Airstreams. Canvas Tents. Tiny Cabins. These Are the Best Glamping Brands for Every Type of Traveler

Glamping once described a single kind of stay: a canvas tent, a proper bed, and just enough infrastructure to make the outdoors feel accessible. That definition has expanded into a range of accommodations that solve for very different travel needs. Today, the term can mean anything from a designer Airstream near a national park to a tiny cabin within driving distance of a city or a fully built-out retreat with meals and programming included.

Entire brands have been built around different philosophies and although that evolution has made glamping more differentiated, it’s also harder to navigate. Brands like AutoCamp emphasize design and ease, while Under Canvas prioritizes proximity to national parks. Meanwhile, Postcard Cabins focuses on short, close-to-home escapes.

For travelers, the difference shows up in the mechanics of a trip: how much is planned for you, how close you are to what you came to see, what amenities you need (or are willing to forgo), and how much of the experience happens within the property versus beyond it.

Below, a closer look at how these three popular brands differ—and how to choose the one that fits the kind of trip you’re planning.

Autocamp

Courtesy of AutoCamp (L); photo by Kelly vanDellen/Shutterstock (R)

Launched in Santa Barbara in 2013, AutoCamp built its identity on custom Airstreams arranged around midcentury-inspired clubhouses that serve as both check-in desks and social hubs. The concept has since expanded into a network of 10 locations near such major attractions as Yosemite and Sequoia national parks in California, Zion National Park in Utah, Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and a future outpost in Texas Hill Country.

While Airstreams remain central, the brand has diversified into cabins, tents, and, at some locations, BaseCamp suites that combine a trailer with a separate canvas tent. The appeal is in how easy it makes the outdoors feel: Airstreams come stocked with linens, cookware, and spa-like bathrooms; cabins offer even more space for families; and tents provide a slightly more traditional glamping option without sacrificing comfort. Across formats, accommodations include real beds, in-room coffee, firepits, and access to shared spaces.

Each property has a central clubhouse with a small market, bar, and communal seating. Some of them run light programming (yoga, live music, or stargazing) that reflects the surrounding landscape.

More recently, the company has expanded with Field Station, a separate line of outdoor-oriented hotels in places such as Moab and Joshua Tree. Unlike AutoCamp’s trailer-and-tent setups, Field Station properties are more traditional hotels, with common gathering spaces and gear libraries for hiking, biking, and climbing.

Postcard Cabins

Courtesy of Postcard Cabins

Postcard Cabins was formerly known as Getaway and is now part of Marriott’s Outdoor Collection of outdoorsy accommodations. The company occupies a distinct niche: compact, design-savvy tiny cabins scattered in wilderness areas within a couple of hours’ drive of major cities. For burnt-out city dwellers, the premise is straightforward: Leave town, settle into a quiet patch of woods, and spend a few days offline—whether that’s reading by the fire, cooking a simple meal, or just sitting outside as it gets dark.

Interiors have queen beds or bunks, a small kitchenette, a bathroom with a shower, and large windows framing the surrounding landscape. The setup is consistent across all 29 locations across the U.S., from New York to Washington State, and each unit includes a firepit and outdoor seating area. A daily destination fee bundles firewood, fire starters, a s’mores kit, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, bottled water, and snacks.

Notably, the brand avoids programming and on-site dining. The experience encourages unstructured time outdoors rather than scheduled activities. It’s particularly well-suited to solo travelers, couples, and young families looking for a short, low-effort reset rather than a destination-driven trip. For travelers with animals in tow, dogs are allowed for a fee of $50 per stay, which includes a dog-friendly kit with food and water bowls, a bag of treats, and poop bags.

Under Canvas

Courtesy of Under Canvas

Founded in 2012, Under Canvas, one of the earliest glamping ventures, built its reputation as the go-to glamping brand for national park access, with a network of camps positioned near 14 of the country’s most iconic landscapes, including Yellowstone, Glacier, Moab, and the Grand Canyon (and, new in 2026, Yosemite and New Hampshire’s White Mountains). It’s also one of the earliest glamping operators to scale its collection across the U.S. and arguably the one that still feels closest to the traditional idea of glamping.

Accommodations follow a consistent safari-tent model: canvas structures with real beds, wood-burning stoves, and layouts that range from simple setups to larger, family-friendly configurations. Stargazer tents, designed for night sky viewing, are a signature feature at select locations. The brand has also emphasized astronomy more broadly: Its Lake Powell–Grand Staircase camp in Utah became the first lodging worldwide to earn a DarkSky Lodging certification from DarkSky International in 2023, and several other Under Canvas camps have since followed.

While the core experience still centers on being outdoors, the camps have evolved. Many now offer on-site dining and a slate of guided or self-directed activities tied to the surrounding landscape. (Guided trips into the park are available for an extra fee.) Even so, the overall approach remains more minimal than those of brands like AutoCamp or Postcard Cabins: there’s no electricity or Wi-Fi, lighting is intentionally scant, device charging is via power banks, and climate control depends on the environment and your in-room, wood-burning stove.

Under Canvas has also moved upmarket with two new spin-off brands. The first is called Ulum, which launched in Moab, Utah, in 2023 with upgraded interiors featuring temperature control, rain showers, and dipping pools, plus a larger food menu and programming including massages and paint nights. (Afar recognized it as one of the best new hotels in 2024.) Then in 2025, Under Canvas announced its Outdoor Collection of resorts, which repurpose contemporary cottages, classic cabins, and lodge rooms in states ranging from Michigan to Montana.