Covered wagon glamping on the shores of Bear Lake. Sleep like a pioneer, wake up to turquoise waters.
Conestoga Ranch spans 18 acres of high-desert hillside in Garden City, Utah, overlooking the brilliant turquoise waters of Bear Lake. Established in 2015 by founders Tom Hedges, Tom Hendrick, Larry Belno, Mike Knapp, and Rich Smart, the resort was designed as Utah's premier luxury glamping destination. The property artfully bridges the gap between rugged frontier nostalgia and modern resort comfort, offering guests a structured, well-maintained base camp. Gravel-lined paths wind past sagebrush and native grasses, connecting the central lodge, communal areas, and distinct lodging circles. Guests move about the ranch on foot or via staff-driven golf carts, frequently spotting mule deer grazing on the hillsides as the evening cool settles over the valley.
Accommodations are divided into distinct styles, each tailored to different levels of comfort and curiosity. The signature Conestoga Wagons, custom-crafted specifically for the ranch, are arranged in traditional circles that evoke the historic westward migration. These wagons sleep up to four or six guests, featuring a king-sized bed, twin bunk beds, and fully functional electrical outlets, though guests in these units utilize the resort's upscale central bathhouse. For those seeking private facilities, the Grand Tents provide wood-framed flooring, en-suite bathrooms with rainfall showers, and separate bedrooms under heavy canvas walls that gently ripple in the mountain breeze. Traditional Family Tents offer a simpler, electricity-equipped canvas experience, ensuring that every guest sleeps on high-quality linens and real mattresses rather than the hard ground.
Dining at the ranch centers around the Campfire Grill, a timber-framed, open-air restaurant featuring a demonstration-style kitchen and a wood-burning brick oven. The menu highlights local ingredients, most notably the Bear Lake Wagyu Beef burger, which utilizes beef raised by ranch partners Mike Knapp and Rich Smart. Guests can watch chefs prepare wood-fired pizzas, grilled ribeyes, and fresh salads, or enjoy a hearty breakfast scramble and steel-cut oatmeal with caramelized bananas before heading out for the day. As night falls, the resort's dedicated campfire valets circulate to light private fire pits, delivering s'mores kits and starting wood fires for guests to gather around. Whether sitting in an Adirondack chair under the dark, star-filled Utah sky or enjoying a local craft beer at the lodge's small saloon-style bar, the experience is grounded in the sensory pleasures of the American West.
To enjoy the best of the Campfire Grill without the crowds, book a table for an early dinner just as the sun begins to dip, casting a golden light across Bear Lake. If you are staying in a Conestoga Wagon, utilize the complimentary cruiser bikes to explore the paved paths of Garden City, and ask the front desk to arrange a custom-packed picnic lunch for your daytime excursions.
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