For many, the summer season evokes memories of bonfires, lakeside cabins, and kayaks. Here are five resorts that recreate the classic camping experience—with some high-end touches—for corporate groups.
In Wisconsin, Camp Wandawega has hosted corporate retreats for clients such as Facebook and Anthroplogie. Typically, retreats last two nights and accommodate as many as 50 guests; the camp can also hold 125 guests for just daytime activities. Those activities include nostalgic camp classics, such as archery, swimming, canoeing, campfires, volleyball, and fishing. There is no food service on site, so most hosts opt to bring in their own catering, and staffers can recommend local vendors for fish fries and pig roasts. The camp requires all guests to read its "Manifesto of Low Expectations" before a visit. "We make sure they're prepared for the no-frills, back-to-basics nature of Camp Wandawega," says a rep. "That's a big part of it's charm, but it's not for everyone."
Twin Farms is a five-star Relais & Chateaux property in Bradford, Vermont. On 300 acres of meadowland, the resort offers "glamping"-style accommodations and group activities such as hiking, grilling out, biking, and stargazing. Boardroom meetings for 10 can take place in a luxury farmhouse overlooking a pond, and staffers can arrange for larger meetings throughout the property. For dining, the venue offers no set menus, and chefs prepare dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients each day.
In Pennsylvania, the Lodge at Glendorn is a Relais & Chateaux property on 1,500 wooded acres of the Allegheny National Forest. Originally built as a family camp in the 1920s, the property now hosts corporate retreats for as many as 50 guests. Teambuilding activities include fly-fishing, skeet shooting, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, bonfires, and cooking classes. The "Playhouse" is an on-site meeting facility with audiovisual equipment and a breakout room.
Mustang Monument Wild Horse Eco-Retreat officially opened in Nevada this month and offers a Luxury California Wagon Trail Sleep Out. Guests sleep in luxury wagons, and dinner is cooked in a fireside cauldron while local Native Americans tell stories about their culture. Elsewhere within its 900 square miles the venue can accommodate 40 guests in a combination of cabins and hand-painted teepees. For meetings, staffers can transform the on-site "Wild West Saloon" into a boardroom or theater-style setting, and breakout and brainstorming activities can take place in the teepees. Teambuilding activities include horseback riding, off-road driving in buggies, and target shooting.
In Montana, the Resort at Paws Up hosts meetings and incentive programs on a 37,000-acre ranch. Groups can reserve a luxury camp, which has six tents, a dining pavilion, a fire pit, and staff including a chef and a camping butler. The resort offers plenty of outdoor teambuilding activities, such as horseback riding, fly-fishing, hatchet throwing, and a Chuckwagon Dinner that serves classic campground fare (think prime rib, baked beans, and fruit cobbler.)
