Glamping - Huttopia Paradise Springs
For those that know me, camping and I are not friends. Granted, I’ve only gone once but it was such an absolute disaster that I have refused to re-attempt for the foreseeable future. But my kids LOVED it. And as a family, we all love being out in nature, hiking, and escaping our daily city life. Could there really be a place that is in nature, kid-friendly, and include my need for a private bathroom, electricity and being less than 90 minutes away?!
Welcome to Huttopia Paradise Springs. Nestled in the Angeles National Forest, this is a campground set on over 150 acres filled with lush canopy trees - a literal oasis in between mountains, desert and canyons, all courtesy to a natural flowing spring. Want to make your own food? Perfect, each tent comes with a bbq grill. Not in the mood to cook? No problem, there’s an on-site cafe to order breakfast, lunch and dinner.
And on top of that, there are daily activities included. During our stay, we had guided yoga in the morning, a daily little kids activity hour, magic show, campfire smores, family movie night and a live music performance from a local band. Besides relaxing and exploring the grounds, we spent hours in and by the olympic size spring water pool.
Did I mention this place is kid-friendly? Since this area is remote, I had no qualms letting my 3 and 5 year old kids roam freely with their new glamping buddies. There’s an on-site playground right off the cafe patio, as well as foosball and ping pong. Many of the tents are made for families - with both a queen bed and a bunk bed! This is the very first trip we have taken with kids where we all have come back rested and recharged. Now that’s a vacation worth repeating. And we will.
Some Tips and Recs
Before you drive over, here’s some tips based on our trip
What to pack (in addition to the usual camping items)
Pack q tips and vaseline - since Paradise Springs is nestled in the mountains, the air is very dry (during our stay, humidity was only 20%). Both of my kids ended up having sinus infections (not that it slowed them down) that cleared once we returned home. It was recommended we swab their noses with vaseline daily during our trip to prevent that - we will be doing that next time!
Pack pool floaties - The pool goes from 3 feet to 12 feet. We of course forgot to bring pool floaties but were able to borrow some during our stay and that made us feel much safer about having the kids in the pool with us.
Pack dishwashing gloves and unscented lotion - since the air is so dry, my hands started cracking after washing so many dishes. I’m definitely bring both next time we visit.
What to Eat/Bring
Coffee Cart - enjoy a freshly brewed coffe (or tea, hot chocolate) from the cart - so wonderful when the air is still slightly cool in the am!
Cafe - we found the menu expansive enough for a long weekend (morning pastries, crepes, salads, sandwiches, burgers and pizzas). I didn’t try everything but my favorites from the cafe included the veggie quiche, the French breakfast and the seasonal salad. My husband enjoyed the veggie pizza and impossible burger with fries.
Bring food for the kids - my kids weren’t into the menu so I was glad I brought some of their favorite snacks, fruit, veggies, Cubcakes and quick to prepare meals.