I stayed at Autocamp's wildly popular luxury Airstream campground in Joshua Tree and saw why travelers are flocking to the 'glamping' brand

Brittany Chang/Insider

• I stayed in an Airstream trailer hotel room at Autocamp's newest Joshua Tree location.
• It's only been open for a few months but the luxury campground — Autocamp's fifth — is already seeing strong bookings.

I love a good camping trip, but I'll never pass up on the opportunity to "glamp" — a portmanteau of "glamour" and "camping."

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Luckily for me, in early May, I spent a night doing just that at luxury campground chain Autocamp's latest Joshua Tree location.

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It was my second time staying at an Autocamp site, the first being a late-summer trip to the brand's popular Yosemite outpost in 2021.

Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites.      Brittany Chang/Insider

Source: Insider

My fun and relaxing glamping experience at Autocamp Yosemite left me with exceedingly high expectations for the new Joshua Tree location, which opened in January.

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Despite my high hopes, Autocamp Joshua Tree, the brand's fifth opening, didn't disappoint.

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Before I moved from California to New York, I frequented Joshua Tree National Park for quick day visits and "traditional" camping trips.

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I've always been a camping enthusiast.

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But after spending the night in an air-conditioned Airstream hotel room about 10 minutes from the park, I definitely see the appeal of "glamping" in Joshua Tree, which is notorious for scorching hot summers and below-freezing winters.

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I'm used to dust and sweat-filled camping excursions in the desert.

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But this time, I didn't have any of these problems.

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The luxury campground may have been a short drive from the park, but it still felt more like a fun destination than a place for a quick nighttime pit stop.

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Autocamp Joshua Tree had plenty of amenities to make the desert campsite feel like a luxury retreat.

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And sleeping on a plush mattress inside of an Airstream trailer-turned-hotel room was definitely more comfortable than sleeping on the ground.

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Don't get me wrong, I still love camping with a sleeping bag and tent.

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But with the desert's aggressive weather, staying in a temperature-stable room that still provides a bit of the camping experience is definitely a good alternative.

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Autocamp's locations have classic glamping accommodations like small cabins and spacious tents in lieu of traditional hotel rooms or conventional camping sites.

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But the company's own name best describes its most popular accommodations: Airstream trailers that have been converted into plush hotel rooms.

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Instead of refurbishing old "silver bullet" trailers, the brand worked with its investor Airstream to create and manufacture a model for the glamping company, Taylor Davis, Autocamp's vice president of brand marketing, told Insider.

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And because Autocamp's trailers were designed to be stationary, the hotel rooms on wheels have heavier and more luxurious accessories like a larger water heater and a tiled shower.

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It's amenities like these that make the little trailer feel more like a comfortable and high-end extended-stay hotel.

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These modern hotel rooms on wheels probably look nothing like your grandparents' Airstream.

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Instead, my room was contemporary, clean, and spacious.

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Inside, there was a bathroom with a spacious shower and uniform Ursa Major products …

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… a joint living room and kitchen with plenty of storage …

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… and a window-lined bedroom with a TV and comfortable queen bed.

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The trailer also came with plenty of kitchen tools to help prepare a meal, including knives, a refrigerator, cutting boards, and a cast-iron skillet.

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But besides the microwave, there are no cooking appliances.

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Instead of an indoor stovetop or oven, every Airstream has a designated outdoor fire pit and shaded dining area.

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To make dinner, I purchased firewood from the property's small market, prepared the mise en place inside the trailer, and cooked my meal outside on the cast-iron skillet over the fire.

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My lettuce wraps weren't gourmet. But having plenty of kitchen utensils and a refrigerator meant I could make a meal that was still more upscale than the overcooked spaghetti and burgers I typically whip up when I go camping.

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Having amenities like a modern bathroom and large bed presented with a contemporary and clean design made the Airstream trailer feel more luxurious than any hotel I've been in.

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And my bedroom views of the desert definitely beat looking out a hotel room window just to see other buildings.

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My only complaint was the lackluster water pressure, but that was to be expected.

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Despite this minor gripe, my trailer felt like my own private desert sanctuary.

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And the rest of the property's amenities were shared, creating opportunities to socialize with other travelers.

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According to Davis, this opportunity to mingle is what sets Autocamp apart from other glamping sites.

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"A lot of the other glamping products, especially those that have Airstreams, are more about seclusion," Davis said. "We really emphasize community at our locations. We're trying to help people connect with each other."

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To do this, the property has programs throughout the day, a mid-century modern Clubhouse with communal seating …

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… a large outdoor fire pit, and plenty of outdoor lounges.

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The Clubhouse is also home to the check-in desk and a small market for visitors to stock up on ingredients, microwaveable dinners, snacks, and Autocamp merch.

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After a refreshing sleep, I spent part of my early morning at the outdoor lounge chugging coffee and enjoying the sun.

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Shortly after, I migrated a few feet over to the pool, which had plenty of shaded lounge chairs.

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I spent most of my morning working by the pool.

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But when it inevitably became too hot to sit outside, I decided to head back to my Airstream trailer to use the couch and side table as my makeshift desk.

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Besides all the on-site amenities, one of the biggest perks of staying at Autocamp is its proximity to the national park.

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Unlike the Yosemite location, which is about a 40-minute drive from the park entrance, Autocamp Joshua Tree was a breezy 10-minute drive from the park.

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It's also a little over an hour away from Empire Polo Club, the home of world famous festivals like Coachella and Stagecoach.

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These festival weekends are when Autocamp Joshua Tree sees full occupancy, Davis told Insider.

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But besides festival weekends, the Airstream glamping ground has already seen "really high occupancy on weekends and really great occupancy on weekdays" despite its recent opening, Davis said.

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And Joshua Tree isn't Autocamp's only success story.

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The brand has seen "substantial bookings" especially in its Yosemite and Russian River locations.

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Autocamp already operates five locations across the US, but its strong performance is pushing the company to open in more markets …

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… including an upcoming location in the Catskills in New York.

New York's Catskills were a summertime destination for Jews, some of whom stayed at a dedicated vegetarian hotel.      Daniel Garland/EyeEm/Getty Images

As a now-avid fan of Autocamp, I'm personally excited to see any new locations.

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The Autocamp concept is undeniably more fun than a traditional hotel ...

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... and taps into my fond childhood memories of camping while catering to my adult need for comfort.

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My plush, modern, amenity-filled trailer looked nothing like the stereotypical stuffy old RV.

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And opening the door of my trailer to views of the desert and blue skies was definitely more refreshing than opening a door to the sight of a drab hotel hallway.

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The on-site amenities kept me on the property longer than I would've lingered around a traditional hotel.

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But this extra time at Autocamp didn't feel like a risk to my schedule given its proximity to the main attraction, Joshua Tree National Park.

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At an average of $249 per night, Autocamp Joshua Tree is definitely more expensive than traditional camping in the national park.

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But if you can afford the stay, crave the camping experience, and hate both dust and extreme temperatures …

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… this avid camper believes Autocamp Joshua Tree is definitely the way to go.

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