Glamping cabins give you the campground without the tent, and Ponchatoula’s Fireside RV Resort has 10 for rent, about an hour from New Orleans. Fireside’s standard 532-square-foot cabins sleep six and come with heating and AC, a full kitchen, a queen bedroom of their own, twin bunks and a sleeper couch. In 2026, $165 per night covers four people in a Fireside cabin, with no resort fee added.
This guide is for anyone who wants a cozy fall or winter weekend in South Louisiana without buying, borrowing or towing an RV, from what’s inside to what’s on the calendar nearby.
- Where: 42053 Hwy 445 in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, roughly a mile from I-12 (take Exit 47).
- Sleeps: six in a standard cabin, four in the single handicap-accessible cabin.
- Pricing: one year-round 2026 cabin rate that includes four guests.
- Bring: bedding and bath towels.
What makes a cabin a glamping cabin?
A glamping cabin is a cabin built around comfort: real beds, climate control, electricity and a kitchen, so you get the outdoors without roughing it. Fireside RV Resort’s 10 cabins in Ponchatoula all come with heating, AC and a full kitchen. The Cambridge Dictionary defines glamping as “a type of camping that is more comfortable and luxurious than traditional camping.”
A bare-bones camping cabin can be four walls, a bunk and a light switch. A glamping cabin adds the pieces that make a weekend easy, like a real kitchen and heat for when a December night turns chilly. Fireside’s cabins come with a full kitchen and heating, so they clear that bar.
There’s one spot where Fireside’s cabins lean more camp than hotel, and we’d rather you hear it from us up front. Linens aren’t supplied, so Fireside asks every cabin guest to pack their own bedding and bath towels.
Plenty of first-time campers start with glamping. The Dyrt reported in 2024 that nearly 8 million people, or 9% of all campers, went glamping in 2023. The Dyrt also found that 42% of the people who glamped in 2023 were first-timers.
What’s inside a Fireside glamping cabin?
A standard Fireside cabin sleeps 6 guests in 532 square feet, with a queen bed in its own private bedroom, two twin bunks, a sleeper couch and a full kitchen. The Fireside cabin rentals page sums up the climate side in one line: “Perfect for every season, with heating and AC.”
- Sleeping: the queen bed gets its own room, the kids get twin bunks, and a full-size couch folds out into a bed.
- Cooking: a full-size range and oven, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, pots and pans, cooking utensils, flatware, dishes and a kitchen sink.
- Screen time: Fireside lists a 40-inch Vizio smart TV in every cabin, handy for game day or a movie night.
Fireside has one handicap-accessible cabin, and it sleeps four. Fireside describes the accessible cabin as having the same amenities as the standard cabins, with a larger bathroom and no bunk beds.
Outside the door, the rest of the resort comes with the stay. Fireside’s cabins sit within easy walking distance of the lazy river and pool bar. Fireside’s list of resort amenities also covers bath houses, free resort-wide Wi-Fi, a laundry and a camp store for forgotten essentials. Fireside doesn’t allow tent camping, so guests without an RV stay in a cabin.
How much do glamping cabins cost per night?
A Fireside RV Resort glamping cabin is $165 per night in 2026, and that price holds all year and includes four guests. Fireside also adds an $18 cleaning charge, billed once per cabin stay. As for junk fees, Fireside doesn’t do them. Resort fees stay off the cabin bill, and so do site-lock and “community impact” charges.
Got a bigger crew? Fireside’s 2026 cabin and RV rates cap a party at six and charge extra guests by the night: $10 for kids ages 4 to 13 and $20 for anyone 13 and up. At Fireside, kids 3 and under stay free and don’t count toward capacity.
Each nightly total above uses Fireside’s 2026 cabin rate and leaves out the cleaning charge. For a yardstick, Modern Campground reported that Insider Perks’ June 2026 Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index put standalone glamping at a $297.91 average and a $220 median per night.
Is a Louisiana cabin warm enough in winter?
A Fireside cabin stays comfortable through a South Louisiana winter, since every Fireside cabin has heating and AC for the colder nights. At NOAA’s Hammond 5 E weather station, a normal January brings a 61.5°F daytime high and a 38.3°F overnight low.
Cool nights are prime gumbo weather, and every Fireside cabin kitchen has a full-size range for it. Grab a bag of Louisiana satsumas on the drive in, too, since the LSU AgCenter says some satsuma varieties keep maturing through late November into early December.
