Relive Your Summer Camp Glory Days With These 11 Woodsy Getaways
This story is part of Happy Camper, a package about classic summer camp style in all its glory.
Perhaps you’re clinging to memories of your own bygone summer camp days; maybe you never went and have always fantasized about being part of the Meatballs cast. Either way, this season can be a tough one for us adults as we send our tweens off into the wilderness, or watch forlornly as busloads of singing, not-yet-mosquito-bitten kids roll toward lake country.
You might not be able to snag a bunk at Camp Firewood, but there are plenty of other ways to make your summertime dreams come true. Start by booking a stay at one of these charming accommodations, which welcome wannabe campers of all ages. We can practically hear the morning bugle call now.
This South African Glamp-site Asks: What If "Moonrise Kingdom" Were Real?
With embroidered scout badges, perfectly clashing plaids, and pegboard kitchens, Camp Canoe (located in South Africa’s Cape Winelands) looks like a beautiful, Moonrise Kingdom fever dream—and indeed, the design was inspired by Wes Anderson’s quirky film. Add credit
This Perkins and Will–designed sleepaway camp for the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles is a rustic-modern dream come true. A new 10,000-square-foot dining hall complements 24 insulated A-frame sleeping cabins all designed with state-of-the-art energy efficiency in mind. Gorgeous raw wood detail honors the wilderness that surrounds this special gathering spot.
This unique suite in Wisconsin’s Graduate Hotel celebrates local icon Camp Wandawega—and no bug spray is necessary to enjoy all the vintage cabin vibes. The room is festooned with summertime nostalgia and art and accessories from the Camp Wandawega X Land of Nod collaboration.
Taking inspiration from the fairy tale of Snow White and the seven dwarves, South Korean campground Haru consists of a "castle" and "village"—or a cafe and seven red cedar cabins. Each camping module includes a small kitchen and dining area that leads to a shaded deck.
Skiing is often associated with well-worn, cookie-cutter condos and salt-stained carpets—but the A-Frame Club, a ’70s-inspired property in Winter Park’s Old Town, offers something different. Here, 31 A-frame cabins are rounded out with an on-site saloon and bar. The little structures are cozily clustered together and connected by a labyrinth of raised wooden paths that feel almost like tunnels when cocooned in snow.
When husband and wife Chris Hougie and Teresa Raffo came across a defunct campground outside of Mendocino, California, the 36-acre property’s raw beauty inspired them to embark on a new adventure. Their new outdoor retreat offers an array of adventurous accommodations ranging from canvas tents to vintage Airstream campers.
Designed by HGA Architects and Engineers, the Whitetail Woods Regional Park Camper Cabins can accommodate up to six guests with two full-size bunks, a sleeper sofa, a dining area, and folding seating, which is hidden when not in use. Outfitted with electricity, lighting, heat, and natural ventilation, with a bathhouse just up the hill, the dwellings are efficient, simple, and cozy.
Designed by Austin, Texas–based studio Andersson-Wise Architects, the 12,500-square-foot Stone Creek Camp is sited on a sloping hill whose topography guides visitors to discover the grounds slowly: from the gatehouse to the master house, main lodge, and guesthouse. The eco-friendly family retreat features a stacked wood facade made of fallen trees found on the site; a sod green roof that provides insulation; and stone, wood, windows, doors, and other construction materials sourced regionally.
A far cry from the rustic cabins—often little more than enclosed tents—that former Girl Scouts may recall from back in the day, the new bunkhouses at Camp Prairie Schooner outside of Kansas City, Missouri, are geared toward the 21st-century urban camper. The two-tone corrugated metal cladding helps the sheds blend into the landscape, along with windows custom-colored by the manufacturer to match.
The island of Møn in Denmark has a remarkable landscape with dramatic white-chalk cliffs, so it’s fitting that Birkedal—a vacation rental not far from the beach—features a shape and form that matches its impressive locale.
A cross between boutique hotel and campsite, AutoCamp Russian River (in Gueneville, California) is known for its Airstream accommodations, artfully furnished tents, and midcentury-modern clubhouse.
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