Author
Ellen Eberhardt
Photographer
Courtesy AutoCamp
On a recent winter weekend we found ourselves in a cozy micro cabin along the blustery coast of Massachusetts, comfortably entrenched at AutoCamp Cape Cod, a family-friendly glamping getaway complete with Airstreams, luxe cabins, safari camping tents, and a stylish clubhouse. It's the first East Coast location for the North America-based AutoCamp, which is best known for its upscale, design-driven glamping properties in the Russian River Valley, Zion, and Yosemite.
Co-founded in 2013 by Neil DiPaola and Ryan Miller, AutoCamp got its start in Santa Barbara, CA where the two had purchased the grounds of an old RV park. Determined to modernize the world of outdoorsy accommodations and infuse it with their love of mid-century design, the pair installed a lineup of luxe Airstream-guest rooms on site. As you might've guessed, it was a booming success. In the years since AutoCamp has opened additional glamping sites across the United States, with new locations like Joshua Tree and New York's Catskills coming soon in 2022.
Looking to experience the campground concept ourselves, we made the trek from New York City to the great outdoors of Cape Cod, MA to spend a chilly long weekend at their newly opened site.
The boutique Massachusetts campground is minutes from Cape Cod's famous coastline and consists of ninety-three glittering Airstreams, ten luxury camping tents, and five prefab cabins-plus a mid-century clubhouse at the center of it all, on a hillside campus with a plein air view of the sea.
Although the company is best known for its Airstream Suites, we had the luck of staying in a roomy prefab cabin fit for three adults or a small family that the company calls a Vista X-Suite. X-Suites are outfitted with a stocked kitchenette and living area (couch and TV), sandwiched between a roomy bedroom and a spacious bathroom with a luxury shower. Outside, a small deck cleverly shields a private fire pit and picnic table from passersby.
On the particular weekend we visited, the campus was lively with visiting families and younger kids, despite the off-season timing. Throughout our visit we passed folks gearing up for group biking trips, chatting around the clubhouse's communal fire pit, exploring the grounds, and, at night, gathering around their private campfires. Proof that AutoCamp is indeed a four-season destination.
While the campus offers plenty to do within walking distance of our micro cabin, we made time to explore nearby towns of Falmouth and Woods Hole, too; each are within an easy 15-minute drive from AutoCamp Cape Cod. Sleepy and charming, these quiet towns are full of classic New England charm, on display at gift shops and general stores made more picturesque by a swiftly setting winter sun.
The highlight of our trip-beyond lounging about in our X-Suite cabin-was a long, salt-scented walk down the Shining Sea Bikeway, a 10.7 mile paved path linking Falmouth and Woods Hole, with a notable drop off at the popular Woodneck Beach and Little Sippewissett Marsh. A portion of the path sits right outside the AutoCamp campus and it's easy to hop on for a little excercise.
It was fun to watch joggers and cyclists each morning (from inside the cozy cabin and the shelter of bed covers) using the little thoroughfare in the early hours, getting in a refreshing workout before the start of their day.
All in all, we found AutoCamp Cape Cod to be an excellent option for a long-weekend stay, somewhere between a traditional campground experience and glamping site fit for Instagram.
It's simultaneously a good place for an active group of friends, a young family looking for recreation, or a peaceful escape with a sig other. It definitely leans more glamping than camping, so seasoned outdoorists may feel stifled, but for those looking for a getaway with excellent access to the the region's unique natural environment, AutoCamp is definitely the ticket. Book an Airstream if you want to be cozy and an X-Suite if you prefer a more contemporary, minimalist space. (And don't forget the Luxury Tents in the warmer months.)
Published 12-20-2021