One heads-up for long stays: Fireside’s cabins don’t qualify for weekly or monthly rates, so a cabin is made for a getaway, not a whole season.
What should you pack for glamping?
Bedding and towels go in the car first, because Fireside’s what-to-bring list for cabins has three lines: sheets and pillows, blankets and bath towels. Pots, pans, utensils and dishes are already in every Fireside cabin kitchen, so the rest of your trunk space can go to groceries. Here’s a fuller packing list, with Fireside’s three must-haves up top:
- Sheets and pillows for one queen bed, two twin bunks and the full-size sleeper couch
- Blankets (cold snaps happen, even down here)
- Bath towels
- Groceries, coffee and the seasonings you can’t cook without
- A warm layer for chilly nights
- Phone chargers and a deck of cards for a lazy night in
Smoking isn’t permitted in Fireside’s cabins or any other indoor building at the resort.
Are there glamping cabins near me in South Louisiana?
Living in New Orleans or Baton Rouge and typing “glamping cabins near me” into your phone? Fireside RV Resort is a short trip from either city. With I-12’s Exit 47 (Hwy 445) about a mile up the road, Fireside is around a 45-minute drive from Baton Rouge and close to an hour from New Orleans.
That short hop makes a Friday-after-work getaway realistic from most of South Louisiana. Pack the car Thursday night and you’re halfway there!
What’s happening near Fireside this fall and winter?
Ponchatoula’s fall Antique Trade Days run November 6 to 8, 2026. The Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce estimates this year’s Trade Days will top 200 booths. Fireside RV Resort is throwing an LSU vs Alabama watch party with halftime fireworks on November 7, 2026. From there, December fills up fast with holiday lights and Christmas parades.
Dates come from Fireside’s events calendar, the Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce (for Antique Trade Days and the Christmas parade), New Orleans City Park, the LSU AgCenter and the Saints schedule.
The Ponchatoula Christmas Parade rolls at 5pm on Saturday, December 12. A 5pm parade leaves plenty of time to get back to the cabin, warm up and put a pot of something on the stove.
What makes the best glamping cabins near New Orleans?
The best glamping cabins near New Orleans get four things right: real heating and cooling, a kitchen you’d actually cook in, beds for the whole crew and a price without surprise fees. Fireside RV Resort’s cabins cover all four, with heating and AC, a full kitchen, sleeping for six and no resort fee.
The grounds matter as much as the cabin. Fireside’s amenities page lists a sand volleyball court, a playground, horseshoes, golf cart rentals and a lakeside fishing dock, plus year-round resort events. Quiet hours at Fireside start at 10pm and last until 8am, so nights stay peaceful once the kids finally crash.
Honestly, a warm cabin and a pot of gumbo on a chilly night make a pretty great weekend. Don’t be surprised if you’re checking dates for the next trip before you leave.
Frequently asked questions
Sheets and towels aren’t included with a Fireside glamping cabin, so pack your own. Fireside’s cabin packing list is sheets and pillows, blankets and bath towels. Fireside’s cabin kitchens do come stocked with pots, pans, cooking utensils, flatware and dishes.
Pets aren’t allowed in Fireside’s cabins, and Fireside’s rules list a $150 cleaning fee for any guest found with a pet in a cabin. Fireside’s RV sites are pet friendly, so guests traveling with an RV can still bring the dog.
Each standard Fireside cabin sleeps six between the queen bed, the twin bunks and the sleeper couch. Fireside’s handicap-accessible cabin sleeps four. The Fireside cabin rate covers four guests, and extra guests pay a nightly charge.
Fireside RV Resort keeps resort fees off the cabin bill, along with site-lock fees and “community impact” add-ons. Cabin reservations do carry a one-time cleaning fee, which Fireside lists on its cabins page.
Check-in at Fireside RV Resort is 3pm, and checkout is 11am. Fireside’s rules say early check-in is free of charge if your cabin is available, so it never hurts to ask.
At least one guest in each Fireside cabin must be 21 or older, so plan on bringing a grown-up along. Fireside lists that age rule on both its cabins page and its rules page.
Fireside RV Resort is in Ponchatoula off Exit 47 of I-12, roughly an hour’s drive north of New Orleans. Check open cabin dates, or phone (985) 277-1059 and a real person at the front desk will help you plan a cool-weather weekend.
