Two ways to "glamp" hood canal

The scenic stretch of Hood Canal between Hoodsport and Brinnon has recently seen the additions of some unique accommodations – glamping platform tents. Near Hoodsport, the Sund family hosts couples at their private glamp tent at the Sund Rock Marine Preserve and this summer Mike’s Beach Resort in Lilliwaup converted their traditional campground into Iliana’s Glamping Village.

Sund Rock glamping tent open from May through September is perfect for couples looking for a unique Northwest experience.

What is glamping?

To many of us glamping sounds a little over the top. Even the word root – glamor – is decadent. Especially when combined with the most basic of accommodations – camping. But these places are anything but “basic.”

There are plenty of definitions of glamping. Some feel that cooking on anything beyond an open campfire is glamping. Or sleeping in a bed off the ground, or in a basic cabin or RV. Whatever your definition, glamping it is bringing a whole new level of interest to the camping scene. And with the pandemic, the idea of sleeping in a "tent" over a hotel has brought a certain attraction.

""During Covid some guests expressed hesitancy with coming even to a cabin even though we're not a traditional hotel with a lobby or elevator. Our tents are a great option for those who are interested in getting back out into the world but maybe not wanting to be in a building like a hotel. Everybody is able to get to their own private facility and there's plenty of moving air."

Iliana’s Glamping Village

Sara and her family recently opened the tent glamping village at their resort on Hood Canal. The traditional Mike's Beach Resort included guest rooms and cabins but this network of ten glamping tents and all their amenities tucked into the woods below shadow of the Olympics creates a whole new vibe.

Mike’s Beach Resort converted their 70+ year old campground area to accommodate the ten platform tents complete with fire-pits, showers and flushing toilets, and affectionately coined it Iliana's Glamping Village.

The private recreation at Sund Rock

Further down the Canal the Sund family has found a way to share the experience of their property to more people. Most of the year The Sund Rock Marine Preserve is clamoring with scuba divers hoping to catch an encounter with Giant Pacific Octopus or wolf eels. As the water warms, July through September, plankton and algae blooms make the visibility nil for divers. This is a perfect time to open the area up to visitors to the glamping tent. A little simpler than Iliana's Glamping Village (no chandeliers hanging from the ridge pole and you need to bring your own linens) at Sund Rock you’ll find a queen-sized bed, heat, power, and the views from this private beach getaway are unparalleled.

The view from Mike’s Beach Resort overlooking the Canal and oyster beaches

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Lodging Profile #1:
Iliana’s Glamping Village

Lilliwaup, WA

For nearly seven decades, the Shultz family has owned and operated their waterfront rustic and welcoming Canal getaway, Mike’s Beach Resort. Mike and Iliana have recently passed on some duties to daughter, Sara, and her husband, Matt, who also raise oysters on the Resort’s tidelands. We recently caught up with Sara to learn a little about the history of Mike’s and their expansion into the glamor-camping market.

“Mike's Beach Resort was built by my grandparents in 1951,” recounts Sara in the tour of the facility, “they named it after my father, Mike. They started off with a few cabins on the Hood Canal and kept building more every few years.” Along with the recent addition of the glamping village the resort features fully equipped cabins and even a 1969 Airstream trailer with outdoor hot tub. Many of the units are pet-friendly and, along with the beach providing hours of distraction, there are walking trails and a playground. The resort also hosts a launch, dock, moorage, kayaks and paddle boards for rent, and air for scuba visitors. Mike’s is very popular with dive groups with numerous famous cold water dive sites in the area. Many guests return annually to enjoy the shrimp, crab, and salmon seasons on the Canal.

Following the curve of the valley and arranged to provide privacy and views of the Canal below the road, the cluster of platform tents at Iliana’s Glamping Village offer a unique experience that rivals the amenities of a luxury hotel. Each tent is elevated and lined to protect guests from the elements and include electricity, comfortable queen- and king-sized beds, dining areas, coffee makers, toasters, outdoor BBQs, lawn chairs, fire pits as well as access to warm showers and flushable toilets.

Many of the units include fold out futons for additional guests and all the units are custom furnished with a theme. And yes, there are even chandeliers and fans!

Each cabin at the glamping village is custom themed

"As a bonus-bonus," Sara states proudly as she gestures to the bay below, "we have an oyster farm right in front." Their oyster farm is open during low tide for harvest and guests can grill fresh from the beach at their private tent.

During the summer Mike's Beach Resort plans to feature live music and outdoor grill with oysters and burgers on Saturday nights – but any night will be an experience!

Visit mikesbeachresort.com for details and reservations.

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Lodging Profile #2:
Sund Rock gets you close to nature

Sund Rock Marine Preserve Glamp Tent | Hoodsport, WA

Colbein John Sund, a young seafarer from Scandanvia staked his homestead claim on Hood Canal in 1888, ten months before Washington became a state. It was while sailing through Puget Sound and seeing the narrow inlet of Hood Canal that he was reminded of the fjords at home in Norway. He explored the shores of Hood Canal and found an abandoned cabin in a quiet valley. He decided that this was the perfect place to start his family’s history on Hood Canal.

