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North Texas families will soon have a new opportunity to gather by the fire pit after a long day of glamping and return to tipis complete with modern appliances, heating and air-conditioning.
The furnished tipis are a 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.”
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.
But 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.Glamping 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.
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.
Outside of tipis that can sleep up to seven people, Purviance said, guests can also look forward to two-story cabins that feature a spiral staircase, full kitchen and a half bathroom. These cabins are also 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,” she 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 Park costs about $1,200 for five nights, $2,000 for 10 and $3,200 for 15. Each plan expires one year from the date of purchase, and the middle- and upper-tier packages come with golf cart rentals.