National Park’s Big Oak Flat entrance. The seasonal, 80-acre glamping site will be open May 15 to October 27, 2025.

Furnished safari-style tents—enchantingly surrounded by California black oaks and ponderosa pines—have private bathrooms and sleep up to six people (we’re partial to the Stargazer tents, which position beds underneath transparent covering for easy night-sky watching). Expect on-site dining, tons of programming, and easy access to the Yosemite Area Rapid Transit System, which carries explorers into the national park.

Yokayo Ranch, Ukiah

Yokayo Ranch offers a rentable main house, a bunkhouse, two-person pool cabins, and then tents within the section of the property known as Camp Yokayo. There are nine, two-person canvas tents nestled close together in the trees—their proximity makes them great for couples traveling together. There are hammocks for relaxing as well as luxe bedding and soft lighting—all you need for a comfy escape in nature.

Additional good news: the ranch makes for a prime home base for a weekend of wine tasting. The under-the-radar Northern California town of Ukiah is home to myriad vineyards and tasting rooms, including Nelson Family Vineyards and Rivino Winery.

Oz Farm, Point Arena

This 240-acre site gives guests a taste of Mendocino County farm life. The Garcia River runs through the sprawling parcel, redwood trees stand as sentries, and while the property grows a variety of organic produce, apples and pears are the star of the show. Small-batch hard cider is for sale, made from the farm’s bounty—and the entire operation is solar and wind-powered. Where to sleep? Glamping options include a pair of geodesic domes (great for large groups, as they sleep up to 10), a tiny house, and a couple of yurts with kitchenettes.

AutoCamp Sequoia, Three Rivers

This new AutoCamp location opened in early March, and it puts guests just seven-and-a-half miles from Sequoia National Park—the destination’s namesake trees can only be found in California. There are 85 accommodations here, from Airstream Suites to hotel room-like Bunk Rooms; at the 3,350-square-foot Clubhouse, you can find a general store and a restaurant serving three meals a day.

The River Electric, Guerneville

The word is out about the natural beauty of Guerneville, and there’s yet another glamping site to prove it. The River Electric is set to open on Memorial Day weekend, and 40 furnished tents (guests will share a modern bath house) on 12 acres of land shaded by Russian River Valley redwood trees. There will be two pools at the center of the property—a 60-foot circular one, and a smaller rectangular pool called “The Little Dipper”—as well as a poolside bar that will serve snacks, sandwiches, sweet treats, and more.