Summer fun
Coolest glamping spots in Texas debut at Dallas-Fort Worth park and resort
Ahead of the busy summer travel season, the North Texas Jellystone Park in Burlesonhas added a few of the coolest new "glamping" accommodations in Texas. Furnished tipis, covered wagons, and grain bin cabins opened to guests on May 19.
Also on the way? A new Las Vegas-style swimming pool that's 17,150 square feet (two-thirds of an acre) and will accommodate 1,425 people. It's expected to open later this summer.
“We like to do things big in Texas and this is especially true at North Texas Jellystone Park," says Marcie Purviance, the park’s marketing manager, in a release.
Purviance says the park now has the greatest variety of glamping accommodations available anywhere in Texas.
“These new glamping accommodations offer a taste of the Old West, but with modern creature comforts,” she says.
Here's a closer look at each option:
Grain bin cabins
The most unique new glamping spots are the two-story cabins that are made from actual grain bins. According to the release, each grain bin cabin has a spiral staircase leading up to a second story, which features a half bath and two cozy bunk beds. There's a full kitchen and full bathroom downstairs. Rates run about $139 per night.
Covered wagons
New furnished covered wagons sleep up to six people. Made by the Conestoga Wagon Company in Bloomington, Idaho, each wagon includes a king-size bed and two sets of twin bunk beds, all with high-quality mattresses and linens, they tout. Unlike in the Old West, the wagons have heating and air conditioning, a custom-made wagon wheel table with seating, a small fridge, and a microwave. There's a private full-size bathroom next to each wagon (also unlike the Old West). The wagons are situated in a circle and share a large rock fire pit. Rates run about $119 per night.
Furnished tipis
Each furnished tipi sleeps up to seven people and includes a plush king-size bed, a set of queen/twin bunk beds, a futon, and heating and air-conditioning. Amenities include a mini fridge, microwave, and a dinette set, along with a private grill and picnic table. Private bathrooms are a short walk away. The tipi circle features a giant rock fire pit, "where guests can gather with their family and friends to roast marshmallows, tell stories, and make memories that will last a lifetime," the park says. Rates run about $119 per night.
Even though the new accommodations just officially opened, the park already has a waiting list for them, Purviance says. Jellystone still has more than 250 RV sites and 100 luxury cabins, as well. And yes, the famous pirate ship of cabins is still there, too.
Visitors this summer will find a number of new attractions completed during the past year, including a glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course. There's also a new a 26,000-square-foot events and activities center, called “The Barn,” which features live musical entertainment on the weekends and DJ dance parties on Friday and Wednesday nights. Later this year, Jellystone plans to open an additional 20,000-square-foot building for weddings and corporate events, they say.
The Burleson location, located just off Interstate 35, south of Fort Worth, is one of 75 Jellystone Park outposts across the United States and Canada. All feature family-friendly attractions, activities, and Yogi Bear characters.
Pirates' Cove Waterpark, featuring two 65-foot tall, 350-foot long tubular waterslides that twist and turn, is adjacent to the Jellystone campground and requires a separate entrance fee.