Review: Under Canvas Glacier (Now Bookable with Hyatt!) is Glamping at its Best

There's a sweet spot between escaping it all for an unconnected, remote campsite and staying in a plush hotel suite. Yes, it's called “glamping.” And Under Canvas might just epitomize the absolute best of it.

Under Canvas is a chain of high-end “glamping” experiences located outside of some of the nation's most popular and scenic National Parks. I've come to love the experience, booking three different stays at Under Canvas Glacier to explore Glacier National Park over the last four years. 

Its location just outside of the west gate of Glacier is a perfect way to experience the great outdoors with amenities you wouldn't expect while camping. And that's what you'll get whether you're heading for Glacier, Moab in Utah, Zion National Park, Yellowstone, or any of its nine locations and counting.

My most recent stay was the best yet, because I paid $0 out of pocket. Last year, the Under Canvas brand joined forces with Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties, which are a grouping of smaller, boutique hotels all around the world. Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties can be booked with World of Hyatt points, too, meaning that Under Canvas's entire portfolio is now bookable with points. While Mr. & Mrs. Smith doesn't offer the most competitive rates in Hyatt's program, using 38,000 points per night to book a Deluxe stay at Under Canvas Glacier this August was well worth it!

Here's a look at what the experience is like from my stay at Under Canvas Glacier.

Full Disclosure: At Thrifty Traveler, we don't accept freebies. We use our own points, miles, or cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one! That said, I do have a small bias towards Under Canvas Glacier … I loved it so much that I got married there a few years ago! Still, I have never received anything in exchange for my coverage of Under Canvas, but it is extra sentimental to me, which could color my perception of my stay.

How to Book Under Canvas Glacier

Booking Under Canvas Glacier just got a lot better thanks to its partnership with Mr. & Mrs. Smith and World of Hyatt, but you can also just head to undercanvas.com to start your search. 

There, Under Canvas offers a handy calendar tool to show you the cost of each night in cash. 

Note: The Glacier location is among the first to close for the winter in mid-September, which is why it's blacked out. Trust me, the falls and winters are too harsh for a fun glamping experience for most people. 

But that's no longer the way to book these stays … World of Hyatt is. 

Head to World of Hyatt and search for the same dates. It might cost you a few more dollars than directly with Under Canvas, but you'll be earning towards Hyatt status and can use your points, too. 

Click the button at the top that says “Use Points” and you can see those award rates, too. Unlike most Hyatt hotels, properties under the Mr. & Mrs. Smith umbrella – including Under Canvas – don't follow a standard award chart. So the price will vary from night-to-night, largely based on the cash price. 

Sadly, you can't use World of Hyatt's handy new calendar tool to see the rates month-by-month, so you'll have to search for specific dates to see what comes up. Typically, the weekends are pricier and the weekdays and shoulder seasons less-so. 

Besides being able to use your points, you can use some Hyatt member benefits at Under Canvas properties, too. While you don't get late checkout, breakfast, or bottled water (water is free at Under Canvas anyway), members can earn points for rooms, earn elite nights toward status, and elites have a better shot at upgrades to Deluxe or Suite tents at check-in, too. 

The biggest downside, and something to be aware of, is that these World of Hyatt rates have a stingy 30-day cancellation policy, meaning if you cancel inside of a month, you forfeit your points or cash. It's a really rough policy, but if you're sure you're going, these can still be solid redemptions. 

And look, if you know the Hyatt landscape, you know that there are better deals out there than this. You can book super-luxurious Park Hyatts around the world for 40,000 points per night or less. So shelling out nearly as many points for a place where you have to build your own fire to heat your tent might not be for everyone. (But it is for me – someone who loves unique stays and thinks this is a welcome addition to Hyatt's portfolio.) That's all to say: If you're a points maximizer, you probably won't want to use your World of Hyatt points on this. 

A Look At What It's Like at Under Canvas Glacier

On paper, glamping pairs the outdoorsy, adventurous spirit of regular camping with modern amenities. In practice, Under Canvas Glacier strikes that balance well.
 

Leave your tents and gear at home, as Under Canvas Glacier already has everything you need in place. These tents are made from thicker canvas material and are elevated off the ground by stilts, accessible by staircases.

A word of warning: If you have mobility issues, Under Canvas Glacier might not be the best option for you. There are a some tents that would be considered accessible, but most require climbing at least a couple of stairs. 

Each tent features a front porch with a neat stack of firewood and some chairs for lounging.
 

Inside, all of the tents contain a real bed with a mattress, some indoor seating, and a wood-burning stove to heat the tent when needed. Some of the tents even feature king size beds and pull-out couches, while others have twin beds.

