Climb every mountain

Go Glamping? Luxe camping in Aspen a high-altitude alternative to all thoseglitzy cocktail parties

They call it "glamping" — mountaintop overnighting with plenty of comforts anda professional outfitter to do the hard work.
Photo by Daniel Bayer/Aspen Skiing Co.
Home sweet home consists of a tent already set up on your arrival at the top ofthe Elk Camp Gondola in Snowmass.
Photo by Daniel Bayer/Aspen Skiing Co.
A beautiful sight, this glamping experience.
Photo by Daniel Bayer/Aspen Skiing Co.
As many as 12 can join this wilderness lite adventure where the stars do shinebright.
Photo by Daniel Bayer/Aspen Skiing Co.

Leave it to the creative minds of Aspen to come up with a ritzy wilderness experience that is so in tune with the lifestyles of the rich and famous who play there that rather than luxury camping, they've dubbed this overnight under the stars as "glamping."

Summer visitors in the Rocky Mountain playpen can put away their Chanel and Hermés labels for a night of wilderness lite thanks to the Aspen Skiing Co.

Dinner is served at 8 p.m., followed by what organizers call "campfire activities." Lights out whenever the last ember or final member of the troupe craters.

The party begins at 4:30 in the afternoon in Snowmass Base Village, where participants are met by professional outfitters who load up the overnight gear and drive up the mountain to a private campsite high in the Snowmass Ski Area. At the top of the Elk Camp Gondola, to be exact.

On arrival, guests are given a site orientation and join in a nature talk. Then it's an hour of fishing in the Rayburn Pond. Dinner is served at 8 p.m., followed by what organizers call "campfire activities." Lights out whenever the last ember or final member of the troupe craters.

A cookout breakfast is served at 8 the next morning, then it's pack your bags and head down the mountain. The "Private Camping Adventures" promo material adds that the day can be extended by purchasing additional private adventure packages.

Tariff for the overnight is $825 for up to six people. Add $150 for each extra adult and $100 for each additional child. Maximum allowed per trip is a dozen. Make reservations here for "glamping," offered now till September.

Of course, if you prefer your camping more on the rustic side, the area offers at least eight various authorized locations for pitching your tent.

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Enchanted Expansion

Iconic Texas state park Enchanted Rock adds 630 acres to its domain

Photo courtesy of KVUE

This was a lucky purchase after staff spotted a "for sale" sign.

A popular Central Texas hiking and camping destination is getting even bigger.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area will add an extra 630 acres of land in Gillespie County. The payment was approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in August during a meeting in Austin, though the exact cost of the transaction is unclear.

"We are so excited that we were able to acquire this property and that we will be able to give the hundreds of thousands of Enchanted Rock patrons new opportunities to recreate in this part of the state," said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks. "This addition is the latest win for Texas State Parks as we work towards enhancing some of our existing sites and continuing our gold medal-winning stewardship to the people of Texas."

In a release Tuesday morning, TPWD said it was first made aware of the available land when local park staff alerted the department about a "for sale" sign. TPWD then engaged its official nonprofit partner, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, to help secure the property from Comanche Rock Acquisitions, LLC.

"This land purchase would not have been possible without the help of our partners and the people of Texas," Franklin said. "By passing Proposition 5 in 2019, TPWD was able to use Sporting Goods Sales Tax funding made available for strategic land acquisitions in conjunction with federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to conserve this property for public use."

Enchanted Rock currently sits at roughly 1,644 acres and includes almost 11 miles of trails, with a maximum elevation of 1,825 feet.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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Climb every mountain

Go Glamping? Luxe camping in Aspen a high-altitude alternative to all thoseglitzy cocktail parties

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Enchanted Expansion

Iconic Texas state park Enchanted Rock adds 630 acres to its domain

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
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