Glamping In Big Sur, Joshua Tree, the Santa Barbara Coast and Malibu CA

If you haven’t heard about this previously, “Glamping”, is sort of like camping or heading out in your RV but with more amenities than you would normally have. The word is a mashup of “glamorous” and “camping” even though most of the places you will Glamp are far removed from being glamorous. Think of it as more outdoors and natural than a hotel or dude ranch, but not quite pitching your own tent on the ground or driving up to a campsite in your RV. I would say that for the most part you’ll be experiencing nature in a deeper way while still being comfortable. Often, very comfortable.

My wife and I did three road trip Glamps this summer. Whether you have already been Glamping or are just looking for interesting things to do, hopefully you will find this useful. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Here’s where we went.

TREEBONES RESORT - BIG SUR

Located about 25 miles north of the Hearst Castle you’ll find the Treebones Resort. An all around amazing experience.

If you go the Treebones, you’ll be Glamping in a Yurt. A Yurt is a round tent. We were surprised at how large it was inside. Our Yurt had an ocean view, a fan, a heater, windows and a dome that opened up. How cool is that?

At Treebones, the Yurts have running water and a heater but as is often the case with Glamping, the showers and restrooms are housed elsewhere - in this case the main lodge, and shared. I think there were about 16 Yurts and also a few campsites. There was a pool and hot tub.

Things to do.

On the grounds they offer Yoga 5 days a week (check their schedule). The Yoga classes are either held outdoors or indoors depending on the weather. There is a charge for the Yoga class. You can also sign up for a massage.

As for more outdoors activities, you’ll have to leave the grounds and get into your car and drive a few miles. We went to Sand Dollar Beach which is about 3 miles north. There’s a parking lot that will cost you $10. To get to the beach you have to walk down 100 wooden stairs which is a lot easier on the way down than up. But well worth it. I was told Sand Dollar is the largest white sand beach in Big Sur. There were even people surfing!

There are a number of hikes in the area - Treebones will provide some maps so you know where to go.

Or you can just hang around the grounds and relax. Just remember that you will be totally off the grid for the most part. There is no cell service as in zero, none. There is free wi-fi but it was spotty and slow. Kind of like dial up in the old days.

FOOD

The food was amazing. if you like Sushi even a little bit, you will love the Wild Coast Sushi Bar. Just remember you must have a reservation. There are only 8 chairs - they do 2 seatings nightly, 5 PM and 7 PM. I believe they are closed for a few months during the winter. Best to check before you visit.

The lodge serves a great 3 course meal. Best to book dinner in advance but there seemed to be ample seats if you don’t have a reservation.

Breakfast is complimentary in the lodge and was adequate. Not the broadest selection but you’ll find something to eat I’m sure. There are some options for lunch but we had brought some snacks.

A lot of the food that was served was actually grown onsite at their garden. Well worth the effort to head down to see what’s growing.

ABOUT BIG SUR

If you are reading this, chances are you are already familiar with the absolutely breathtaking stretch of the California coast between San Simeon and Carmel. As with the Coachella Valley, which many people generically refer to as Palm Springs, there is a small town of Big Sur which gives its name to the entire region. More generically you can think of various locations in Big Sur as either north or south Big Sur. Treebones is located in South Big Sur.

Bordered to the east by the Santa Lucia Mountains and the west by the Pacific Ocean, you’ll be driving on a narrow 2 lane road (State Route 1) which has a lot of winding turns, seaside cliffs and draw dropping views of the coastline. It’s where the mountains come down to the seas. There are numerous state parks for hiking or more traditional camping. While you can access the beach from numerous locations, the beaches are often rocky not sandy.

Driving Route 1 you’ll be mostly off the grid. You might want to do what we did - actually print out places we wanted to stop or see. If you need to go slow - better safe than sorry, and there are lots of turnouts to let faster traffic pass by.

Not to be missed is the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge which is about an hour north of Treebones. It is one of the most photographed places in CA.

If you are headed north on Route 1, there is a parking lot on the ocean side of the road after you pass over the bridge. You can also park on the mountain side of the road along Rte 1 or the dirt road just over the bridge. These spots get busy, like really busy on weekends and holidays. Leaving Treebones it is about 50 miles north which will take you a little over an hour unless you get behind a very slow moving vehicle.

Heading south, it is about 15 miles south of Carmel by the Sea and should only take around 1/2 an hour or so.

Last things you need to know heading to Big Sur:

For many reasons best to traverse these roads when it is still light out.
There are very few gas stations - so fill up before you go north of San Simeon or south of Carmel.
If you have an EV, I believe there are a few Tesla chargers but best to independently verify that. I didn’t see any other chargers but that could change by the time you visit.
It might well be colder than you would think at night so bring a sweater or jacket.

And lastly, the stars at night were not to be missed.

TREEBONES | BIG SUR GALLERY OF PHOTOS

AUTOCAMP JOSHUA TREE

Autocamp has a very unique concept. Think of it as an Airstream hotel with really upscale Airstreams. Because they aren’t being hauled around, these Airstreams have options you might not otherwise find. In addition to the Joshua Tree location, they also have Yosemite, Russian River, and coming in 2023 Zion. For national park access, you can’t beat these locations. A cool road trip if you like Airstreams, might be to drive between Yosemite and Russian River. Probably around 4 hours between the two.

Because this is Glamping there is a pool and a mid century clubhouse and of course Yoga. When we were there it looked like they were setting up for some corporate event in an area adjacent to the clubhouse.

