A view from inside one of the “glampsites” at Under Canvas, a new glamping resort in Surry. Credit: Courtesy of Bailey Made
A Montana-based company opened its ninth “glamping” resort last month in the Hancock County town of Surry, Maine, and its 63 luxury, safari-style campsites are already mostly booked for the rest of the summer season, according to the Bangor Daily News.
Under Canvas, which operates glamping, or “glamorous camping,” resorts at sites near national parks nationwide, opened its first location on the east coast on May 13, about 20 miles from Acadia National Park. It has similar resorts near other popular national parks, including Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone and Zion.
In November 2019, Under Canvas submitted its proposal to the town of Surry to turn a 101-acre former hay farm into a resort. Though a few nearby property owners raised concerns about traffic and smoke from the resort’s many wood stoves, and the vote was delayed due to the pandemic, the town’s planning board approved the plan in June 2020.
Each “glampsite” includes a king bed with top-quality linens, USB charging packs and a wood-burning stove, and includes daily housekeeping, running hot water and flushing toilets. They range in size from a two-person safari tent with shared bathrooms, to a four-person suite tent with its own bathroom, a lounge area and a private deck.
A common area offers picnics and a nightly campfire with s’mores, and the resort has partnered with author, swordfish boat captain and Isle au Haut resident Linda Greenlaw to plan excursion cruises. The resort will operate on a seasonal basis, opening in mid-May and booking through mid-October.
