Is life getting on top of you? Do you need to unplug and head somewhere far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city life? At the best wilderness lodges in America, you can stargaze under a limitless expanse of the night sky, hike up waterfalls and watch wildlife roam freely in the gentile and wild National Parks in the USA. You can Breathe. You can Relax.
At the 5 best luxury wilderness lodges and resorts in North America, you can escape to the wilderness without having to give up any creature comforts.
1. The Desert, Utah
this red-rock, rugged desert-scape houses one of the most exclusive resorts in the world. Amangiri. Tucked into a protected valley with sweeping views towards the Grand Staircase, this resort is built around a central swimming pool with spectacular views.
Blending with its dramatic surrounds of deep canyons and towering plateaus, this wilderness escape could not be more rugged. Amangiri’s Aman Spa features a floatation therapy pavilion, water pavilion with sauna, steam room, cold plunge and step pool, fitness centre and yoga pavilion. Amangiri’s trail system allows guests to explore the region’s striking desert scenery on foot. Aman resorts are one of my favourite luxury hotel brands and you can read about my recent trip to Aman Grand Canal in Venice.
2. Post Ranch Inn
Is this the ultimate ocean escape? Experience Big Sur’s profound and humbling beauty with breathtaking sunsets. Perched on the clifftop of Big Sur, a rugged stretch of California’s coastline between Carmel and San Simeon, sits the breathtaking Post Ranch Inn.
If you were a fan of the series “Mad Men”, you will remember Don escaping to a similarly beautiful clifftop retreat which inspires him to create that Cocca Cola advert. Now it’s your turn. (FYI he also spent one episode in Waikiki, Hawaii which we also love although our pick here is one of the incredible Four Seasons in Hawaii)
This is the perfect overnight stop, to break up the drive along this scenic Californian Highway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. From Carmel, the drive takes 40 minutes down the spectacular Highway 1.
Bordered to the east by the Santa Lucia Mountains and enormous redwoods, and to the west by the glittering Pacific Ocean, the Post Ranch Inn is a wood and glass structure built on stilts on the top of the hillside. The views from the modern rooms in cliff and ocean rooms are staggering, and there is a generous balcony complete with loungers so that you can absorb the vistas all day and all night. Mountain rooms also have large decks overlooking the mountains and all rooms come with a wood-burning fire.
Other room options include the magnificent tree houses which are built on stilts nine feet off the forest floor with a stairway to each entrance. These rooms offer a luxurious opportunity for anyone who has ever dreamed of sleeping amongst the trees.
3. UNESCO SW Nova Scotia Biosphere Reserve
Trout Point Lodge is a wilderness retreat in Nova Scotia at the heart of the UNESCO SW Nova Scotia Biosphere Reserve and a picturesque 45 minute drive from Yarmouth Harbour, where you find the international ferry from Maine, USA & Yarmouth International Airport.
This luxury eco-lodge, which is a member of Small Luxury Hotels, is surrounded by a pine and spruce forest, secluded in nature and on the banks of the Tusket River right next to the Tobeatic Wilderness area. Here you might enjoy sightings of black bear, turtles, flying squirrels, grouse, deer, beaver, owls, loons, eagles and even moose.
The Lodge and grounds occupy 100 acres and at night light pollution is minimal making stargazing sensational. The lodge has a star gazing platform where they organise special tours with an astronomer on staff and powerful telescopes. If you are there on a clear night the sky will be unforgettable.
4. Vancouver Island, British Columbia
The Ultimate wilderness retreat in Canada’s British Columbia region is the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort on Vancouver Island. If you fly into Vancouver you should first spend a night or two exploring this wonderful city. We have picked the best hotels and the best club lounges in Vancouver.
Open from May to September, this indulgent but untamed wilderness resort is located in the Clayoquot Sound World Biosphere Reserve (within the Pacific Rim National Park). This unique 21st-century-safari-style enclave of great white canvas suite tents, dining, lounge, and spa tents, offers excellent cuisine and breathtaking adventures. Twenty guest and family suite tents showcase antique furnishings, opulent rugs, down duvets, remote-controlled propane powered wood stoves and luxurious amenities. Watch out for bears and whales.
5. Wild West Luxury in Utah
Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa in Utah, an authentic, 100% Old West hideaway with all the trimmings of a stylish, boutique resort. This red rock resort doesn’t just look like a scene from the movies, it is a scene from the movies with multiple Hollywood blockbusters being filmed in the area since 1949, resulting in silver screen epics like: Rio Grande, The Comancheros and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Hidden in the heart of the gorgeous, red rock wilderness and nestled against the banks of the Colorado River, this upscale 240 acre retreat lies just 17 miles from Moab, Utah and slap bang in the middle of the adventure capital of the West. The accommodation at the resort is not what you’d expect from being in Canyon Country, rather than a standard room, you stay in charming log cabins which offer a mixture of rustic style and luxury with opulent pine beds complete with handcrafted four-posts, cattle horn wall hangings; artsy barbed wire chandeliers and more oak than you would see in a forest along with all the modern amenities you would expect in this level of resort.
The Ranch offers river rafting right on your doorstep as well as morning yoga, hiking and biking trails, limitless photographic opportunities and it’s also close to many Moab attractions like Canyonlands, Arches National Park and many other state parks and off-road terrains. Depending on the season of your visit you can also enjoy ATV rides, horseback riding with authentic, friendly wranglers (the resort even has ponies for younger children), rock art tours, hot air ballooning, scenic road cycling and golf at the scenic Moab Golf Course.
With its excellent one-of-a-kind cabins, spectacular views, therapeutic spa, gourmet dining and riverside pool, this resort really is the point at which luxury meets adventure. Join the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet who chose Sorrel River Ranch as a base to explore this beautiful red rock country.
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