Camping gets yassified.

Glamping in California is geared to a new generation of camper who really (really) likes a good meal. Call it a glow-up, if you like, but some glampsites, like Treebones and Costanoa on California’s Central Coast, have been serving omakase sushi and three-squares sourced from onsite farms for generations. Others, like The River Electric, Mendocino Grove, and Huttopia, launched into the glamping space in the 2020’s. Fine dining under canvas is no longer reserved for British aristocrats on safari – Californians are spoiled for choice.

Here are a few glamping locales within easy driving distance of San Francisco with resort-style services and exceptional eating.

Treebones, Big Sur

A yurt resort celebrating its 28th year, Treebones is often a midpoint layover for travelers surfing the California Coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, guests sleep under a blanket of stars (the Milky Way was clearly visible the nights I stayed) in a yurt made cozy with a heater beside two lounge chairs and hot water from the yurt’s washing area. (I also loved the exceptional reading lamps provided by each side of the king-size bed.) There’s a small pool next to the main lodge, a hang-out spot for the wifi-addicted. Guests lingered by the roaring fire each morning, happy with a freshly-pulled espresso, buffet-style breakfast, and a cozy spot on the couch.

No need to bring cooking equipment – The Lodge serves three meals a day and has a full bar. During my 2 ½-day visit, I took all my meals on campus. Up fist, dinner at The Lodge, where Chef Kyle Walker serves a four-course meal ($95) inspired by the onsite garden and the season. A small bite of Morro Bay Oyster flecked with citrus and cucumber was as briny as the Pacific breeze. Woodfired Cabbage dressed with smoked chicken fat and tofu whip arrived on a waft of citrus aroma, courtesy of the sancho pepper swirled into the sauce.

The dish – savory, crunchy, sweet – was impossible to stop eating and gone in a flash. Before my longings for another led to a second order, an Iberian Pork Chop laced with guanciale and Rancho Gordo beans arrived. The sweetness of apple juice tare – may I call it a Japanese grilling sauce? – paired beautifully with the smoky pork jowl and chard, the dish the essence of early spring. I took a small bite of Flourless Chocolate Torte for dessert, happy with my herbs-from-the-garden tea.

After a restful day writing, hiking and napping in my yurt, I made my way to an early supper at Wild Coast Sushi, served in a canvas-ceilinged “deck.” Megan Handy, daughter of the original owners, told me the county made them “put on a cover.” (Insert harrumph here.) Never mind – the 18-course tasting experience from Chef Yancy Knapp is a gift for the six people who may sit at the single, chef-facing counter on any given evening.

The menu, placed beneath your plate, begins with local seaweed, abalone chawanmushi, and an ice-cold oyster before the menu transitions almost entirely to fish – halibut on kelp, buri, aji, kohadad, chutoro, etc. I’ve never been to Japan, but I felt that this experience is the closest I may ever come to a visit to that island nation, so honorable were the preparations and the enjoyment of the chef when each guest took a bite. Wine, sake and beer were offered along with each course. A highlight: fresh wasabi from Half Moon Bay Wasabi Company, was grated fresh at the start of our meal, an accompaniment of clean flavor typically served in Michelin restaurants, here served with a plate of halibut and monkfish liver. Clean, fresh fish with a snap of warm heat from the wasabi is a taste experience to cherish.

Mendocino Grove, Mendocino

Near downtown Mendocino, Mendocino Grove is what I’d call a more traditional camping experience. Campsites are equipped with a picnic table and fire pit and showers are outside at a central location. Their weekly community-driven Friday Night Dinners, typically feature ingredients sourced from a local farm and served family-style. The menu on the weekend I visited included Shepherd’s Pie featuring Kako Dile Farm produce and beef from Wildheart Farm, citrus-dressed salads from Golden Rule Gardens, Cowlick’s vanilla ice cream and strawberry compote from Mist Farms.

After a night of fine eating and live music, head back to your tent, where each bed is kitted with a heating pad. How did I ever go camping without this?!? I saw many families who cooked their own breakfast but I headed back to the community area where hot water is available all night long and a roaring fire and camp chairs were the perfect spot with which to greet the day.

More Glamping in California

Breakfast is also included in the Camp Carmel experience, available on certain Glamping Weekends in Carmel Valley. Choose a Kouign-amann, breakfast sandwich or veggie frittata each day of your stay, all prepared by Chef Jerome Viel and his team at Jerome’s Carmel Valley Market. Set in a former girls’ camp, guests stay in cabins and have access to camp activites like archery, pickleball and swimming in the camp pool.

Other glampsites I did not visit include Pescadero’s Costanoa glamping resort and their legendary Morning Buzz bar at the Pine Tent and clam chowder at their onsite Cascade restaurant.

You can camp overnight or drop in for the day at Guerneville’s The River Electric to swim in their stunning pool and enjoy the casual eats of Chef Matt Meyer. Enjoy a full-service bar, playful dishes like The High-Low Dog — A Hebrew National hotdog on a classic bun topped with creme fraiche, potato chip crumble, minced yellow onion and black caviar. Check out the full menu of sandwiches, salads and snacks here.

And, out of an Airstream Caravan, Huttopia in Lake County serves homemade French crepes with lattes and cappuccinos. At night, the property’s wood-fired pizza oven is the source of made-to-order pizzas.

There’s no need to pack a fork or even a coffee cup. Thanks, glamping, for making summer weekend getaways even easier!

For more California travel ideas, read all about the tiny town of Elk’s booming food scene at The Taste of Mendocino.