No-fuss nature: ‘glamping’ is ideal for older adults | members only

SANDY PINES CAMPGROUND IN KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE, features tents, cottages and “unique retreats,” including a Conestoga wagon. Stays start at about $120 per night. Nearby, go tide pooling at

white-sand Goose Rocks Beach and hiking and birdwatching at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. The Clam Shack serves up lobster rolls, but don’t forget Maine blueberries at farm stands.

The wild beauty of the California coast provides the backdrop to glamping bungalows at COSTANOA RESORT IN PESCADERO, CALIFORNIA, about an hour south of San Francisco International Airport.

For the best ocean vistas, opt for a lighthouse tent bungalow (some are ADA accessible) or a coastal cabin. Nearby, hike the easy 3-mile trail to Franklin Point, with its views of historic

Pigeon Point Lighthouse (also keep watch for glimpses of whales). Glamping starts at about $155 per night. The California coast provides the backdrop for Costanoa glampgrounds in Pescadero,

California. Courtesy Costanoa NATIONAL PARKS Some of America’s most iconic lodgings can be found in national parks: YOSEMITE’S AHWAHNEE HOTEL and YELLOWSTONE’S OLD FAITHFUL INN. These put

you in the middle of treasured natural settings and are in high demand, so book early — about a year in advance. Nat Hab’s Alaska Bear Camp is a 15-acre private area within Lake Clark

National Park and Preserve. Courtesy Andrew Ackerman for Nat Hab Another option: Consider less-trafficked national parks, such as LAKE CLARK NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE IN ALASKA, accessible

only by plane or boat. Here, you can get relatively close to bears without much fear. Visit NAT HAB’S ALASKA BEAR CAMP, a 15-acre private area within the park, where brown bears spend their

days grazing on nutrient-­rich sedges; foraging for salmon, clams and berries; nursing their cubs; and napping — all without paying much mind to the people. That’s because travelers to

Bear Camp learn about giving the animals their space and not providing any sources of food. And when you head in for nightly human hibernation, enjoy a “tent cabin” on a raised platform,

outfitted with twin beds and space heaters. The grounds also include a resident chef and naturalists who serve as guides. Six-day itineraries start at about $7,000. Travelers also often

overlook VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK ON ST. JOHN, which features ecotents and concrete cottages at CINNAMON BAY BEACH AND CAMPGROUND. From Red Hook in St. Thomas, take a 20-minute ferry

ride to St. John, then grab a cab for the 15-minute drive to Cinnamon Bay. The reward is a white-sand beach — the longest on the island — and turquoise Caribbean waters. Tents and

cottages are equipped with queen beds, towels and fans (but no AC). There are four shared bathhouses, each with a separate accessible toilet and shower. Stays start at about $190 per night.

Guests staying at Rustic Rook Resort in Mosca, Colorado, can view the dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Courtesy Rustic Rook Resort The tallest sand dunes in North

America — towering up to 750 feet — greet visitors to GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE IN SOUTHERN COLORADO. Guests staying at one of RUSTIC ROOK RESORT’s glamping tents,

pitched about 20 miles from the park, can view the dunes in their geographic context, nestled in front of some of the 14,000-foot mountain peaks called the “fourteeners.” “The sand dunes

kind of look small compared to the mountains,” says Ostrander-Fenske, the resort’s general manager. Guests can choose from glamping tents (some with their own bathrooms), travel trailer

campers (with AC and heating), or repurposed grain silos. The climate-controlled silos feature a kitchen on the main level and stairs that lead to a bedroom loft with a bathroom and windows

looking onto a sandy vista. Glamping tents start at about $165 per night. AutoCamp at Joshua Tree features Airstream campers.  Courtesy AutoCamp The AutoCamp clubhouse is a gathering space

for guests. Courtesy AutoCamp JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, presents another otherworldly desert landscape, accented by cacti, creosote bushes and gnarly Joshua trees so

distinctive they inspire rock stars (U2, of course). “There are so many great hikes in the area,” says glamper Sean Bergara of Palm Springs, California. About a 10-minute drive from the

park gates, AUTOCAMP AT JOSHUA TREE offers glamping in chic silver Airstream campers and in contemporary cabins with kitchenettes, separate bedrooms and walk-in showers. Stays start at about

$170 per night.