Read next: How to Score Cheap Flights to the National Parks

At Under Canvas, some of the campsites also have adjacent kids tents which feature two more twin beds and are meant for children.
 

The amenities at each tent vary based on what you pay for. But the nicer tents have full bathrooms inside, including flushing toilets, sinks, and showers. The shower water is warmed by a propane heater, making for a pretty luxurious shower you won't find under almost any other tent.

For the tents without bathrooms inside, shared restrooms are available. The shared restrooms are long buildings with individual restroom pods inside of them. Each one features a sink, mirror, garbage can, toilet, and full shower.
 

Add on-demand housekeeping and you've got yourself a pretty plush stay (relatively speaking) at any of the Under Canvas locations.

The common areas also have a lot to offer. The reception tent features a number of seating areas for guests to unwind or enjoy the free, 24/7 coffee, tea, and water.

There's also a small, a-la-carte food shop featuring oatmeals, granola, sandwiches, cold coffee drinks, snacks, and soft drinks.
 

A Glacier and Under Canvas-themed gift shop can also be found inside the reception tent. It features apparel, some casual t-shirts and sweatshirts, and common necessities like bug spray, sunscreen, water bottles, and more. The prices are … steep. They're captive audience resort prices after all. 

All of those camp store items are eligible for the $20 credit (per stay) you get for being a World of Hyatt member – a credit we used to buy my wife a t-shirt. 

Across the driveway from the reception tent is a common area featuring five grills, some dining tables, and some yard games like cornhole, ladder toss, extra large connect four, extra large jenga, and more. Next to those games were three separate fire pits (which used propane, so Under Canvas guests could continue using them even during fire restrictions in the state) that had seating for anywhere between eight and 20 people each.

On the other side of the campsite, a separate event space was available with some more yard games and seating areas. That space can be reserved for group activities, meals, or receptions.

Overall, the Under Canvas Glacier campsite, despite being close to the highway that takes visitors in and out of the popular National park, felt very quiet and secluded. There was some traffic noise the closer you got to the road and the Great Northern Railway brought about the occasional train rumble or whistle, too, but the noise was hardly a disturbance. Staff offered us free earplugs when we arrived if the noise were to be too bothersome.
 

What is Under Canvas & Under Canvas Locations

Launching in 2012 with a campsite in West Yellowstone, Montana, Under Canvas now operates these nine different campsites outside of popular National Parks – with more on the way.

All part of the Mr. & Mrs. Smith collection, and partnered with World of Hyatt, Under Canvas is growing. 

Montana Locations

• West Yellowstone
• North Yellowstone – Paradise Valley
• Glacier

Utah Locations

• Moab
• Zion
• Bryce Canyon
• Lake Powell-Grand Staircase

Looking for recommendations for Utah's National Parks? Check out our guide.

South Dakota Locations

• Mount Rushmore

Tennessee Locations

• Great Smoky Mountains

Arizona Locations

• Grand Canyon

Maine Locations

• Acadia

Washington Locations

• Columbia River Gorge

There are also two spinoff brands of Under Canvas. One, called “ULUM Moab” – an especially fancy, wellness-themed glamping setup with a full spa onsite, and another series of outdoorsy-themed locales called “The Outdoor Collection by Under Canvas” which includes The Fields of Michigan and Montana's Bar N Ranch. 

Each campsite has its own unique features and amenities. Some of the camps feature “stargazer” tents with windows on the ceilings, allowing guests to take in the night sky. Under Canvas Glacier used to be the only campsite with “treehouses,” which were built high up into the air around big trees, but those were discontinued sometime in the last few years. During my most recent stay, the treehouse tents had been removed. 

Read more: How to Book Your National Parks Pass 

Acadia is one the newest Under Canvas site and sits on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, making it the first oceanfront Under Canvas property. The Columbia River Gorge property in Washington state is the newest location. 

Depending on which park you're heading to, Under Canvas's sites vary in distance from park entrances – some are more remote than others.

What You Need to Know About Glamping at Under Canvas

When glamping, you don't need to pack like you would for a camping trip. Here is what you can expect from Under Canvas based on my experience at the Glacier location.

Bathrooms

Many tents have their own private bathrooms – if you're willing to pay for it.

The tents with bathrooms inside feature running toilets, sinks, and showers. Each has hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash like a regular hotel room. Toilet paper and a variety of towels are also available in each tent.
 

The in-tent restrooms feature a large barn door for some privacy, but beware: These are still tents and there is little you cannot hear from outside of them.

