Glamping in Montana Near Yellowstone Park

Glamping in Montana Near Yellowstone Park

It’s funny how getting that perfect photo shot doesn’t seem quite as important as getting back to safety. Even if it means you push your Mother out of the way.

Some of you might be wondering what Sherrie was doing in Montana in the first place. There are three logical reasons: First, she attended a travel blog conference. Second, it’s the exact destination our daughter Alyssa has always wanted to visit—she has even threatened to move there a few times! Third, it was an overdue mother-daughter trip with Mom. These factors combined brought us to the Big Sky State for new and exciting adventures. Once all the plans for Glacier Park were in place, it was time to focus on our plans for Gardiner, Montana, which is located just outside the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. This charming little town serves as the main gateway for visitors to the park. Since we wanted something different on the itinerary, we considered camping in Montana. However, past camping experiences hadn’t gone well for us, so we concluded that a touch of luxury accommodations was a necessity. Unless, of course, we could find a luxury RV rental that was easy to drive; that option would have worked just as well.

For the one’s who know me, right about now you are thinking, Sherrie Camping or Glamping, no way! Well, to be honest, I am right there with you. As some say, to be a well rounded travel blogger one must try all different characteristics of travel. It’s kind of part of the job. What better place to have an “out of your comfort zone” experience in the United States than in Montana!

With help from Google, the perfect place popped up. The Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel. The web site was intriguing. What better way to experience the old west than pretend you are living in a tipi as did the Indians from this region. Now this was doable. Alyssa was no problem at all to convince, and surprisingly either was Mom. Decision made, 2 nights were set to spend in a Tipi.

Its Time to Go Glamping

Located a few miles outside of Gardiner, along the Yellowstone River, there is a turn onto a gravel road called Maiden Basin Road. Be careful; it’s easy to miss this turn, as we did more than once. From there, a short drive leads up to the parking lot. The tipi grounds, surrounded by mountains on a flat plateau, create a sense of openness similar to being out on the plains. You can hear the river across the street as its waters flow through gentle rapids. Unlocking a bright turquoise iron gate reveals a magical land of tipis. Two tents are set up that remind me of something from an Indiana Jones movie, featuring folded-back canvas doors. Peeking into the first tent, I see a food and beverage area—this must be where guests help themselves to breakfast each morning. Entering the second tent, I find a display of all things Montana: dreamcatchers, t-shirts, handmade flutes, incense, cowboy hats, and more. A perfect shopping opportunity. My Mother actually bought a black worn looking cowboy hat, only her 36th one she tried on this trip. Alyssa and I sighed a sound of relief.

Here in this tent is also where the check in occurs. Liam, friendly and polite, assisted us with the process. We read and studied the rules of the glamping grounds. The main one to follow is no eating or even bringing food, whatsoever, into the Tipi’s. You must also place all garbage in the designated trash cans before 10:00 pm, staff will then remove the trash. There is a very important reason for this rule. BEARS.

Noted, one less bag to carry in, all road trip snacks stay in the car. For a moment, the videos on facebook flashed before me. You know the ones with the bears breaking into cars and not leaving until the cars totaled. A good time to review rental insurance.

round wooden frame area with benches for fire pit — Fire pit area

Pathways of small stones lead to each of the tipi’s. But first, there is a round wooden structure with benches and fire pit in the center. A perfect place to gather around with guests and drink some wine and/or beer. Compliments of the tipi hotel. There are also a few outdoor swings and benches, grills for cooking.

My mind immediately thought; would the smell of cooking on the grills bring wildlife to the glamping site?

There are 15 tipi’s. Each have a couple of Adirondack chairs placed to the sides for enjoying the night stars or reading. The tipi’s stand very tall, guessing at least 15 feet. To enter we unzip two layers, the first being the heavy canvas and the second is more of a heavy tan screen. Bending down to enter our glamping tipi we are all surprised on the size of the inside. There is plenty of room for the king size bed (mine for two nights), the single bed with a second mattress below. Mom choose the single bed while Alyssa pulled out the 2nd mattress and placed it on the opposite side of the tipi. A fan, two heaters, two nightstands, a chest with guest towels rolled and a table with a coffee set up.

The restroom facility features six individual private bathrooms, each equipped with showers. The floors are even heated for those chilly Montana mornings. The availability of private bathrooms could be a deciding factor for those who are unsure about glamping. The rest of the day was dedicated to relaxation until it was time to head into town for some pizza. We returned to our tipi just in time to catch the sunset. It had been a mostly cloudy day, but my mom and I were determined to get the two photos we wanted. We sat outside in the chairs, waiting for the stars to appear. A few stars did come out, making for a lovely night, even though my photos didn’t turn out as I had hoped. The lit-up tipi created the perfect photo opportunity. After taking a picture, I wandered towards the back of the grounds, past our tipi. Just a few feet in, I heard a strange noise that resembled a loud, deep moan. I instinctively turned on my cell phone light.