Sund Resort (circa 1930) - Mason County Historical Museum photo

Sund had no idea that his decision would help shape the path of Hood Canal. On that very special and remarkable point lies the present day marine preserve beloved by scuba divers, Sund Rock. Here Colbein built Sund Resort with his wife. It is here too, where his grandson, Robert, eventually managed to establish the marine preserve, Sund Rock, famous for its giant ling cod, Great Pacific Octopus and wolf eels.

Former Dance Pavilion at Sund Resort (MCHM)

The original Sund Resort was a series of platform tents and included a dance hall. Today the resort and dance pavilion are long gone (present site of Rest-A-While RV Resort) but adventurers can celebrate, because once again there is a platform tent for guests to continue to enjoy this special place.

Colbein John Sund’s great-granddaughter, Cindy Sund, shared the experience and a little bit more about her family’s connection to the Canal. “I love being able to maintain it for family as well as we've really developed a kind of clientele that comes to the glamping and diving that respect the property. it's an underwater preserve with organisms that are unique and special. The Giant Pacific Octopus is a big draw. The wolf eel, ling and rock cod population are coming back. It's really a diverse area. I feel honored to be a steward.”

The generations who have enjoyed this property have developed a strong sense of place and a fierce desire to protect it for future generations to continue to create memories and share this special place with all who wish to visit. For the last four years, Cindy Sund has opened the glamping tent for guests to enjoy. “My parents wish,” she continues, “is that this property remain in the family for as long as possible. So when they moved into assisted-living, it was sort of my responsibility to make sure that that happened. I started the diving and glamping business to help subsidize property taxes and all the expenses that go along with owning a piece of property, and also help with my parents assisted-living. It's working out really well so far.”

Sund Rock glamping tent

Sund’s glamping tent has composting toilets and, since COVID, guests are required to bring their own bedding. However, a soft queen-sized bed, lights, heat, small refrigerator, propane bbq, propane fire pit, and a shower by the privy definitely set this beyond sleeping in an REI tent. And you’ll appreciate the phone charging ports by the bed for the hundreds of photos you’ll be taking because despite its small environmental footprint, this experience will leave a lasting experience on all who visit.

Beach access to Sund Rock dive site below is shared with scuba divers who are allowed limited access by the Sund family. Glamping guests are encouraged to bring their own beach towels, swim floats or kayaks to enhance the beach experience. There is also plenty of hiking in the area and amenities like groceries or restaurants available in nearby Hoodsport. Cindy meets each guest upon arrival, providing a tour of the property and instructions on how to use the facility. Members of the Sund family are available if needed as they also live on the property, but allow guests their privacy to enjoy the space.

Mid-September the tent is removed and stored indoors until May. “The diving operation goes year-round,” reflects Cindy, “we're busier in the winter than we are in the summer because the temperature of the water drops and you get less plankton bloom so your visibility is better.” November is often the busiest month for Sund Rock with the glamping in the summer providing opportunities for other adventurers to Hood Canal.

To reserve the Sund Rock glamping tent, learn more about the preserve and the family history, visit sundrock.com. There is a minimum stay of two night and most of the weekends are booked through September although there is plenty of mid-week availability (which honestly, is a much better time to visit Hood Canal in the summer). This site is not designed for children (more suited to a couple), but pets are allowed. Rates begin at $114/night and every guest that left a review, yes 100%, gave the experience a 5 star rating.

Hood Canal "Glamping"

If your idea of a camping excursion is freeze dried food and dry shampoo – and luxury to you is a bed of moss under your sleep sack or a solar-powered lamp – "glamping" may not hold much interest for you.  Glamping or  "glamor-camping" as the name suggest, goes WAY beyond the coleman stove and solar shower upgrade.  If you crave a star-studded forest canopy while enjoying gourmet camp cuisine and all the comforts of home – bed, pillows, duvet, light switches– glamping may be a great compromise to get outdoors!

Header Image credit: Poppi Photo

One of the best thing about "camping" is relaxing with a final roasted marshmallow and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Wrapped in a cozy blanket, the tall trees keep you close in the inky darkness beyond the glow of the fire.  Far from the glow and clatter of the city, the sky displays a covering of unrealistically bright stars. Good conversation and the people you love surrounding you. Who wants to consider the uncomfortable night ahead? Rocks in your lumbar. Slick "high performance" sleeping cocoons that tangle and suffocate. Never mind the 3:00 AM Call of Nature. Stumbling through the dark stubbing toes and tripping over roots. 

Trailer camping is technically considered in the "glamping" category, above the waterfront view and tall trees at Twanoh State Park, Hood Canal definitely set the standards high.

Enter glamping.  A purist would say if you want the experience of camping you need to embrace the whole experience, not cherry-pick the best parts. Galen Patterson, a journalist with Arcadia Weekly, remarks in a recent article, "in its luxury, comfortable camping (glamping) loses what makes the experience worth the discomfort in the first place." He goes on to say that, "instead of connecting with nature and all of its uncomfortable facets, people are bringing the comforts of home with them, and, in doing so, are sapping the spirit of what it means to connect to the outdoors." Patterson advocates that through discomfort and deprivation, he "finds appreciation and, with it, follows a new zest for life." 

