The USA’s 5 best accommodations for the outdoors

For those after an accommodation that allows you to experience some of the USA’s natural beauty with a hint of adventure, these five accommodations are your best bet.

Under Canvas at Zion, Utah

This glamping camp is located on 196 acres of land bordering the Zion National Park in Utah, with tents opening straight onto the cacti-covered sand and facing giant reddish rock formations. Wake up and have a coffee on the porch of your deluxe, safari-style tent, then order a packed lunch to take with you on a hike through the park. At night, the walkways between the spaced-out tents are lit up with solar-powered fairy lights and there’s a roaring campfire at the top of the site (with s’mores provided).

Savage River Lodge, Maryland

Surrounded by more than 700 acres of Savage River State Forest, this luxury lodge makes it easy to reconnect with nature. Guests stay in yurts or wooden cabins amid the oak trees and rhododendron thickets, serenaded by gentle rainfall on the canvas roofs at night, or wind rustling through the woods. There is cross-country skiing available and miles of hiking trails seconds away from the front door, with a wood stove in each room to come back to and warm your toes. Dine in the main lodge’s gourmet restaurant and catch up on some reading in its extensive library, with old wooden canoes and snowshoes decorating the walls.

Kokopelli’s Cave, New Mexico

The 1,650 square foot Kokopelli’s Cave was originally intended as an office retreat for the original owner, a local geologist in New Mexico. But now paying guests have the chance to book a night’s stay here, sleeping underground without surrendering luxury. Carved into a cliffside of 65-million-year-old sandstone, this unusual space is even furnished with soft, bouncy carpet, a flagstone hot tub, a fireplace and Southwestern style furniture. Step out onto either of the two terraces for panoramas stretching from La Plata River Valley 280 feet below, all the way to distant mountains.

Borealis Basecamp, Alaska

To fulfil your dreams of seeing the northern lights, you don’t necessarily need to brave the cold. The Borealis Basecamp is a collection of igloos constructed on a high-altitude ridge crest in Alaska, each with a section of transparent ceiling for uninterrupted views of this flickering green natural phenomenon; so you can lie in bed to watch the stars and dancing aurora borealis from the comfort of your warm, private dome.

Adventures on the Gorge, West Virginia

Surrounded by forest on the rim of the New River Gorge, this adventure retreat is a splendid setting for an outdoors holiday. The property specialises in white water rafting but you can also hike, bike, horseback ride, rock climb or zip line through the trees. The deck of the restaurant is a beautiful spot to enjoy a West Virginian sunset over a plate of home-grilled chicken wings, before heading back to your luxury wooden cabin suite (complete with private jacuzzi).