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Washington County farm offers ‘glamping’ experience

The Glampground (photo credit: Syd Andrew)

SALEM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Blind Buck Valley Farmstead, a women-owned, family-run farm located at 116 Riley Hill Road in Salem, has been allowing guests to stay in its farmhouse since 2016. In 2021, owner Sarah Parker and her family decided to open the “Glampground” on the property.

According to Parker, glamping is just like camping but with more amenities and home-like luxuries. This is the first official season the Glampground is open, but the farm held a soft opening in the late summer of 2021.

“We wanted a second way for people to be able to stay on the property and thought glamping would be a nice compliment to the farmhouse,” said Parker.

Parker and her family decided to open the farmhouse to guests after her father passed away. She said she and the rest of the family were not living there or visiting as often, and they wanted to ensure they could keep the property

“My father, before he passed, expressed concern about the cost to maintain and didn’t want it to burden my mother after he was gone,” said Parker. “We realized all of the benefits we had getting to be there over the years and thought that we could offer that to a new generation of friends and families.”

Since the Glampground opened, Parker said it has been booked every weekend this summer. They’ve also had many week-night stays.

The Glampground includes four canvas, fully furnished sleeping tents and can accommodate up to 16 people. Each tent has one queen-sized bed and up to two twin mattresses can be added. The tents also include fresh linens, quilts, throw blankets, towels, twinkle lights, flashlights, umbrellas, and a LED charging station.

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The kitchen and recreation areas of the Glampground include:

The farmstead itself has many activities for guests to enjoy as well. These include guided tours to play with the goats, horses, donkeys, and ponies, wagon rides, a chicken coop visit to pick your own eggs, a garden to pick your own veggie basket, hiking, wildlife observing, stargazing, nature walks, and a picnic area.

Blind Buck Valley Farmstead holds weddings, but they only do a few per year, said Parker. The family decided not to hold any weddings in 2022 so they could focus on the Glampgound. Parker said they are booked for 2023, but are accepting weddings for 2024 and beyond.

The farmstead also holds a yearly Spring into Salem event, which features over 50 artisan vendors, live music, kid-friendly activities, farm animals, wagon rides, food trucks, and more. The next time this event will be held is on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

“Our Farm Stay is a great place to commune with loved ones, experience nature, relax, and recharge. Even if you only live 30 to 45 minutes away in Saratoga or an hour or so in Albany, you still feel like you’ve traveled to a totally new place when you visit our farm. It’s a great place for a girls’ weekend, family or friend reunion, bachelor/bachelorette party, or quick getaway,” said Parker.