AEFINTYR | ELBA 

The outdoor beds at Camp Ostraya and Camp Celtis take forest bathing to a new level. Located at 1,460-foot elevation in the rugged Driftless Area — just two miles from Whitewater State Park — the beds are set on platforms in a thick woodland and protected with mosquito netting and privacy tarps that can be lowered at night.  

Reaching the fairytale scene requires hiking in — uphill along a bluff — and hauling your own gear, but the payoff is a mattress all made up with sheets, pillowcases, and cozy fleece blankets. Campsites have private fire pits with cooking grates and a skillet, tables and chairs, and solar lanterns. Firewood is available for purchase on-site and there is a dedicated stargazing area with recliners.  

Among the shared campground amenities are composting toilets and a bathhouse with hot showers, vanities, flush toilets, and Wi-Fi (if you must).  

BELL TENT | FOREST TOWNSHIP 

“Legitimately in the woods” and “absolutely serene”—that’s how past guests describe the off-grid Oasis bell tent bookable through Glamping Hub. Close to Itasca State Park, Bad Medicine Lake, and the long-distance North Country Trail, the solar-powered tent features a queen-size bed with pillows; a rug, table fan, and petite fireplace with pre-chopped firewood; a dresser and seating area with two pull-out sofa beds; and Pinterest-sweet touches like ceramic pitchers filled with flowers.  

The tent has a barbecue grill but no fridge (so BYO cooler), plus a skylit bathroom with a hot shower and flushing toilet.  A quartet of Adirondack-style chairs are clustered on the partially shaded deck, ideal for taking in the lake view. Shared extras include standup paddleboards and kayaks to get you even closer to the water. Up to three guests are welcome at a time, but no children under 2. 

Bookable May through October, the tents come with a large fan, small space heater, French press with organic coffee, noise machine, Wi-Fi, board games, and a private fire pit with a grate and camp chairs. A “spa-like” indoor/outdoor shower house throws in basic toiletries and towels and there’s a redwood sauna onsite for sweating off all that red dirt.  

EAGLES NEST & LOONS NEST | WARBA 

For glampers keen to be near a lake, look no further than Eagles Nest and Loons Nest — two large tents perched on pristine Shallow Lake, just 15 minutes from Grand Rapids. The pet-friendly retreats sit near a sandy beach area and boat dock with tie-ups. Its covered deck with patio seating is the best place to sip your morning coffee; after a long day, nothing beats unwinding in the cedar sauna or roasting marshmallows by the fire pit.  

Each campsite has a private shower house and an outdoor cooking station with a propane grill and side burner plus basic kitchen gear (pots and pans, knives, can opener). The parade of creature comforts continues inside the tents with king-size beds and sleeper sofas fitting up to five guests, a dining table, a kitchen hutch with a Keurig and toaster, full-size fridge, electric heater, and even air-conditioning.  

Towels of every stripe (beach, bath, sauna) are provided along with pillows and bedding. There is no Wi-Fi or hot water, but a guest-accessible shed is stocked with kayaks, paddleboards, bocce, badminton, and other lawn games. The fishing on Shallow Lake is excellent, too; see walleyes, crappies, and bass in your future. 

KLÅRHET | LUTSEN 

If Nicole and Kirk Leand's only plan for Klårhet was to pair its "regenerative food forest" with four distinct geodesic domes that look out on Lake Superior, they'd already have one of the North Shore's most unique glamping stays. Stress-reducing goat yoga and forest bathing sessions are just the beginning of a big picture that'll soon be painted with a natural food marketplace, integrative health classes, and a small farm-to-table restaurant helmed by former Lutsen Resort Lodge chef Jennifer Guerra. 

NORTH SHORE CAMPING CO | BEAVER BAY  

North Shore Camping Co. takes care of all your grilling and chilling needs so you can focus on your surroundings, from rechargeable lanterns and solar power stations to firewood bundles and enamel dishware. The Beaver Bay getaway also gives its guests 24-hour access to a base lodge complete with clean restrooms and showers if you’d rather not rough it. 