Other, lower-priced tents have access to shared restroom facilities. Inside those buildings, you'll find individual units with the same amenities as higher-priced tents. All shared restroom guests are provided towels, too.

The shared bathrooms are all individual stalls that have a sink, toilet, and then a closed shower behind it. They're nice because there is electricity if you need them. However, you do need to walk to the bathroom every time you want to use it. 

Electricity

One thing you won't find inside your Under Canvas tent? Electricity. You'll only get that in the reception area.

Instead, each guest is given a USB charger featuring multiple USB ports for charging devices. The receptionist told us each holds about six hours of charge each. I stayed two nights and charged both my phone and watch overnight both days and never had any issues with running out of power.

Read more: How to Book a National Parks Trip Using Points and Miles

Inside the tents, there is a lantern on each bedside table and another small one in the bathroom area. All the lanterns are portable and can be taken anywhere. Each of them are battery-operated and also require USB charges when they run out. Similarly, our lanterns never ran out of juice during our two nights and did not require charging.
 

Wi-Fi

By design, there is no Wifi at any Under Canvas property.

There is, however, some cell phone service at Under Canvas Glacier, so you could use your phone as a hotspot in a pinch. The service was not always consistent though, so I wouldn't count on it.
 

Food

Most Under Canvas locations now have on-site dining, including the Embers Cafe at Glacier which opened a few years ago. 

Embers opened every morning for breakfast at 7 a.m. and closed at 10 a.m. They had a full suite of coffee and espresso drinks, as well as breakfast sandwiches, parfaits (including a special Montana huckleberry parfait that was incredible), breakfast tacos, and more. The menu was small, but packed a punch. 

Everything is packaged to-go for breakfast in case you want to grab your meal and head into the park early. We took it slow each morning and dined at one of the six tables they have set up. 

For dinner, you had a slightly more substantial menu featuring four starters (including avocado quesadilla, pork tacos, and a charcuterie board), some salads, and five different mains (including a turkey breast sandwich, some surprisingly delicious BBQ brisket nachos, a BBQ bowl with buffalo sausage, and a customizable mac & cheese with five different kinds of meat, including jalapeño elk sausage!). 

You could (and should) order huckleberry ice cream that was to die for. 

The beverage list was also surprisingly robust, featuring soft drinks, wine, and beer. They also had some beer and wine cocktails, but did not have a liquor license. 

You can also take the camping spirit to the next level and grill out every night in this grilling and dining area. 

Guests are permitted to bring in their own food they can prepare on the five large grills in the common area. There are also a dozen or so tables set up under the awning near the grills as well.

One note: Glacier is bear country, and while the site is surrounded by an electric fence to deter wildlife, guests are not permitted to keep food in their tents and must keep anything that attracts wildlife in their vehicles instead.

Activities

The reception area features a map of the Glacier National Park area and a list of things to do in the surrounding area. Glacier's camp also featured a helpful guide to their staff members and what they like to do in the area, too.

With each site at the doorstep of one of the country's finest National Parks, the campsites were largely empty during the day.
 

At night, Under Canvas provided daily, family-friendly programming from rock painting to s'mores-making stations. There were live music performances, some yoga sessions, trivia, and many other camp activities on the board each night. 

Some partook in those site-sponsored get-togethers, others enjoyed their tents and porches, and some gathered around the campfires for a nightcap, too.

Heating & Air Conditioning

There is no heating or air conditioning in the Under Canvas locations.

However, each tent is equipped with a wood-burning stove for heat. With temperatures capable of dipping into the 40s in August at Glacier, the wood-burning stoves were in full use throughout the campsite. 

When you check in, you get a very thorough demonstration of how to use the stoves. It's pretty easy to figure out and get the fire started. You may have to wake up once in the middle of the night to keep things toasty, but that's part of the fun!

Each stove comes with matches, logs, kindling, and little fire starters to get things going.

There is no air conditioning in the tents, but they do come with small, hand-held individual fans, which can also be charged by USB in the tents.

Bottom Line

If you don't think you're rugged enough for camping in the wilderness but you still want an outdoorsy retreat, this style of glamping is perfect. Honestly, even if you're a hardened camper and want a similar feel with a pinch of luxury, Under Canvas is your spot.

The Under Canvas Glacier camp was a beautiful, sprawling, wooded, and hilly location that really makes you feel like you're in Montana. But it's hard to believe you're camping as you fall asleep in a king bed with the sounds of nature and a crackling wood-stove next to you.

And now that you can book with World of Hyatt points, it's an even more attractive option for cost-sensitive travelers who want a little luxury.