Currently Out of The Office

Leave voice mail, text and email set to vacation mode and sojourn to The Glamping Collective. Just 20 minutes west of Asheville, Matt Bare has made his vision a reality, creating a haven for disconnecting from the busyness of everyday life and reconnecting with nature. Situated on 160 largely untouched acres on Crabtree Mountain, visitors find it relaxing, restorative, transformative and healing.

Bare says guests’ stories run the gamut, “People come up to lay out strategic plans for a new business they’re launching. People come up to write books. People come up here to grieve and heal from the loss of a loved one. For some, it’s their first time away from their kids, just the two of them in years. We intentionally created a place in this beautiful space where people can come and have those experiences.”

Bare was inspired to create The Glamping Collective after he and his wife stayed in a treehouse Airbnb in the mountains of Costa Rica over 15 years ago. “It was such an incredible experience, and I remember thinking something like it would do well in Asheville.” At the time, Bare ran a digital marketing agency, temporarily putting the idea in his dream file and waiting for the timing to be right. Eventually, he sold the agency and contemplated his next steps: “I just wanted to get out from behind a desk and build something with my hands.”

Finding the perfect property was the first step in bringing his dream to fruition. Bare realized that most people were building glamping retreats in a valley with views of the mountains. “I wanted to be on the top of a mountain looking down at the valley. We found Crabtree Mountain, and it was unlike anything else. It’s just stunning.” 

He described the first time he walked the mountain: “There were six inches of snow on the ground and I was just blown away by the natural beauty of it all—the views, the sense of peace that came over me. I said, ‘Man, this is it. This has to be it.’ Little did I know how difficult it would be to develop 160 raw acres. The land was virtually untouched—no utilities, power, water, septic, roads, just a raw chunk of land on the top of a mountain at 4,000 feet of elevation. But it has come together in such an incredibly beautiful way, and we dream that it blesses many people.” 

Perhaps what is most impressive about Bare is his sense of responsibility to the surrounding Canton community to develop the land meaningfully and thoughtfully. “We bought it from the original family who inherited it as a Revolutionary War land grant. It was passed down generationally within that same family for 250 years. People in this community grew up using the land for one thing or another, horseback riding, hunting, four-wheeling or hiking. As we sought to make it accessible to more people, we received positive feedback from the community regarding our approach and the care we were taking for the land.” 

Bare was unsure whether he wanted to build a glamping retreat in the form of treehouses, domes, tiny cabins, or container homes. He researched them all and ultimately decided on a combination of domes and glass cabins. Glamping Collective is a collection of 23 well-appointed free-standing units, each with a private porch, hot tub and fire table. Stunning panoramic vistas are included, as are wood fire pits, grills and a common gathering space for all guests to share.

There's no shortage of outdoor recreation with three manicured hiking and biking trails on the property. The Sunset Summit Trail is the most popular among visitors. This 1.5-mile moderate hike has a 432-foot elevation gain with the payoff being 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains of Western North Carolina. Fun fact: At the trailhead, hikers will see a strange anomaly, an encased random piece of SpaceX debris that fell from the sky and landed trailside in May last year. 

While Sunset Summit is perfect for enjoying the dimming of the day, it is equally magical at sunrise or mid-afternoon. Adirondack chairs and an extra-large couples swing encourage guests to bring a blanket, read abook or lie under the massive oak tree and enjoy whatever the day brings. It’s the perfect place to take a favorite beverage or picnic and enjoy the panoramic view.

Bare spoke about this special spot: “One of my favorite memories happened just after we opened. To get ready, we had so many friends who came to help and support us, from building to assembling furniture and everything else in between.  I brought a group of my buddies and their wives up here for a friends and family weekend. It was late, our wives had gone to bed, and we were sitting around a campfire, playing guitar and drinking bourbon. We could see the Milky Way so clearly. It was right overhead and just as clear as day.  Around midnight, someone suggested we hike to the summit. When we got to the top, we all just lay up in the grass and stared at the Milky Way and the stars.  One of our buddies knows a lot about astronomy, and he was pointing out the constellations and planets, and explaining everything we were seeing.  It was just one of those very special and surreal experiences in life you just can’t replicate. Creating an environment where people can come and do those things with people they love and care about is just a special gift.” 

The Glamping Collective offers domes and glass cabins to accommodate individuals, couples, and families. Domes designed to accommodate families are in a different location from the smaller domes. The areas are vertically separated by 300 feet of elevation, for an individualized experience and plenty of privacy. “The people in our adult area do not have to deal with or interact with children.  They get the peace and quiet that comes with that. At the same time, I have three young kids, so I wanted to have some accommodations that were family friendly and create this cool experience for families to be able to come, get outside and be surrounded by nature and these incredible views, but with the luxury we’re able to wrap them inside of while they’re having that experience.”

One of the many amenities of The Glamping Collective is the absence of televisions. While cell service and wi-fi are available, Bare encourages guests to disconnect. “We have a few guests who bring their own; we’re in the South after all, and college football is not to be missed. However, we think not having TVs is a good thing.  We want people to leave their phones in their cabin, go for a hike, get away from day-to-day distractions, and focus on nature and the beauty surrounding them. Reconnect with that.  Reconnect with the person you’re here with.  Reconnect with yourself.”