What it’s like Glamping with Under Canvas
Having never camped in our lives, we knew that “glamping” would give us a taste of nature with the perk of indoor plumbing. When looking for places to stay during our Smoky Mountains weekend trip, it seemed like a natural fit. We wanted to embrace the Covid trend of exploring the outdoors and couldn’t wait to see what this kind of overnight stay was like. Having conquered everything from hostels to airbnbs, I can say with full confidence that this was a unique experience unlike anything we’ve done before.
Who We Glamped With
Being a total glamping newbie, I went off of a company a client recommended to me. She’d gone glamping with Under Canvas in the Grand Canyon and had a great time. We booked the Safari Night tent, which was about $280 a night. This was the most cost effective option that had a communal bathhouse (I’ll get more into that later).
Typically we keep the budget tight on accommodations, but we counted this as an extra experience worth the splurge. Plus, our main activity – hiking in the mountains – was free, and we kept our meals basic to offset costs.
Location
A big part of Under Canvas’ reputation is that you’re off the grid in the heart of the Smokies, which is what we were looking for: no cell service, a tent and the stars (excuse my cheesiness). And they delivered…this campsite is literally in the middle of nowhere. There’s very little signage and the route takes you through a rundown area. Basically be prepared to feel lost until you roll up to the site.
Pulling up to the campground and seeing all of the tents clumped together felt like we’d been transported back in time. We were going back to basics...and it was pretty freaking ironic that we paid a lot of money to be pioneers for a night – but that was part of the fun.
Glamping Highlights
Building a Fire: The most empowering part of the trip was building our own fire to warm our tent for the evening. Armed with nothing but a couple of fire starters, some wood and a box of matches, we set off to get our stove lit. We’d been warned by other campers that most other tents needed help getting their fire started, so we were more determined than ever to do it ourselves. After much sweating, some anxiety, and a lot of Caroline pep-talking herself, the fire was roaring.
Lesson: you’ve got to continue to stoke your fire throughout the night if you want it to stay lit…oops. We ended the night with a sense of accomplishment, but it sure was chilly the next morning.
Free S’mores & Campfire: Nothing says summer camp more than s’mores around the campfire. The first thing we noticed when we checked in was the basket of free s’mores supplies and roasting sticks. Sitting around the campfire with a group of people from around the country, swapping stories and listening for sneak attacks from bears was an awesome bonding experience.
–Stargazing: As city girls, we don’t see the stars too often in Indianapolis. Glamping in the middle of the mountains and seeing the sky speckled with them was another awe-worthy nature moment.
*NOTE: hot chocolate, tea and coffee are all free & the reception tent is open 24/7 in case you need a hot drink or help with your fire.
Recommendations / Before You Go
Spring for a Private Bathroom: Sharing a communal bathroom was an experience in itself. We trekked in the dark (which put us a bit on edge not knowing what wildlife could pop out) to get to the showers, which were very clean, but small. Beware the showers don’t have space to hold all of your belongings. Learning to wash your hair with one hand was also a struggle; in order to have hot, running water, you have to pull a chain to keep it flowing.
Know your Landmarks: Finding the campsite with GPS was no problem. But because Under Canvas doesn’t have cell service, you can’t use your GPS to get back out to “civilization.” The path back is pretty straightforward, but pick out some good landmarks so you don’t take a wrong turn.
Guess which Tent is Ours 
The Smokies
Choose your Timing Wisely: We got pretty lucky with the weather, but Fall had definitely hit. This means that late nights and early mornings are cold and walks to the bathroom require many layers and some shivering. Early summer or early fall is the perfect time to go glamping because you’ll get warm weather without sweating to death in your tent.
The On-Site Food is Expensive: Since there’s only one restaurant, your dining options are pretty limited and costly. This was something mentioned on Under Canvas’ reviews, so we weren’t shocked. To be more budget friendly, we ate our dinner in Pigeon Forge (a 15-20 minute drive) before checking in. But we did cave for the $12.00 breakfast sandwich.
Try and Go after Covid Time: While this type of accommodation works great in a pandemic, some of the amenities that make Under Canvas special – like their free yoga classes, live music and social events – weren’t running.
Stay Only One Night to Try it First: Glamping is something unique and worth a try, but it’s pricey and may not be for everyone. Communal showers, starting a fire, navigating in the dark and the nerves of sleeping in a tent on the edge of the forest left us feeling exhausted at the end of the night (again – 100% newbie campers).
Book a tent for one night at first and let yourself fully embrace the experience instead of staying for your entire trip. We spent our first two nights in an Airbnb, and I think the tone of our trip would’ve changed if we’d tried to glamp all weekend. Booking Under Canvas for the last night let us be immersed in the off-the-grid experience we were looking for.
With outdoorsy adventures being a hot trend right now and Covid not going away anytime soon, we highly recommend staying with Under Canvas to have an authentic (and boujee) “camping” experience.
