Inside view of a glamping tent, complete with lights, tables, beds and fans.

Five new “glamping” sites have been developed at Lake Lanier’s River Forks Park in Gainesville by Cumming-based Timberline Glamping.

Upscale camping – called glamping – now has two locations on Lake Lanier and the good news is that the program has been created by a local company – Timberline Glamping Company –  founded by Nathan and Rebeka Self of Cumming.

With the recent vote by the Hall County Board of Commissioners in early March, the firm is bringing glamping to River Forks Park in Gainesville, joining 13 glamping sites in Cumming at Shady Grove Park.

“We are so excited to be able to expand here on Lake Lanier, giving people an upscale experience a couple of notches above tent camping,” said Rebeka Self, co-CEO of the company that also has glamping locations in Georgia and Florida. “Glamping is perfect for people who want to get out in nature and the outdoors without sacrificing luxury, comfort and style.”

River Forks Park will offer five tented glamping sites, plus one bell tent and a geodesic dome. Timberline Glamping will be leasing the spots from the county.

Glamping has become the next trend in overnighting and vacationing outdoors. Semi-permanent canvas-sided tents are set up on platforms and include many of the comforts of home, from real beds, furniture and seating areas to accessories such as lamps and other décor.

The tents include heating and air-conditioning, a charcoal grill, a fire pit, hammocks and string lights.

“Glamping, a way to enjoy overnights outdoors with the comforts of a hotel, is gaining in popularity,” says Nathan Self, co-CEO of Timberline Glamping. “It is especially popular with people who have never camped before and with older people who formerly enjoyed tent camping but now find it much more convenient to stay in a tent-like setting without all the set-up and worries about what to bring. It’s simply a more convenient and comfortable way to connect with the outdoors.”

In 2018 the couple came up with the idea for Timberline after returning from a not-so-good hotel experience where noise from adjacent guests and their love of spending time outdoors presented the perfect compromise.

The company’s first location at Shady Grove gave them the impetus to expand, eventually adding glamping sites in Amicalola Falls, Clarks Hill Lake, Kingston Downs, Lake Blackshear and Unicoi State Park, as well as in Hillsborough River State Park in Florida.

The couple is currently developing a management model to expand the business into franchising.

“We’re looking for like-minded people who have a passion for the outdoors and want a business opportunity,” she said.

“Our marketing research shows that glamping is the new best trend in outdoor recreation,” she said. “People who’ve never camped before can give it a try without the investment in their own gear or the hassle of setting up their tent and campsite. You may like it so much that you’ll become a regular glamper.”

For more information, visit www.timberlineglamping.com.

Photos: courtesy of Timberline Glamping