A striking glimpse of serenity surrounded by breath-taking views of mountains in every direction…Under Canvas is the place to stay in West Yellowstone. Forget the traditional hotel downtown or a cabin. Glamping (don’t worry - I will be going actual camping soon too) is the way to go when staying in a city as gorgeous as West Yellowstone.
Closest airport - Bozeman, Montana. We met a few travelers who had flown into Salt Lake City, UT and driven four hours to West Yellowstone. Bozeman, however, is a quick (and scenic) 2 hour drive. Make a stop in Big Sky on the way for a quick bite if your stomach desires. We were too excited to get to Under Canvas that we just kept driving and stopping along the way to admire the scenery.
Under Canvas:
The Property:
Guests are greeted by a dirt road leading through open fields to the check-in desk. The front desk, located in a double canvas tent, is unlike your traditional front desks of a Ritz. The open space in the double tent is treated as a lobby with cozy seating, a swing, 24 hours coffee, heaters, and live music on the weekends. Just outside of the check-in tent is more communal space for guests to hang out around fire pits and picnic tables.
Located conveniently on the property is a full bar and restaurant featuring amazing cocktails crafted by May and Zach! They definitely made our evenings brighter with their delicious mezcal cocktails! Watch the clock though - even at 10pm in late-May, the sun is still shining so you might be enjoying those cocktails thinking it’s only 8pm.
Bath houses are conveniently located throughout the property with a private toilet and heated shower. We ended up using the bath house two of the days since our shower water was not hot enough for my comfort. The ones located near the tents were more spacious than the ones located near the check-in/lobby tent. The water, heated by a propane tank, was surprisingly warm. The actual shower can be a bit of pain to work because you have to pull the handle to get the water going and hold it down for water flow. It’s a great way to save on water but makes washing hair a bit challenging. The bath house also has outlets for hair dryers, which they do offer in the towels closet so feel free to leave yours at home. Note - tents do not have outlets anywhere!
Our Tent:
Our deluxe tent, number 43, was located a short walk away from the check-in tent. Facing the mountains, it offered a private sitting area on the deck. Leading through the tent zippers was a small sitting area inside, a comfortable king bed, wood fire stove for heating, and a full private bathroom. Something to note - not all tents have a private bathroom! At night, the weather would drop to the 20s, making it extremely chilly in the canvas tent. We had to keep the fire going all night to get warm. Once the fire stove gets going, it truly does get warm in the tent! The entire tent is literally a thick canvas - no outlets, ceiling fans, lights, or closet. It’s basic with the key amenities. Two battery packs in the tent were offered as means of charging our cell phones and using the side table lanterns. Such a great idea!
What to pack:
Leave your valuables at home! There is no lock on the tent. Zip up to enter, down to exit! It’s glamping after all. No need for your pearls or your fancy Louboutin’s.
