Glamping Underneath the Redwoods at Alila Ventana Big Sur

For a milestone worth celebrating, Onnik and I wanted to do something truly memorable. My mind went straight to Big Sur – one of my favorite places on earth. It’s a stretch of California coastline I’ve returned to for years seeking peace, stillness, and that rare feeling of being deeply connected to something larger than myself. This time, I wanted more than a hotel room. I wanted an experience, something immersive in nature – and I wanted to bring Artemis along for it.

Years ago, a friend had raved about the Ventana Campgrounds. I looked it up and discovered it had evolved into operating under the Hyatt brand, nestled alongside Alila Ventana Big Sur. It felt like exactly the right fit.

Check In

Check-in was simple enough. I’d originally handled it digitally in advance, then confirmed at the gate upon arrival.

A printed sheet listed my name alongside our tent assignment. Best of all, since I’d requested a spot near the creek, finding “Tent 7” next to my name was a small but satisfying moment.

Navigating from there took a little more effort. The map wasn’t immediately intuitive, and figuring out where to park and how to reach the tent required some trial and error. But once we got our bearings, everything clicked into place.

Tent + Stay

A few practical notes worth knowing: parking for Tent 7 isn’t directly beside the glamping tent – it’s a couple hundred yards away.

And the tent – is literally an older safari tent.

I don’t know why - but I felt strangely underwhelmed. Perhaps I was mentally comparing it to Under Canvas - Glacier and AutoCamp Sonoma, which are more modern and updated in style.

The bathrooms are roughly a quarter mile off, up a notably steep incline, and a keycard is required to access them. Forget it back at the tent and you’re making that climb twice.

The glamping bathrooms, for their part, were spacious, well-appointed, and thoughtfully designed.

Even with my feeling of underwhelm, waking up beside a quietly flowing creek, surrounded by towering redwoods, had a way of putting everything else in perspective.

With the light filtering down through the redwood canopy, the world felt both vast and intimate at once. There’s no wifi. But, if you have Verizon, cell service is strong and makes for an easy hotspot, if needed.

 

We didn’t explore the hiking trails during our stay. Instead, I was nosy as we drove by the campsite tents.

I did notice that the tent camping area had noticeably more basic bathroom facilities compared to the glamping side – a small but clear distinction between the two experiences.

Overall

Overall, the nights glamping beneath the redwoods at Ventana Campground allowed me to check it off my dream to do list. If staying in Big Sur for under $1,000 a night is the goal, Ventana Campground is a solid choice. It was unhurried, beautiful, and unlike anything a standard hotel stay could offer.

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