Glamping in Moab, Utah
Glamping trades the tent stakes and sleeping pad for a king bed, a wood burning stove, and someone else doing the setup — without giving up the canyon views and star filled nights that make camping worth it. Moab has exactly two luxury tent resorts worth booking, and they serve different trips. Here's how glamping works and which one is yours.
- What It Is
- Safari style canvas tents with real beds and heat
- Closest to Arches
- Under Canvas, 7 miles north of Moab
- Most Secluded
- ULUM, 200 acres near Looking Glass Arch
- Book Ahead
- 2–4 months for peak spring and fall dates
What Is Glamping, Actually?
Glamping — glamorous camping — swaps the parts of camping people don't love for the parts they do. You still sleep in a tent, still hear the wind and the coyotes, still watch the stars come out without a streetlight in sight. What changes is everything else: a real king bed instead of a pad on the ground, a wood burning stove instead of huddling in a sleeping bag, and staff who set up the tent, light the fire, and hand you a s'more instead of you doing all three yourself.
Near Moab, glamping means safari style canvas tents — tall, structured, wood floored tents built on a raised deck, distinct from a yurt's circular lattice frame but solving the same problem with the same fabric-and-frame logic. Two resorts do this at a serious level: Under Canvas Moab, 7 miles north of town near the Arches entrance, and ULUM Moab, a newer and more upscale property 200 acres deep in the desert near Looking Glass Arch. Both are run by the same parent hospitality group, which is why the DNA feels similar — wood stoves, West Elm furnishings, nightly campfires — even though the price tags and polish level are quite different.
The appeal over a hotel room is the setting: waking up with red rock filling the tent's mesh window instead of a parking lot. The appeal over a tent you'd pitch yourself is that nobody in your group has to learn to stake a rainfly at 9pm in the wind. If you've been eyeing our yurts and unique stays guide, glamping is the fabric-walled cousin — round versus rectangular, but the same trade of camping's atmosphere for a real bed.
Insider tip: Neither property has air conditioning in the way a hotel does — Under Canvas relies on wood stoves and battery fans, while ULUM upgrades to evaporative cooling in every tent. If you're booking a July stay, that difference matters more than the price gap. Ask directly about cooling before you book a summer date.
Which Resort Fits Your Trip?
Both resorts are excellent at what they do, but they're not really competing for the same traveler. Here's the honest split.
Choose Under Canvas If…
Flexible tiers, closer to Arches, open all year- You want a range of price points, from a basic Safari Tent up to a family Suite
- You're traveling with kids — dedicated adjacent Kids Tents are built for families
- Arches proximity matters most — it's the closer of the two, about 3 miles to the gate
- You're visiting outside the March–October window — Under Canvas stays open longer
- You want the classic glamping experience: campfire s'mores, yoga deck, camp games
- A shared bathhouse a short walk away doesn't bother you at the entry tier
Choose ULUM If…
Top tier luxury, more seclusion, resort dining- You want every tent to be the top tier — there's only one type, and it's the good one
- Evaporative cooling in the tent matters for a hot season stay
- You want a real restaurant, dipping pools, and a massage cave on site
- 200 acres of seclusion near Looking Glass Arch appeals more than being near town
- Your trip falls between late March and late October, when ULUM is open
- You're celebrating something and want the five star tented experience
Under Canvas Moab: Tent Tiers Explained
Under Canvas is the only one of the two with a tiered system — six tent types spanning a genuinely wide price range, all sharing the same 40 acre property 7 miles north of Moab.
Safari Tent
King bed, wood floor, wood burning stove. A short walk to a shared bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets. The most affordable way into the property.
Safari with 3 Twins
Same shell as the standard Safari Tent, configured with three twin beds instead of a king — built for friends or a family sharing one tent.
Safari + Kids Tent
A Safari Tent paired with an adjacent, unheated Kids Tent for two children — parents and kids close by but with separate space.
Deluxe Tent
Raised wood floor, private patio with lounge chairs, and an ensuite bathroom with a pull-chain shower, sink, and low-flow toilet. King bed and wood stove included.
Stargazer Tent
Everything in the Deluxe Tent plus a viewing window positioned directly above the king bed — fall asleep looking straight up at the stars.
Suite Tent
The largest configuration: everything in the Deluxe Tent plus a lounge area with a queen sofa bed, suited to families or groups of four.
Budget honestly: Older published pricing put Safari Tents around $179/night, Deluxe around $299, and Suites near $400 — but glamping rates move with season and demand, often swinging well above those figures on peak weekends. Treat those as a floor, not an expectation, and check live dates before you build a budget around them.
