Abide Glamping is expanding its offering near Kentucky’s Ark Encounter while maintaining a focus on slower-paced stays and family-oriented outdoor experiences.
Located in Williamstown, Kentucky, Abide Glamping offers geodesic domes, canvas tents, and RV sites near the Ark Encounter, a major tourism attraction in Northern Kentucky. The business was developed by Matt Zook, who entered the glamping industry through a family venture in Pennsylvania before relocating to Kentucky.
Zook and his parents launched Airydale Retreat in Central Pennsylvania in 2019 on family property that had been acquired with plans for vacation rentals. At the time, Zook was working as a project manager for a commercial construction company and was exploring a different career direction. After researching glamping, he proposed the concept to his parents, and the property eventually expanded to six glamping units.
The experience gave Zook exposure to the operational demands of running a small hospitality business, while also prompting him to consider a location near the Ark Encounter.
“While building that property, the Ark Encounter kept coming to mind,” Zook told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “I had never even visited the Ark. But I was beginning to dream of how neat it would be to pair the unique experience of the Ark Encounter with the unique accommodation of glamping.”
Zook first visited Kentucky in February 2022, when he toured both the Ark Encounter and the property that would later become Abide Glamping. He moved to Kentucky in spring 2024.
The current property combines traditional camping elements with amenities designed for longer or more comfortable stays. Guests have access to beds, private bathrooms, heating, and air conditioning, while accommodations are also designed around campfires and outdoor surroundings.
“Glamping becomes part of the trip itself,” Zook said. “It isn’t just where you sleep at the end of the day—it becomes part of the memory.”
For operators, Zook’s approach highlights the role that accommodation design and site layout can play in shaping a guest’s overall experience. Privacy and spacing are priorities at Abide, with individual accommodations positioned to create a sense of separation rather than concentrating guests into a dense cluster.
Family-oriented features are also incorporated into some units. Certain accommodations include sleeping lofts and twisty slides, an idea Zook previously tested at Airydale Retreat. The features are intended to give children an activity while allowing parents to remain nearby.
Zook said guest experiences have also influenced how he views the operator’s role in creating memorable stays. At Airydale, a guest once described dancing with a spouse beside a fire while ukulele music carried over from another site.
“I had almost nothing to do with creating that memory,” Zook said. “But I got to provide the setting where it could happen.”
He sees that ability to facilitate experiences as a central part of hospitality.
“It’s recognizing that I have been given a small window of time in someone’s story and asking, ‘How can we make this experience feel special?’”
That philosophy is also reflected in the property’s name. Zook said “Abide” refers both to slowing down and to the Christian concept of remaining in Christ, which is drawn from John 15. The religious theme appears in details such as the property’s coffee packets, which feature John 15:9.
The concept also influences how Zook approaches growth. Three additional glamping domes are planned for the property this winter, with completion targeted for April 2027. Longer-term plans could include walking trails, a small disc golf course, and additional outdoor gathering spaces.
Zook said the property will not necessarily pursue growth by adding activities to every available area. Instead, maintaining open space is part of the intended guest experience.
“We don’t necessarily want to fill every corner of Abide with activities,” Zook said. “Part of the experience is having room to slow down and enjoy being outside.”
The business is also positioned to benefit from Northern Kentucky’s broader tourism market. While the Ark Encounter can serve as an initial reason for visitors to book a stay, Zook said guests may also explore Cincinnati, Lexington, and Louisville during their trips.
A recent guest interaction further illustrated the type of experience Zook wants Abide to provide. After deciding one morning to prepare complimentary s’more kits for arriving guests, he later received a message from a mother whose young son had been asking for s’mores during their drive to Kentucky. The family had told him they would wait until arriving at their glamping destination, where they could teach him about delayed gratification.
When they arrived, the kits were waiting.
“Every bit of it has been an answer to prayer,” the mother wrote in a message thanking Zook and his team for their hospitality.
For Abide, the moment represents a relatively small operational detail that became part of a larger guest experience. For other glamping operators, it also illustrates how low-cost amenities and thoughtful service can contribute to the memories guests associate with a property, particularly when those details complement the site’s broader identity rather than simply adding another activity or amenity.
