Chandeliers, bean bag chairs, and fresh-cut flowers.
These aren’t the usual tenets of camping, but with the glamping experts at Beneath the Pines in Spearfish, this is all part of the aesthetic.
Beneath the Pines started with owner Katie Hobson’s love of camping.
“We have three kids, and it gets to be such a hassle to take all the kids’ stuff [camping with us],” said Katie. “We came up with this idea to make camping a little easier for people.”
Hobson says the business is her creative outlet for her boho style. The company sets up campsites for clients at Spearfish City Campground at primitive locations, meaning the sites have a fire pit and a picnic table, and there are no electrical hookups on site. Lights in the tent are battery-operated; everything is off the grid.
Clients range from families and friends to bridal and groom suites, and those celebrating honeymoons and wedding anniversaries.
FACT:
There are 16 foot and 20 foot tents.
In the family tent, Beneath the Pines offers bean bag chairs, a play tent for kids, and décor elements like kid-sized lanterns.
In the wedding tent, macramé hangs amongst fresh-cut flowers, an antique light fixture, and a quirky hammock.
“WE LOVE TO CREATE THINGS, LIKE THE LIGHT FIXTURE. THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE OF THAT STUFF COMING IN THE FUTURE.” – KATIE HOBSON
Each campsite comes with a fire starter, firewood, kindling, and color-changing pinecones, along with other entertainment activities like quizzes and books.
“We’re trying to think of everything that you’d need,” said Hobson. “Hand wipes for the kids, because we know s’mores go with camping.”
FACT:
A tent can fit up to three queen-size beds inside.
Hobson tries to keep all the tent sites by the natural creek which runs through the campsite. But if someone is familiar with the campground, Hobson says they are welcome to pick a specific site.
For now, Beneath the Pines is mostly based in Spearfish, but the company hopes to expand to more campsites in the Black Hills. They have three tents but are working to get seven tents by the summer.
“We would love to get into group camping,” said Hobson. “I think that would be super fun. Bachelor parties, birthday parties, any reason, just friends.”
What does setup include?
- Accent Tables
- Beds and bedding
- Books
- Color-changing pinecones
- Fan
- Fire pit
- Firewood and a fire starter
- Lights and lanterns (battery powered)
One of the newer sites in the Black Hills is a big, open meadow at a popular mountain biking trail. Hobson says one of her hopes is to start doing yoga retreats, and to get historical reenactors from Deadwood involved in a unique camping event.
“I’ve reached out to them to do a western campout with reenactors coming and sitting around the campfire,” she said. “I think that would be fun, to have it set up in certain times and have them wander through your campsite and bicker a little bit.”
Hobson says she’s super into planning and loves running Beneath the Pines with husband Craig, whom she calls “the muscle behind this effort.”
“[Beneath the Pines] really incorporates all of my passions, which I didn’t even think of when we started this,” she said.
