If you’re not a camper, try these great cabins and glamping retreats

So you tried “real” camping and spent half the night huddled in the car because a rainstorm flooded your tent. At the other end of the spectrum, high-end lodging options like Dunton Hot Springs in Dolores, CO or the new Tomczyk cabin in Kohler, WI sound heavenly, but the prices might make you sweat. Enter the in-between retreat: rustic yet comfortable, embracing Mother Nature while keeping her at arm’s length—and still interesting enough to light up your Instagram feed. Ahead, eight U.S. getaways that occupy that happy middle ground between bare-bones tent camping and ultra-luxe eco lodge.

The eight lovingly restored log cabins at Boyd Mountain offer a taste of Smoky Mountain homesteading—without the blood, sweat, and tears. The units date from the early- to mid-1800s (the virgin yellow poplar logs in the Shelton Laurel cabin, for instance, were hand-hewn with an ax and originally insulated with red clay mud). Today, it’s equipped with modern amenities like a washer-dryer and Wi-Fi. Cabins sleep between two and 10 guests and there is no shortage of diversions—including four miles of hiking trails, three fishing ponds stocked with rainbow trout and catfish, and fire pits for roasting marshmallows—to keep the whole brood entertained.

This 30-acre organic farm, located 90 minutes outside Chicago, combines humble frontier living with the kind of thoughtful flourishes that made Martha Stewart famous. The five tents are heated with wood stoves and equipped with cast-iron cooking gear. There is no electricity; light after dark comes from flickering candles and old-fashioned oil lanterns. Beds are made up with European-style bedding; a crock dispenses filtered water; and dishes can be scrubbed by hand-pumping water into the sink. There are toilets and hot showers in the shared bath house and Kinnikinnick’s quaint farm shop has everything you need (fresh eggs, honey, bacon) to prepare a bangin’ breakfast. Campers can even partake in daily farm chores like milking the dairy goats and feeding the Berkshire hogs.

A stone’s throw from Boston and New York City, Frogmore is a dream escape for stressed-out urbanites. The property flanks the 295-acre Maxwell Mays Audubon Refuge and features two sylvan glampsites: The Ferns and The Pines. The former has a 15-foot round tent with a queen bed and futon, sleeping up to four people; the latter has a 14-by-16-foot tent with a king-size bed and futon, plus a second smaller tent with two sleeping cots, suitable for up to six campers. Both are outfitted with a supply of fresh water, a fire pit and firewood, and a Coleman stove. Guests also have access to a solar shower and an outhouse with a composting toilet. Lazy days are spent tossing horseshoes, puttering around the 35-acre property’s private pond in a canoe, or simply kicking back and listening to the birdsong of the neighboring sanctuary.

When Camp Fimfo barreled onto the Texas Hill Country scene last summer, it arrived with 200 RV hook-up sites and a clutch of family-friendly cabins in tow. Though designed to invoke nostalgia, they’re no slouch when it comes to amenities—boasting full kitchens and private baths in larger accommodations and coffee makers and mini fridges in petite Bivvi A-frames. Cabins are air-conditioned, but vacationers spend most of their days gathered around the picnic table, barbecue grill, and fire ring outside. Other campus draws include a heated pool with swim-up bar, splash playground and water slides, a miniature golf course, pickleball courts, and a panning sluice to hunt for fossils and gemstones. There is even coin-operated laundry in case you plan to stay awhile.

This 95-year-old ranch is ensconced by San Isabel National Forest in the stunning Cuchara Valley, some 8,500 feet above sea level. It’s a veritable playground for outdoors enthusiasts, tempting guests with hiking, fly fishing, and horseback riding excursions. Come evening, you can retire to one of 10 cabins, which sleep between two and 22 guests each. Some sport fireplaces or wood-burning stoves; others have flat-screen TVs and elk antler chandeliers. Book the Bunk House Cabin for a porch swing overlooking the ranch’s idyllic south meadow; the Guest House Cabin to be within casting distance of a well-stocked fishing pond; or the Lazy Days Cabin for knockout views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

A new 160-acre campsite south of Santa Fe, Kitfox borders a 10,000-acre preserve with more than 30 miles of hiking trails. Safari-style tents are bookable in king, queen, and twin-size configurations, and done up with platform beds and luxurious touches like animal hide rugs and leather throw pillows. (Pets are welcome, too—for a fee.) Units have coolers, fans, and water dispensers and plenty of outdoor seating for taking in the high desert vistas. For an extra special experience, book a Dine in the Wild package, which includes tent lodging, a seasonally inspired locavore dinner, and breakfast the next morning.

Like Lincoln Logs come to life, the en-suite cabins at this 2.5-acre property in the scenic Sawtooth Valley include microwaves, mini fridges, and coffee makers, plus the odd luxury like rainfall showerheads and hotel-grade linens. A few units have kitchenettes with two-burner stoves, and some are even pet-friendly (for a fee). If you’re traveling with a group, the four-bedroom, two-bath Triangle A cabin is the best bet thanks to its grass volleyball court, fire pit, and postcard-worthy views of the Sawtooth Mountains.

Open from late May through early September, Alpenglow offers two categories of tents and an unforgettable glacier camping experience. Canvas mountain tents have cedar floors, queen and twin-sized beds that sleep up to three guests, and Adirondack chairs on private covered decks. Smaller forest tents have private porches with rocking chairs but fit just two guests in a queen-size bed. While there is no electricity or cooking in the tents (this is bear country, after all), there is a common area for charging electronics—not to mention hot water showers and a cedar hot tub for soaking tired bones. For the campout to beat all campouts, opt to spend a night on a glacier: Guests are whisked off to mighty Matanuska via helicopter, served dinner by a campfire built on ice, and tucked into bed in a 16-foot deluxe tent with a 750-fill down comforter to keep things cozy.