Looking for a getaway where you can touch grass and unplug, but still feel like you’re in the lap of luxury? Glamping—a combo of “glamour” and “camping”—may be the Goldilocks solution for you. We’re talking tents and cabins with climate control, comfy furnishings and private hot showers (or better yet, hot tubs), all within about a four-hour drive of Arlington.
Airydale Retreat
Established in 2019, this getaway in Central Pennsylvania offers six “glampsites,” each with its own appeal. Traveling with little ones? Wow them with a stay in a Cardinal canvas glamping tent with a mini-split system for heating and cooling, three beds, a fire ring, and twisty tube slides. The Towhee are 14-by-16-foot canvas tents with an 8-foot covered front porch, a bed with a memory foam mattress, fresh linens, and a private outdoor shower and bathroom. Dome glampsites are equipped with a full indoor bathroom, pellet stoves and bay windows that bring the outdoors in. Recreation activities include boating, swimming and fishing on and in Raystown Lake, and hiking the Thousand Steps Trail or kid-friendly Hawn’s Overlook. Driving distance: About 3 hours. // 10272 Big Valley Pike, Mill Creek, Pennsylvania
The Depot Lodge
The main lodge on this historic property is a restored train depot from 1909. You can also rent out a repurposed caboose and 1967 Airstream “Land Yacht” Overlander Trailer. But if it’s tent glamping you seek, you have three posh options. The Creekside tent has a king bed, gas fireplace, teak indoor shower, outdoor shower and satellite TV, plus a 360-degree wraparound porch overlooking Potts Creek. The Crump’s Camp tent has many of the same amenities, plus a private pond for fishing, while Heron’s Nest, the property’s newest glamping tent, has a teepee connected to the main tent by a swinging bridge. Inside the teepee are two twin beds and other kid-friendly amenities. Should you care to venture off site, dine at the Swinging Bridge Restaurant, which serves “old-time, Southern, stick-to-your-ribs good cookin’ with a hillbilly gourmet flair”; feed trout by the Big Wheel at Tinglers Mill; or hike or bike the 5-mile Potts Valley Rail Trail. Driving distance: About 4 hours. // 16071 Route 311, Paint Bank, Virginia
Fredericksburg / Washington DC South KOA Holiday
Since 1962, KOA campgrounds—of which there are almost 500 nationwide—have been welcoming guests looking to decompress and commune with nature. In addition to offering RV parking and unique boarding (a covered wagon, anyone?), there’s glamping. The air-conditioned (or heated) deluxe cabins in nearby Fredericksburg have paved patios with furniture, fire pits and gas grills. Inside, there are full bathrooms with tubs and showers, Keurig coffee makers and a mini fridge. Bring your own linens, pillows, towels and dishes. On the campground, find cornhole, tetherball, a swimming pool, a playground and newly added horseshoe pits. Driving distance: About 1 hour. // 7400 Brookside Lane, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Postcard Cabins
Escape into the woods and choose from 45 luxury cabins situated near Shenandoah National Park. In addition to being surrounded by nature trails that pass a creek and pond, the Scandinavian-style lodgings are outfitted with blond wood interior finishes, queen or bunk beds, hot showers, two-burner stoves, a/c and heat, cookware and dishes, plus a mini fridge. Firewood and fire starters are available for purchase, as are s’mores kits. Driving distance: About 2 hours. // 2010 Madison Road, Stanardsville, Virginia
Rose River Farm
Pitched as modern-day interpretations of classic Mongolian yurts, Rose River Farm’s three cabins are super spacious. Each measures more than 1,100 square feet, with central heat and a/c, two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a domed 17-foot ceiling in the living room, leather furniture, and a jumbo flat-screen smart TV with satellite, plus a kitchen with a full-size fridge and freeze with an ice maker. Nearby attractions include Old Rag Mountain’s hiking trails, wineries and breweries, and the shops of Old Town Culpeper. Driving distance: About 2 hours // 2130 Old Blue Ridge Turnpike, Syria, Virginia
WV Glamping Domes
Situated on 65 acres near the New River Gorge National Park, this property dates to the 1800s but offers modern comfort. The newest of its six glamping domes is the DaVinci Creekside for couples, which includes an outdoor hot tub, hand-hewn from an ancient curly maple tree. It’s also the most eco-friendly dome of the bunch, with 100% solar power, a fire pit, outdoor grilling area, a private bathroom and a heated queen bed. Bonus: Reservations include a golf cart for use during your stay. Most domes sleep two to four, though for larger groups, the Manor Creekside—two domes connected by a breezeway under a cluster of beech trees—sleeps up to 10. Amenities include two full bathrooms, two fridges with freezers, a microwave, an induction cooktop, Keurig coffee maker with complimentary pods, complimentary snacks and a Solo smokeless fire pit. Kayaks and standup paddleboards are free to borrow, or you can simply walk the onsite nature trails to ooh and aah at butterflies, fireflies and all sorts of wildlife. Driving distance: About 4 hours. // 669 Rookstool Road, Alderson, West Virginia