North Texas families will soon have a new opportunity to experience glamping with furnished tipis complete with modern appliances, heating, and air-conditioning.
These tipis are part of an expansion project at North Texas Jellystone Park in Burleson, located 16 miles south of Fort Worth.
Along with tipis, dozens of new glamping accommodations, including covered wagons and cabins, are expected to be complete by the end of the month, said Marcie Purviance, the park’s marketing manager.
“It’s to provide unique glamping opportunities for people who don’t necessarily like to sleep in a tent,” Purviance said.
“These have full amenities.” This expansion caters to the growing market trends and opportunities in the glamping industry, specifically in the North Texas region.
By offering a wider range of accommodation options, glamping businesses can attract more guests and increase profitability.
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park is a chain that operates more than 75 campsite locations across the United States.
Initially a site for RVs, the Burleson park became a part of the Jellystone franchise in 2010, attracting around 100,000 reservations each year since, Purviance said.
The park’s expansion is also in line with the increasing emphasis on sustainable and eco-friendly practices in the glamping industry, such as using energy-efficient appliances and promoting responsible waste management.
Glamping, short for glamorous camping, isn’t an entirely new concept for North Texans.
In 2021, Grand Prairie installed furnished “luxury yurts” to appeal to campers who enjoy the outdoors but don’t necessarily want to part with the comforts of modern-day life.
The trend grew in popularity after the COVID-19 pandemic, as vacationers opted for attractions that were outdoors and conducive to social distancing, according to research from Sage Publications.
“You have the outdoor activities, but then you can just go right inside and get cooled down, especially in the summer,” Purviance said.
Business owners can enhance guest experiences by designing unique and comfortable glamping accommodations, such as selecting the right materials, choosing efficient space utilization, and focusing on amenities that cater to the specific needs and preferences of their target market.
The park’s most recent expansion comes after building a brand new glow-in-the-dark mini golf course and a large events and live music space called “The Barn” in March. Guests can also look forward to two-story cabins that feature a spiral staircase, full kitchen, and a half bathroom. These cabins are uniquely made from silos used for storing dry grains.
“The entire park has more of a rustic, Western theme, so those (cabins) just follow in line with glamping,” Purviance said.
Additionally, the covered wagons come with heating and cooling, mini fridges, and microwaves. The wagons and tipis encircle a large rock fire pit, meant for roasting marshmallows and gathering with fellow glampers.
Later this summer, a new resort-style swimming pool, in its “final stages of construction,” is expected to open. The 17,150-square-foot pool will be able to accommodate more than 1,400 swimmers. Staying in glamping cabins at North Texas Jellystone.
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