While Southern California may attract visitors with the Hollywood glamour of Los Angeles and sprawling deserts of Joshua Tree National Park, Northern California is known as an abundant outdoor mecca, with virtually endless terrain to explore and challenge even the most experienced outdoorist. Anchored by the free-spirit-meets-techie-meets-outdoor-broski-city of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, NorCal has something for everyone, all surrounded by Jurassic-like nature.
Along the California coast to the West, you'll find Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, and Natural Bridges State Park. Up north, there's Mendocino and Mendocino National Forest, the infamous Sea Ranch for design-heads, and the ancient trees of Redwood National and State Parks.
Further inland, you'll hit the vineyards of Sonoma County, and the winery-rich city of Santa Rosa, while the Eastern-most border is home to the Sierra Nevada, West Lake Tahoe, Mt. Shasta, Yosemite National Park, and a parade of national forests, among other attractions. We did say there was virtually endless terrain to explore.
And with endless terrain, comes endless glamping options. From luxury tents in the mountains, MCM-inspired campers, and bungalow rentals in the Redwood forests, glamping experiences in NorCal are just as unique and in some cases, hard to get to, as its outdoor attractions.
Below, we've gathered the 18 best glamping spots from which to explore this vast wilderness for your next California glamping getaway.
[Editor's Note: Looking to explore but not into glamping? Check out our local's guide to car camping in the Eastern Sierra, and our top picks for the best cabin rentals in Idyllwild & Big Bear.]