What is glamping? It is the combination of "glamorous" and "camping" that is used to describe a form of camping that involves luxurious accommodations and facilities. This is the type of camping for those who want to escape to nature without having to rough it. Glamping became popular in 2020 during the pandemic when people were looking for a socially distance vacation and has since gained more popularity on social media with influencers and content creators.
There are so many different glamping opportunities and locations throughout the United States, that it may be hard to decide where to go and which company to choose from. Today, we are talking about Under Canvas. Under Canvas provides upscale outdoor accommodations in 10 different locations throughout the US. They allow you to immerse yourself in the great outdoors with safari-style tents with optional ensuite bathrooms, king size beds and wood burning stoves.
Several of the Under Canvas locations have been recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as the "Best Resort in the World" in 2021 and one of the locations to make that list is the Mount Rushmore location! Under Canvas Mount Rushmore is located in the heart of the Black Hills tucked within the Ponderosa Pines and only 4 miles from the Mount Rushmore Monument. In fact you can see the monument from the property! This location is the perfect home base to explore Custer State Park and the surrounding Black Hills of South Dakota.
Under Canvas Mount Rushmore has four different tent styles to choose from. The safari-style tent options include: The Safari Tent, The Deluxe Tent, The Stargazer Tent and The Suite Tent. All of these tents also give you the option to add on a kid tent which is a great option for families. The Safari Tent is the only tent that does not provide a private ensuite bathroom. These tents offer shared bathroom facilities that are close to the tents (please watch my YouTube Video here or down below to see the bathroom facilities). The Deluxe, Stargazer and Suite Tent all provide private ensuite bathroom facilities.
Under Canvas was giving back to essential workers and I won a two night stay at the Under Canvas Mount Rushmore location in the Suite Tent! The Suite Tents are located at all ten Under Canvas locations and offers a king size bed, a lounge area with a leather queen size sofa bed, an ensuite bathroom with a shower, sink and flushing toilet, a wood burning stove with complimentary fire wood and a private deck with stunning views of the Black Hills!
Each tent also has some amenities to help bring the comforts of the indoors to the outside. The bathrooms, including both the shared and ensuite facilities, provides upscale, organic bath products such as, shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Each tent provides two USB charging packs that you can use to charge electronics. If and when the battery pack runs out of power, they are easily exchanged at the reception in the main tent. This will be the only power that is supplied in the tent so use it wisely, and remember you are glamping after all! But the tents do provide two lanterns for a source of light at night, two mini fans at each side of the bed for those warm summer nights and a wood burning stove to provide warmth for those cold spring and fall evenings.
There is no WiFi at Under Canvas, which may be a deal breaker for some but this gives you the opportunity to unplug for a night or two and just enjoy the surrounding sounds and sights of nature. But don't worry, there was cell service at the Mount Rushmore location, so you are not totally off the grid. Other amenities that are offered at Under Canvas include complimentary activities such as live music and morning yoga. Each location also provides onsite nature walks. The nature walk at the Mount Rushmore location took us through the heart of the Black Hills located right on camp. In fact the Mount Rushmore location is on old mining land and our walking guide gave us so much fun and interesting information about the Black Hills area. This is a MUST if you are staying at Under Canvas. If you are looking for a once in a lifetime adventure, Under Canvas also provides an adventure desk where you can talk with an experience coordinator and book an experience to elevate your trip. Another fun amenity that is offered is nightly bon fires with complimentary s'mores!
Now let's talk about the topic on everyone's mind: Food! There are several options for food that you can choose from. The first option is the most budget friendly option and that is cooking your own food. Under Canvas provides communal picnic tables and grills throughout the property which allows you to save some money and cook your own food. But keep in mind that there is no refrigerator to keep your food cold, so you will need to bring a cooler. Another tip is to keep all food in your car because you wouldn't want an uninvited guest in your tent at night! The second option is eating on-site. Under Canvas Mount Rushmore offers an on-site dining options that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu offers both seasonal and locally sourced produce. We were gifted a free dinner which also included a bottle of wine. We started off with a charcuterie board and both opted for the buffalo burgers. The food was delicious and I would highly recommend that you eat at the restaurant at least once during your stay! They also offer complimentary hot and cold water, tea and coffee all day long. They also offer grab and go snacks, for a small price, for a day of exploring. Option number 3 is to head into downtown Keystone and dine at one of the many restaurants. Since Under Canvas is less than 5 miles from downtown, this makes for another easy food option.
Under Canvas Mount Rushmore is the perfect option for those who want to escape the city life without giving up the luxuries of a hotel. Staying at Under Canvas is your home for an epic South Dakota adventure where you can explore all of the beauty that the Black Hills has to offer. Staying in these luxurious safari-style tents was the highlight of our South Dakota trip. The location could NOT be beat! We were in the heart of the Black Hills and close to all of the must see places that are on your list to visit! This unique experience will be the highlight of you trip! I hope you found this to be helpful in deciding whether or not you are going to book a stay at Under Canvas Mount Rushmore or any other Under Canvas location. If it makes a difference, we loved out stay so much we have booked a stay this spring at the Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains location in the Suite Tent!
If you want to see a FULL in depth room tour and review, you can watch my YouTube video linked below! I share a room and resort tour as well as my true review on Under Canvas. Keep wandering the world and see you in the next adventure, where ever that may take me!
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