Throughout the pandemic, properties on Airbnb and HipCamp became a popular escape from the bed-to-computer cycle. Now, people are planning their much-needed getaways and looking hard for unique experiences. Kansas City has a growing list of glamping—camping, but a little more glam—sites that give all the allure of the outdoors while stepping up with luxurious amenities. Check out these four glamping spots in the area and keep your vacay close to home.
Suite Tea
3605 N. 59th St., KCK & Swope Park
A glamping brand new to the scene this year, Suite Tea has two plots—or tent villages—with private tents, beds and lounge areas.
Although Suite Tea’s original village, Watkins “C” Ranch, is just a few blocks from KCK’s busy Leavenworth Road, it’s an escape on land surrounded by horses.
“There, you have access to horse riding and horse lessons,” Suite Tea co-owner Tiffany Watts says. “It’s on a very open, private piece of land that you can walk and just explore at your own leisure.”
Suite Tea’s newest village is at Camp Lake of the Woods at Swope Park. Watts and her team partnered with Kansas City Parks and Recreation to make it happen, and as of June, they have six suites set up on the campground. Campers are within walking distance of Swope Park’s trails, GoApe Zipline and Adventure Park and close to the Kansas City Zoo and Starlight Theatre. The next big project for Suite Tea is taking over the Blue Mills cabins that dot the land at Camp Lake of the Woods.
“Right now, they’re dilapidated and obviously unusable,” Watts says. “But years ago, they were such a huge part of Camp Lake of the Woods.” The rehabbed cabins will be available starting in spring of next year.
Base Camp Humboldt
1268 Hawaii Road, Humboldt, KS
Tucked away in a town of eighteen hundred at the head of a sixty-mile bike trail, Base Camp Humboldt is a vision. Beth Works, owner of the camp’s idyllic cabins, is also head of A Bolder Humboldt, a community group whose mission is to amp up the tiny town.
“Base Camp is an exciting part of our overall plan to get more people to town,” Works says. “We are really lucky to be kicking off in an environment where everyone seems to be looking for a place to be outside and take a vacation without boarding a plane.”
On the donated twenty-one-acre property, there are cabins situated on a pond perfect for kayaking and paddleboarding. Each cabin is equipped with a kitchenette, bathroom and roomy living spaces. The modern design, skylights and large windows make the three hundred and fifty-square-foot spaces feel bright and spacious.Works says Base Camp Humboldt also has a few exciting developments in the works.
“Our shower houses are almost complete, we’re building some fun A-frames and movies and cocktails have arrived at Base Camp this summer,” Works says.
Camp’d Out Private Events And Pop-Ups
KC native Kathleen Medina found herself on the West Coast after a stint in Sydney, Australia, where she fell in love with luxury camping. In 2018, she launched Camp’d Out, a modern pop-up camp based in the California desert. After years of running Camp’d Out on the coast, Medina was ready to bring a piece of her passion project back home to Kansas City.
“I’ve always had plans to expand to the Kansas City market whenever the time was right,” she says. “After the crazy year we just had, we could all use a bit of stargazing and wonder.”Guests can rent canvas bell tents with add-ons like comfy beds, rugs and lounge chairs. Medina will also incorporate her favorite goods from local makers into the tents, like cotton throws from Happy Habitat and soaps from Indigo Wild.