Hmmmm. So unless you are suffering you will not appreciate the wilderness?  Good riddance. Rough camping has its place – when space is limited in your kayak or you are pack/wilderness camping and every extra ounce needs to be "weighed" in necessity. However, if you can enhance the joy of spending time outdoors by increasing the comfort level – there is no shame in that!

There are plenty of definitions of glamping. Some feel that cooking on anything beyond an open campfire is glamping. Others consider having cell service a mark of glamor camping.  Perhaps it's sleeping in a bed off the ground, in a cabin or RV. Whatever the case, glamping is a more glamorous spin on camping and it is bringing a whole new level of interest to the camping scene. Love it or hate it, glamping is a thriving trend that continues to grow.

Give it A Try....

Belfair State Park is a 65 acre, year-round camping park on 3,720 feet of saltwater at the southern end of Hood Canal. It is noted for its saltwater tide flats, wetlands with wind-blown grasses and pleasant beach walking and swimming. Cabins sleep five and are furnished with tables and chairs. Outside is a picnic table and fire pit. Bathrooms and showers are nearby. All cabins are heated, but visitors should take along blankets and warm clothing as evenings can be cool. Belfair cabin rates range from $40 (off-season) to $69(peak).  Reserve

Dosewallips State Park offers canvas platform tents for rent. Situated in a maple forest near the Dosewallips River, the tent sleeps up to five people. Made of white canvas on wooden platforms, they are light inside, even on cloudy days. Each tent has three bunks, a futon, lights, table and heater. Outside is a deck, picnic table, fire grill and utility hookup. Bathrooms nearby. All platform tents are heated but campers must bring their own bed linens. Cabins at Dosewallips are situated among evergreen trees looking towards the Olympic Mountains. Each cabin features a covered porch, electric heat, lights and locking doors. Bathrooms are nearby. Tent and cabin rates range from $40 (off-season) to $69 (peak). Reserve

Hamma Hamma cabin is available through the Olympic National Forest

The Hamma Hamma Cabin in the Olympic National Forest is a historic cabin that offers guests a tranquil setting. Formerly a guard station, the cabin was built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The site is nominated to the National Register of Historic Places for the skill and craftsmanship that went into its construction and architecture. The cabin is open year-round. Accommodating up to six guests, the single-story cabin features a living room with a hexagonal bay window overlooking the Hamma Hamma River drainage. There are two bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with bunk beds. The bathroom has a flush toilet. The cabin is equipped with a propane heater and propane lights. An outdoor picnic table, fire ring and pedestal barbecue grill are available for cooking and campfires. Guests provide their own bedding, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Reserve

Located in Union, the Pebble Beach Cottage has two beds, one bathroom and can sleep up to 5-6 guests. Sitting approx. 75 feet from the water it has a beautiful view of the canal, and surrounded by a cedar forest. This carriage house is a bed and breakfast style stay with a part-time caretaker on sight. Guests enjoy privacy of a vacation home, (as this property is completely separate from the main house), yet access to concierge services. (Rate $195) Reserve at glampinghub.com.  

The Tahuya Adventure Resort is located in the heart of the Tahuya Forest past Belfair.  Featuring campsites with hook-ups and luxury platform tents, this is glamping heaven! The Log Cabin tent features a king size log bed, bunk-beds, oversized chairs and tables, pellet stove, carpet, refrigerator, microwave, and a coffee pot. Each site has an outdoor picnic table and fire ring or you are welcome to use their covered kitchen. (Rate $500/2 nights) Reserve at tahuyaresort.com.

The ultimate "glamping" experience can be provided by Hood Canal Events located in Union, WA. For a fee they can arrange the perfect getaway for you and your signifigant other – or the whole family. From setting up the camp & tent (pictured above) in a spectacular location, arranging tours, hikes or kayaking expeditions, to chef prepared gourmet meals in your camp – Jeff and Kerry can take care of it all for you. Call them directly at (360) 710-7452 or visit  hoodcanalevents.org. Photo Poppi Photography

Hood Canal Events, based in Union, can provide unique glamping experiences. Offering everything from a Hood Canal beach glamor picnic (great for intimate gatherings, family picnicking, lounging, or celebrations) to a fully catered overnight trip, they can arrange special requests your group may have. Hood Canal Event's packages include furnishings, amenities, activities (kayaking to mushroom foraging or live music) and a chef for locally prepared food and beverages.  Overnight glamping packages are available. For information on rates or customizing an experience, call (360) 710-7452, or visit hoodcanalevents.org.

Above are just a few ways you can elevate your "glamping" experience on Hood Canal.  There is no wrong way to do it. If you prefer backcountry camping, with your home on your back and no connection to civilization, the Olympic National Park has that too. Camp for days and never see another soul in the backcountry areas. Talk about "finding appreciation."  

If camping or glamping is not your thing thats cool too. Hood Canal and South Puget Sound have wonderful guest lodging and rentals right on the beach – with power and flush toilets. Visit explorehoodcanal.com/lodging for a complete list that is updated weekly. 

Whatever you choose, just get out there and create some great memories – stubbed toes or not!