Glamping — glamorous camping — sits at the intersection of being outside and sleeping well. You get the fire pit and the forest sounds and the stars, without sleeping on tree roots or hauling gear. Ontario has some of the best glamping in Canada, and the Carolinian forest near London is a particularly underrated corner of it.
This guide covers everything: what glamping actually looks like at Fernwood Hills, how it differs from a campground, when to come, and how to prepare for a stay that feels genuinely effortless.
What Glamping Actually Means at Fernwood Hills
There are two glamping cabins at Fernwood Hills: The Adler and The Bracken. They sit on 40 private acres of Carolinian forest in Komoka — about 10 minutes from London, Ontario, but completely surrounded by trees.
Each cabin is 107 square feet of intentional design: a queen bed with real linen, in-floor radiant heat, a compact but fully functional kitchen, a private deck, and a fire pit with a stack of hardwood waiting for you. There are no neighbours within earshot. The only sounds at night are owls, frogs, and whatever's moving through the underbrush.
The cabins have WiFi — though most guests barely use it. There are no TVs. The design is deliberate: give you everything you actually need, remove the things that keep you tethered to a screen.
How It's Different From a Campground
- Private property, not a park. You're not sharing a loop with 40 other sites. You have 40 acres to yourself (or nearly — other cabins are on the property but spaced well apart).
- A real bed. Not a cot, not an air mattress. A queen bed with proper linen. You wake up feeling rested, not sore.
- Heat in every season. Radiant in-floor heat means a winter glamping trip is genuinely comfortable, not a cold-weather endurance test.
- No setup. The fire pit is staged. The kitchen is stocked with the basics. You arrive and it's already done.
- Solo access. Your door code is yours. There's no check-in desk, no wristband, no shuttle to your site.
When to Visit
The short answer: any time. Fernwood Hills is a four-season property, and each season has a strong argument for it.
Spring (April – May)
The forest wakes up fast. Trout lilies and trilliums carpet the floor in April. Migrating birds move through in huge numbers. The light is soft and long. It's the most underbooked season and arguably the most beautiful.
Summer (June – August)
Peak season. The forest canopy is full and the property is lush. Evenings by the fire pit are the thing people write reviews about. Book early — weekends fill a month or more ahead.
Fall (September – November)
Carolinian forest turns fast and dramatically. Scarlet oaks, sugar maples, and hickories go orange and gold by mid-October. Crisp air, no bugs, fire every night. One of the best times to come.
Winter (December – March)
Underrated. The forest is quiet in a different way — sound carries further, tracks in snow tell you what moved through overnight. The in-floor heat makes the cabin feel like a warm pocket in the cold. Bring a stack of books.
What to Pack
The cabins provide the basics — linens, towels, kitchen essentials. Here's what to add:
- Layers. Forest temperatures swing 10–15°C between midday and midnight. Even in summer, bring something warm for the fire.
- Trail shoes or rubber boots. The property has walking trails through old growth. Sneakers work in summer; boots are better the rest of the year.
- Good food. The kitchen is fully equipped. A proper grocery run before you arrive makes the stay — cooking in a forest cabin hits differently than cooking at home.
- Something analogue. A book, a journal, a deck of cards. Glamping is partly about leaving the screen behind.
- Bug spray (May–July). Standard for any Ontario forest in late spring and early summer.
- Firewood add-on. Already included, but if you want extra for a long evening, just ask when you book.
The Forest Itself
Carolinian forest is a specific ecosystem — the northernmost extension of the eastern deciduous forest. It hosts species you don't find further north: black walnut, sassafras, tulip tree, blue-grey gnatcatcher, Carolina wren. The biodiversity is genuinely unusual for this latitude.
Walking the trails at Fernwood Hills, you're in old forest. The canopy is tall, the understorey is dense, and the light filtering down has that quality you don't find in young-growth bush.
What People Get Wrong About Glamping
Some people assume glamping is camping with a hairdryer — that it's a halfway compromise that delivers neither the full outdoor experience nor actual comfort. That's the wrong frame.
The point isn't to simulate camping with nicer gear. It's to remove the friction between you and the forest. When you're not preoccupied with staying warm, setting up camp, or sleeping through root pressure, you actually pay attention to where you are. That's the thing a well-designed glamping experience gives you: presence.
At its best, glamping is a context shift. You step out of your usual environment — the city, the office, the routine — and into a different kind of time. The forest does the rest.
What Else Is on the Property
The cabins are part of a larger property that includes The Farmhouse (an original 1960s farmhouse, now an overnight suite), The Studio Loft (floor-to-ceiling forest-facing windows, 1,120 sq ft), walking trails, fire pit clearings, and Manna — farm-to-table catering available for group retreats and gatherings.
The property also hosts intimate weddings and corporate and wellness retreats, though cabin stays are entirely separate and don't involve other events.