My Favorite Off-Grid Stays

Erin Palek
Dec 21, 2021
4 min read

A list of my favorite Off-Grid Stays I've experienced over the last few years! I plan to grow this list as I continue to travel more. :)

1. Monticello, Utah

Glamping Canyonlands in Monticello, Utah is just south of Moab. I came across this Airbnb because I was traveling from Moab to Arizona and was looking for somewhere unique to stay along the way. I absolutely adored my experience here! This spot is especially great for first-time glampers, because this family-owned property is so thoughtfully planned out with literally everything you could possibly need in the middle of nowhere. There's an outdoor kitchen, a hammock garden, a very nice shared bathroom with hot water, and they have the cutest personal touches. The site is also suuuper easy to locate off of the main highway coming from Moab. I would recommend arriving right at check-in (or shortly after) so that you can settle into your tent, get some food cookin, and then watch the sunset go down over the mountains. I would 10000% stay here again and will recommend it to everyone traveling through this area!

Link to Airbnb: Off Grid Canyonlands Stargazer Tent

2. Sturgis, Michigan

I came across this Airbnb while I was looking for a place to stay half way driving from Cleveland to Chicago. The drive to Chicago is only 6 hours, but I just wanted to break it up and stay somewhere on my own for a night for my first solo trip experience. This camper is such a hidden gem in the small town of Sturgis, Michigan. It's maybe only 10 steps away from the private and quaint Perrin Lake. The Airbnb hosts live in the house just next door, they are SO friendly and accommodating - they even cooked me breakfast in the morning on their back porch with their daughter. The camper really has everything you would need or a weekend getaway, and the best part about this Airbnb is that they offer kayaks and paddle boards for using out on the lake! I loved my experience here and I would especially recommend this spot for any solo female travelers.

Link to Airbnb: "Lake Life!" (Sturgis Camper on Perrin Lake)

3. Moffat, Colorado

This classic airstream camper is awesome, just about 45 minutes north of the Great Sand Dunes National Park. It's out in the middle of nowhere, off of a long dirt road, where you can see the sand dunes far off in the distance. My friend and I stayed here for 2 nights while we were visiting the national park - I don't think it can sleep more than 2 people because it's pretty tight. This camper is definitely a bit older, and more of a "roughin it" experience, but it's totally worth it being surrounded by open fields of wild sage bushes and having a campfire under the starry night sky is just priceless. It's also just a couple minutes drive from the Joyful Journey Hot Springs. Since the shower inside of the camper is pretty tight, we took advantage of the hot springs and community showers there instead!

Link to Airbnb: Red Cloud Ranch - Vintage 34' Avion/Airstream

4. Zion National Park

Okay this is an awesome off-grid location for a tent. HOWEVER I will say only book this if you have a high profile SUV, or a vehicle that's good for off-roading. This glamping spot is so off-grid that we lost service and lost our directions to actually get there LOL. It's located up in the mountains, up a dirt road with a lot of pot holes, but it's just outside of Zion National Park. The view is 360 degrees and amazing. Despite the struggles we went through to actually get there in our Kia Forte, it was 100% worth the experience once we were settled. I would say the tent offers a very basic glamping amenities, compared to Glamping Canyonlands. The bathroom is a shared tent, and there were minimal items included, so you just have to be very prepared before going up into this camp site!

Link to Airbnb: Wander Camp Zion Tent #2

5. Escalante, UT

The perfect cabin to stay in Escalante for a night, or weekend! Watching the sunrise come up over the mountains on the front porch of the cabin was the best part of staying here. This cabin isn't totally off-grid as it's located in an RV Park, but the little town of Escalante is really small, and pretty much right in the midst of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. My friend and I only stayed in this cabin for one night as we were passing through, but this town is super cute to be your base camp for exploring southern Utah.

Link to Airbnb: Canyons of Escalante RV Park Cabin 4

6. Under Canvas

Okay, so I haven't stayed at an Under Canvas location YET. But it's on my list because their glamping resorts are top notch. I think they might be the OG of glamping. I love the aesthetic of their tents and will always recommend their resorts to people who are looking for a first time glamping experience. This basically is just a holding space for when I do stay in one of their tents, I will add photos of it here :)