Camping is not at the top of the list of activities Susie Genova typically enjoys.
“I’ve only camped one time before, and it was an awful experience,” said Genova, who recently spent one night glamping at Wildwood Park.
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Glamping, however, is nothing like camping, she said, and she was impressed from the start. Yes, she stayed in a tent, but this wasn’t like the tent camping experience she had when her son was in Boy Scouts.
This tent had not one but two air-conditioning units, a ceiling fan, beds with white linens, a porch and firepit, among other amenities.
The Georgia Glamping Co. set up shop at Wildwood Park earlier this year, opening to glampers in April. Construction with the bathrooms on site delayed the opening which had been originally set for early March, according to Rebeka Self, who along with her husband, Nathan, owns the company. They operate similar sites at Lake Lanier.
She said they were initially contacted by the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau about setting up an additional operation at Clarks Hill.
“The glamping sites at Wildwood Park provide a unique lodging option on one of our greatest assets, Clarks Hill Lake. These accommodations make the lake more user friendly to visitors who wish to just show up and enjoy,” Shelly Blackburn, the CVB’s executive director, wrote in an email.
Self said the set-up at Clarks Hill is similar to their site in Lake Lanier.
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The Georgia Glamping Co. has four of the luxury camping sites open at Clarks Hill, and weekends are already booked through the end of October.
The concept is designed for people like Genova who like the out-of-doors, but also like the trappings of a hotel, she said. Most of their customers are people who’ve never been camping.
“For 80% of them, it’s their first-time camping,” she said.
So far, most of the glampers at Clarks Hill have been local, but at their Lake Lanier site, about half of their customers come from out of the area. Some have traveled as far as from California to glamp, she said.
Genova said her curiosity led her on an Internet search.
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She was having problems sleeping one night and scrolling through Facebook when she saw a post about it. She attempted to book, but the only thing available was a Sunday night. She took her dog, Tink, along, and she said Tink did not want to leave.
She said she’d do it again, but next time, she wants to make a full girls weekend of it.
Self said they are looking at ways to expand and get more campsites for their glamping experience.
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“Glamping is a positive thing. It brings together family and friends,” she said.She said the company has had a positive experience with Columbia County officials and hopes a deal can be worked out to meet the needs
To learn more and watch for openings, visit georgiaglamping.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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