We brought our own food. Outside each airstream there is a table and a fire pit to heat up or cook some food. The night we were there it was extremely windy so getting the fire going was a bit of a challenge.

The site is located less than 10 minutes from the entrance to Joshua Tree. During peak times expect there to be a line up to get past the guard gate for the park. If you are not sure of what you might want to see and where to hike, there is a tourist center with maps and other useful information. And souvenirs.

ABOUT JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

With nearly 800,000 acres of natural beauty, Joshua Tree National Park is undoubtedly one of the world’s most incredible natural desert treasures. Sweeping, grand in scale and populated by granite monoliths and voluptuous rock and boulder formations, the park offers wonder to eco-travelers, outdoor adventurists, and naturalists.

The drive from Palm Springs is a little over an hour if you don’t stay somewhere locally. There are other more traditional options than AutoCamp.

There are a number of Joshua Tree hikes ranging from easy to very challenging. Here’s an overview of some of the most popular ones. There are many, many more.

Skull Rock is probably one of the best known and easiest hikes. It’s about 1.7 miles and good for all skill levels. Along the trail are giant rock clusters and of course the signature skull rock with the eye sockets giving it a distinctive skull appearance and hence the name. This is a really easy hike and we usually do it after a longer more challenging hike. Because it is visible from the main road in Joshua Tree it gets quite crowded with lots of the usual Instagram crowd.

Barker Dam is where we always take guests who haven’t been to Joshua Tree previously. It is also an easy hike, about 1.3 miles through some gorgeous rock formations and to where the dam used to be when there was actually water. The dam was built to support the cattle ranching which really was a thing there in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Parking is easier than at Skull Rock - the lot is larger. The map you can get from the park easily shows where to go. And speaking of parking, from the same lot you can also access….

Wall Street Mill which you might as well do if you are already at Barker Dam. We usually grab some trail mix and more water at the car before we head out on this trail.

Along the route, you might want to stop to photograph the rusty remains of automobiles that make a statement against the desert backdrop. The mill, which is the payoff for this hike, is actually quite well preserved. It was owned by Bill Keys, a area rancher and miner, and was used to crush gold ore for several decades. There are several informative plaques that talk about the mill and its history, and the mill makes for great photos as well.

Ryan Mountain is a more difficult hike and will take you to one of the tallest points in Joshua Tree. It is 3 miles, out-and-back with 1069 feet of elevation gain. It is one of the more popular hikes. You’ll pass many rock forms, unique cacti and, glimpses of the amazing views you’ll be rewarded with at the summit. When you make it to the top, there’s a 360 degree view of some of the park’s beautiful boulder formations, unique Joshua Trees, the bare desert floor, and (on a clear day) the huge peaks of San Jacinto and San Gorgonio in the distance. For a unique experience, try hiking Ryan Mountain at sunset for some gorgeous views of the sun lowering over Joshua Tree.

This hike is ranked as moderate-to-strenuous and definitely shouldn’t be hiked in the heat of summer per the recommendation of the National Park System. This is because the trail is basically a continuous uphill climb with little shade.

There is a parking area right off the road between Sheep Pass and Ryan Campground.

The Chollo Cactus Nature Trail is another popular destination but be careful lest you get stuck by any of those cacti needles. They can be difficult to remove. If it is a windy day, stay away from this hike. It is short and easy though if you do it.

JOSHUA TREE GALLERY OF PHOTOS

Ellis and Laksika Barker Dam Joshua Tree.jpeg

EL CAPITAN CANYON

El Capitan Canyon is about 15 minutes north of downtown Santa Barbara on the 101 Freeway and near the well known traditional camping at El Capitan Beach and Refugio State Beach.

The site offers three types of camping accommodations including cedar cabins, an adventure yurt and two safari tents. We stayed in a cedar cabin which we quite enjoyed.

The cabins at El Capitan are fully furnished and feature vaulted ceilings and French doors. Some open to views of a running creek, assuming there’s enough water. These cabins are complete with king, queen or double beds, a full bath, wet bar, mini-fridge, central heat, linens, grill private outdoor fire pit. The cabins vary in size so make sure you book one large enough for your needs.

Unlike Joshua Tree or Treebones, there were a number of hikes you can do on the grounds with some being more challenging than others. If you are going with kids, there’s an easy hike to see some llamas, goats and donkeys if you are into that sort of thing.

It is also an easy walk or bike ride to El Capitan Beach. There are bikes you can use at no charge but we didn’t find hem to be very useful - no gears and a manual brake. Better than nothing - but not much.

We brought our own food. There is also an onsite market that seemed to have a decent enough selection.

CALAMIGOS GUEST RANCH

Located in the hills above the Malibu Beach, Calamigos is definitely at the high end of anything that could be considered Glamping. I almost wasn’t going to include it but decided to primarily because the very luxurious cabins are a good way for the uninitiated to ease into the world of Glamping. And to be clear, the grounds and cabins are all a cut well above the other properties I’ve mentioned in this post. In fact, it is so luxurious that I’ve heard the grounds have been used for some films or TV shows. This is the “glamorous” aspect of the Glamp.

Speaking of the grounds, there is quite a lot to do there. To start with, there’s some decent, albeit kind of easy, hiking right on the property. They also feature a Beach Club right on the beach and will drive you down there. Once you get there, in addition to the beach, there is also some hiking. The food on site is excellent. As you might expect, this is the most expensive of the Glamping sites I’ve discussed.