Ithaca by Firelight Camps on Danby Road shares the property with La Tourelle and represents something that the Finger Lakes and Ithaca areas genuinely needed: a glamping experience that doesn't apologize for what it costs because the quality justifies it. Five stars for a camp that executes the concept correctly from the tent design to the fire pit situation to the breakfast service.
The tents are large and insulated appropriately for upstate New York shoulder seasons, which means you can stay here in May or October and not spend the night wondering about your decision. The beds are real beds. The fire pits are structurally sound and positioned to be useful rather than decorative. The whole thing is designed by people who have actually slept outside in this climate rather than by people who have read about it.
Danby Road south of Ithaca places you near the south rim of the gorges, with the Cornell Botanic Gardens not far north and Buttermilk Falls State Park a short drive away. The camp pulls that surrounding landscape into the experience rather than pretending it's just an amenity. Wells Falls is about two and a half miles away. If you're doing Ithaca properly and want to stay outside without suffering for it, Firelight Camps is the answer.
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