That said, this isn’t a hotel that puts nature behind plexiglass. It’s glamping at its very best — a prime spot for soaking up natural beauty, listening to bird calls, and surveying the local mushroom scene whenever a heavy rainfall hits. 

STONE CREEK FARM | SHAFER 

Making the schlep out to Franconia Sculpture Park? Might as well spend the night. Less than a five-minute drive from the sculpture garden is Stone Creek, a 36-acre organic farm specializing in sustainable stone fruit (plums, peaches, apricots, and cherries). Orchard farmers-turned- super hosts Dan and Danielle rent out four blessedly Wi-Fi-free lodging sites via Airbnb and Hipcamp, offering guests farm tours and a chance to help with planting and harvesting when they feel like rolling up their sleeves.  

The tents are spacious enough for a family of four and pet-friendly, and among the more rustic “glamping” options on this list. One is pitched on a raised wooden platform; others sit right on the ground. You’ll need to pack your own sleeping bags and gear but there are private composting toilets on site, plenty of good trees to string up a hammock, and camp carts you can borrow to haul out your gear. (It’s a quarter mile walk from the car park to the campground.) Potable water is available from a hose and sites include picnic tables, fire pits, barbecue grills, firewood, and Adirondack chairs for taking in the sun-dappled forest views. 

THE GROVE GLAMPING | BATTLE LAKE 

Even high-maintenance hotel lovers will be sold on glamping after a night at The Grove. Set on five wooded acres with a creek that leads into Glendalough State Park, the glamp site’s five canvas bell tents are each equipped with a queen-size bed and elevated bed frame, serene lighting, and high-end touches such as a mini fridge/freezer and French press.   

A fire pit, picnic table, outdoor seating, and twinkly lights come standard with every tent, and a newly constructed bath house boasts multiple toilets, showers, and an outdoor sink for washing up. Additional cots are available upon request, fitting up to four guests per tent. Full-property buyouts are also possible, making this a superb getaway for friend gatherings, family reunions, and intimate retreats.

 WILDHAVEN YURT | TWO HARBORS 

If this North Shore getaway looks familiar, you may have stumbled across one of the elopement shoots that have been staged there. Wildhaven makes for a spectacular backdrop: a hand-built, Mongolian-style, canvas-covered yurt surrounded by pines and aspens and storybook meadows. Suitable for couples and small groups, it features electricity, Wi-Fi, a space heater and fans, a kitchenette with a microwave and fridge/freezer, a sink with potable water, and a queen-size bed and pull-out double. 

Wooden floors are layered with rugs and Instagram-ready accents like decorative pillows and snuggly robes. Some guests report that the outhouse is nicer than their bathroom at home and the red Finnish sauna is “to die for.”  

The yurt is set on the hosts’ 16.5-acre property with a mile of walking trails and a hand cart for portaging luggage. It’s just nine miles from the break wall at Agate Bay but with board games, art supplies, a fire ring, homemade jam and garden goodies, and two foldable kayaks available for guest use, you’d be hard-pressed to ever leave. 

WILD MOUNTAIN WINERY | TAYLORS FALLS 

Fourteen-year-old Wild Mountain Winery is beloved for its cold hardy wines and wood-fired pies. May through October, however, it’s also known as Get InTents — one of the best glamping spots in Chisago County. Nestled amid the woods and vineyards, tents are kitted out with queen-size memory foam mattresses and bedding, chairs, rugs, and private fire rings with firewood for sale. Bathrooms are tucked below the on-site bottle shop and there are portable toilets within 150 yards of the glamping area.   

Solar lighting can be found inside and outside the pet-friendly tents but there is no electricity. Which is just as well. The whole point in coming here is to power down your devices and focus on the surrounding nature (and each other). Guests can purchase wine, beer, and cider from the shop and bring it back to their campsite to sip in a hammock beneath a blanket of stars.