ULUM Moab: One Tier, All Suite
ULUM skips the tier ladder entirely. Every one of its 50 tents is a Suite Tent — the same accommodation Under Canvas reserves for its top price point is ULUM's standard.
Every Tent Is a Suite
King bed with a heated mattress pad, Parachute linens, a private ensuite bathroom with a rain shower and Aesop products, a wood stove, evaporative cooling, and a private deck — as the base accommodation, not an upgrade.
Three Dipping Pools
Hot, cold, and in between, set on a terraced deck below the main lodge with views toward Looking Glass Arch. A genuine wellness amenity, not a marketing phrase.
A Real Restaurant
Full service dining with a serious kitchen — breakfast, harvest driven dinners, and a cocktail and mocktail program, inside a glass walled clubhouse with a chandelier built from stones found on the property.
Massage Cave & Wellness
A spa experience carved directly into the sandstone, plus a rotating schedule of complimentary yoga, sound baths, and guided nature walks on the yoga deck.
200 Acres of Seclusion
Near Looking Glass Arch, roughly 45 minutes from Arches and 55 from Canyonlands — farther from town than Under Canvas, trading proximity for total quiet.
Seasonal Only
Open late March through late October. The desert winter shutters the property, so ULUM only fits trips inside that window — plan accordingly.
Know the extra fees: ULUM adds a resort fee of a little over 10% per night on top of the room rate, and cots for children run an additional $50 per night. Factor both into your budget before booking — they're not included in the headline rate.
Side by Side: Under Canvas vs ULUM
The full comparison in one table.
| Feature | Under Canvas Moab | ULUM Moab |
|---|---|---|
| Location | 7 miles north of Moab, near Arches | 200 acres near Looking Glass Arch |
| Tent tiers | 6 tiers, Safari to Suite | 1 tier — every tent is a Suite |
| Bathroom | Shared (entry tier) or private (Deluxe+) | Private ensuite in every tent |
| Cooling | Battery fans; wood stove for heat | Evaporative cooling; wood stove for heat |
| Dining | Self serve grills, camp activities | Full service restaurant |
| Pools | None | 3 temperature controlled dipping pools |
| Wellness | Yoga deck, camp activities | Yoga deck, sound baths, massage cave |
| Season | Open year round | Late March–late October only |
| Kids setup | Dedicated adjacent Kids Tents | Cot add-on, $50/night, one per tent |
Check Availability
Both resorts book directly online. Spring and fall weekends are the first dates to disappear at either property.
Moab Glamping FAQ
What's the difference between glamping and a yurt?
A yurt is a round structure on a lattice frame; glamping tents near Moab are rectangular safari style tents on a wood frame with canvas walls. Functionally they solve the same problem — a durable, weatherproof structure with a real bed inside — which is why we cover them as related options. See our yurts and unique stays guide for the yurt side of that comparison.
Which is better for a first glamping trip, Under Canvas or ULUM?
Under Canvas gives you room to start at a lower price point and still get the core experience — a real bed, a wood stove, and a campfire. ULUM is the better call if you want to go all in on one incredible stay rather than ease into the category, since every tent there is already the top tier accommodation.
Do the glamping tents have air conditioning?
Under Canvas tents rely on battery powered fans rather than true air conditioning. ULUM includes evaporative cooling in every tent, which is a meaningful step up for a hot season stay. Both properties use wood burning stoves for heat on cool desert nights.
Is ULUM open year round?
No — ULUM operates seasonally, typically from late March through late October, and closes for the winter. Under Canvas Moab stays open all year, so it's the option if your trip falls outside ULUM's season.
Can kids stay at these glamping resorts?
Yes at both. Under Canvas offers dedicated Safari and Suite configurations with an adjacent Kids Tent built specifically for families. ULUM sleeps up to four adults per tent with an additional child's cot available for a nightly fee.
How far are these resorts from Arches National Park?
Under Canvas Moab is the closer of the two, about 3 miles from the Arches entrance and 7 miles north of downtown Moab. ULUM sits farther out, roughly 45 minutes from Arches near Looking Glass Arch, trading proximity for a more secluded 200 acre setting.
What should I pack for a glamping stay?
Less than you'd think — both resorts provide bedding, towels, and lighting. Bring layers for temperature swings between hot days and cold desert nights, closed toe shoes for walking between tents and shared spaces, and a headlamp for after-dark walks to the bathhouse if you're in an Under Canvas shared bath tier.
Ready to Trade the Tent Stakes for a Real Bed?
Two resorts, two very different experiences of the same desert. Pick the one that matches your trip and check current dates before the peak weekends disappear.
Keep Planning Your Stay
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