Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

Utah’s Luxurious Camp Sarika Retreat Is at the Heart of 5 National Parks

Mike Richard
By

Few life experiences are as beautiful, humbling, calming, eerie, and awe-inspiring as standing in the middle of a desert. With a vast, otherworldly landscape stretching in every direction, it’s enough to turn anyone into an existential philosopher, if only for a moment. One of the most renowned U.S. resorts is looking to capture that feeling — plus a healthy dose of high-end luxury amenities to boot — with an exclusive, all-new desert camp.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

It looks like an exotic luxury camp in the heart of Africa. Statesiders seeking a proper digital detox might be surprised to learn that this world-class retreat is situated in Canyon Point, near Utah’s border with Arizona. With privileged access to the Navajo Nation Reservation and five national parks, including Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bryce Canyon, it’s an ideal place to unwind and get back to nature.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Next year, the otherworldly landscape will be the site of the all-new Camp Sarika by Amangiri. The exclusive retreat will feature a cluster of 10 canvas-topped guest pavilions designed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. All will offer high-end amenities, including designer interiors, luxury bedding, and dedicated living and dining areas. A private terrace attached to each tent will guarantee panoramic sunset views, plus access to a fire pit and heated plunge pool. For guests who can find a reason to leave their rooms, the camp will also house shared amenities like a communal lounge, a wellness center, a restaurant, and even a spa tent.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The new retreat is a niche extension of Utah’s existing Amangiri. Situated on 600 acres of dramatic red rock country, the five-star hotel resort is a literal oasis in the middle of nowhere. It’s a remote location where guests are encouraged to hike, climb, learn about the local Navajo culture, and embrace the rejuvenating properties of the desert. The new retreat’s daily adventure program will take advantage of it all with guided mountain and desert hikes, slot canyon expeditions, and even its own exclusive via ferrata route.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Camp Sarika is expected to open in April 2020 with nightly room rates starting at $3,800. If Utah isn’t far enough removed from the hustle of your daily life, check out the best luxury African safari retreats that redefine glamping.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
5 Little-Known National Parks That Are Cooler Than Their Overcrowded Brethren
Check Out These National Parks If You Want to Avoid the Crowds
lesser known us national parks humpback whale breaches the water park of american samoa 2015 gallery

It’s the warm season and the U.S. masses are on the go and amassing in the great outdoors. The one downside? The crowds. To commemorate the country’s vast outdoors offerings, The Manual offers readers the chance to dodge the crowds with some of the least visited national parks. The more obscure preserves are just as majestic as their more famous brethren while hosting just a fraction of the crowds. Here's your chance to visit some of the least visited and little-known U.S. national parks during the height of the outdoors season. 
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Let’s begin with a big one: Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. Seeing as there are no roads, trails, or established campgrounds over nearly 8.5 million untouched acres, this is a dream destination for many an outdoor lover. Campers and hikers need to make sure that they’ve planned, practiced, and planned again for the Arctic adventure, though. Hiking the wilds above the Arctic Circle is no joke.

Read more
The 20 Best U.S. National Parks to Explore Now
Best National Parks Header Image - Hidden Lake, Glacier National Park

Soaring mountains, dune-covered deserts, glacial lakes, primeval forests, and red-rock canyons set the stage for memorable adventures in splendid national parks — “America’s best idea,” as filmmaker Ken Burns rightly described it. You could spend years exploring the countless wonders of these cherished reserves, but if time is limited, then focus your attention on the best of the best. Below is our admittedly subjective list of the top 20 parks, presenting a wide variety of landscapes and locales.
If you already know how you'll be traveling and lodging, we've created some more specific guides. For example, these are the best national parks for RV camping.

Grand Canyon

Read more
Explore Every U.S. National Park with Just One App. Here’s How
us national park service app a backpacker checks his phone while hiking in north cascades

The U.S. National Parks have been called “America’s best idea.” But it wasn’t until this century that many Americans who’d never visited a National Park realized what they were missing. Visitor numbers, even to the lesser-known and most remote parks, have exploded in the last decade. Still, the overwhelming number of parks to explore -- more than 400 in total -- can make it difficult to know where to start or which ones are truly worth a visit. This month, the National Park Service (NPS) is looking to change that with the debut of an all-in-one smartphone app that puts the personal experience, naturalist wisdom, and historical knowledge of hundreds of park rangers in your pocket.

The new National Park Service app combines every National Park Service “unit” (that includes everything from National Parks and National Monuments to National Battlefields and National Rivers) into a single app. Beyond vital information like visitor center hours, entrance fees, and parking tips, it features interactive park maps, trail and hiking info, current amenities, virtual guided tours of points of interest, accessibility details, and more. By downloading information for individual parks in advance, the app is also usable offline, so you needn’t worry about being without cell service in the backcountry.

Read more