Enjoy Montana’s iconic national parks in these high-end, camping-style accommodations, ranging from yurts to canvas-walled tents to tiny homes

Most people come to Montana to visit the state’s well-known national parks: Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Those places are absolutely worth the trip. At Glacier, you’ll find a stunning alpine roadway (aptly named Going-to-the-Sun Road), hikes to picturesque lakes, and some of the country’s last remaining glaciers. At Yellowstone, you’ll be awed by waterfalls, geysers, and up-close sightings of wildlife like moose, elk, and, if you're lucky, wolves.

But Montana aka Big Sky Country has a lot more going on than just those two well-loved destinations. The fourth largest state in the union, Montana is also the least populated. That means there’s a lot of space to spread out, and very little in the way of crowds. You can explore snow-capped peaks from hip mountain towns like Big Sky, Bozeman, or Whitefish, catch kokanee or rainbow trout on world-class fly-fishing rivers like the Yellowstone River or the Gallatin River (this is where “A River Runs Through It” was filmed, after all), or enjoy life on horseback from old-West-style ranches where time seems to slow down. Sounds dreamy, right?

And perhaps you like the idea of camping—being outside, stargazing, drinking your coffee while looking at a pretty view—but you don’t love the thought of sleeping on the ground with a thin layer of fabric between you and the elements. We get that. Montana gets that, too. Enter glamping, also known as luxury camping, which brings home and hotel amenities—think king-sized beds, fresh linens, air conditioning—to luxury tents, tipis, Airstreams, campers, treehouses, and more. Thanks to a recent boom in glamping spots across the state, there are plenty of places to rest your head.

Below, we’ve rounded up the best glamping Montana and its wide-open skies have to offer.

If your idea of camping includes a 24-hour reception desk, plush down comforters, wood-burning stoves, and rain showers, then Under Canvas’ lofted canvas tents located seven miles from Glacier National Park's west entrance are for you. This is the kind of place where s’mores kits are on hand and the campfire is lit for you. The only thing missing is WiFi, but you won’t miss it, trust us. On-site coordinators can arrange daytime outings, like whitewater rafting or fly-fishing, and eight different tent options suit a variety of group sizes (some even come with a private deck). Use it as a base for the park, or for exploring the nearby towns of Whitefish, Columbia Falls, and Kalispell, or Flathead Lake.

Collective Retreats are known for selecting stellar locations (like New York’s Governor’s Island, Texas Hill Country, or Vail, Colorado) and building an elaborate tent village that feels part yoga-spa sanctuary and part Wild West enclave. Tents are well-adorned with high-thread-count sheets, plush bathrobes, and French press coffee delivered to your tent each morning. Collective Retreats' new Big Sky glamping getaway isn’t open yet, but it’s coming soon, seven miles outside the town of Big Sky.

Wander Camp has built eight and counting tent camp glampsites around the West, featuring spacious bell tents outfitted with cozy bedding and furnishings. Their new Montana location is 10 minutes from Glacier National Park's west entrance on a serene 40 acres of pine forest with access to its own pond and guaranteed views of a starry night sky. You’ll get running water and flush toilets, but—gasp!—you do have to walk to use a shared bathroom. Sometimes that's just part of the glamping experience.

One of the more unique vacation rental accomodations we've seen to date, this series of renovated grain silos set among a working family farm is truly worth a visit. Each of the five unassuming silos features a kitchenette, private bathroom, and spacious loft bedroom with generous mountain views. With major attractions in and around the nearby town of Whitefish, this Rocky Mountain retreat is a welcoming alternative to the Live.Laugh.Love options proliferating rental search results the world over.

The Hohnstead is what happens when a family decides to buy a 100-acre property and hand-build themselves a tiny cabin. “Will anyone want to rent this?” they asked each other, back in 2017. The answer was a resounding yes. Now, Alla Ponomareva and Garrett Hohn rent out four off-grid tiny cabins set among the pines with private decks, making the property feel like a treehouse retreat. (If you like what they’ve built, here’s how to build your own.) You can hike to nearby streams or rivers or wander downtown Missoula, 25 minutes away, but you may never want to leave the property, thanks to a two-mile scavenger hunt, cozy two-person hot tub, and communal fire pit.

You don’t have to know a thing about how to mount a horse to enjoy Camp Satori, which is set in the outback of western Montana about an hour from Missoula. Your multi-day stay (there’s a two-night minimum) will combine horseback adventures with morning yoga and meditation, plus daily hikes through Lolo National Forest, capped off by chef-prepared farm-to-table meals (vegans welcome). You’ll sleep in canvas-walled tents that feel more like a hotel room than a campsite (er, glampsite).

This is a campground-style property near the small town of Emigrant and the larger destination of Livingston that has a range of accommodations, from cabins to glamping tents. If you’re looking for a remote mountain hut far from anyone else, this isn’t it. But if you like the idea of proximity to Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, and a quaint A-frame cabin with friendly neighbors, then you’ve found it. Five A-frame cabins and four canvas-walled tents share a communal kitchen and bathhouse, all located less than an hour from the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park and just minutes from Chico Hot Springs.

You’ll come here to explore Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains, which shoot up from the valley floor in a dramatic, only-in-the-Rockies kind of way. Home base is a 200-square-foot, no-fuss yurt near the small rural town of Victor, 45 minutes south of Missoula. This cozy Airbnb sleeps two comfortably and has a small kitchenette and a neighboring bathroom with a composting toilet (note: no shower). Spend your nights looking for shooting stars around the fire pit.

Fun fact: The Resort at Paws Up likes to say they invented glamping. It’s true: They turned the idea of camping upside down when they introduced ultra-luxe tents for discerning travelers back in 2005. Since then, the resort and its 37 all-inclusive, very lavish tents—situated on 37,000 acres of Montana wilderness adjacent to the Blackfoot River —has become the state’s most premier glamping spot. Activities abound, and everything is planned for you: fly-fishing, horseback riding, hiking, rafting, yoga, cocktail-mixing classes, and much more. This is Montana glamping at its finest (and the price per night reflects it).

Yurts can sometimes feel cramped. Not so with this Airbnb, a palatial 750-square-foot yurt situated on 2.5 quiet acres of woodland. It feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere (and you kind of are), but you’re also just 10 minutes from downtown Whitefish and the bustling shores of Whitefish Lake, and just an hour from the west entrance to Glacier National Park. Thanks to dark skies, the stargazing from the private deck is all-time.

Don’t be fooled by the golf course and steak house. There is glamping here, and it’s far afield from those coming for tee time and beef chili (thank goodness.) Norwegian Wood Ranch recently installed four creekside, canvas-walled safari tents on a 40-acre ranch on the outskirts of Helena National Forest, just a few minutes from downtown Helena. By day, hike in the Big Belt Mountains, paddle Canyon Ferry Lake, or explore the area's excellent mountain biking trails. By night, grab a burger (or, go ahead, try the chili) from the on-site tavern, then retire to your comfy queen bed.

For more Montana rentals, check out 17 Best South Dakota Black Hills Cabin Rentals for Outdoorsy R&R

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