Luxury Dome Retreat To Open On Sand Mountain, Adding To Georgia Tourism Growth

A new upscale outdoor lodging destination is set to open this spring atop Sand Mountain, bringing 21 geodesic dome units and a resort-style retreat to Dade County.

The project is operated by The Glamping Collective, a hospitality company that specializes in luxury glamping experiences that combine immersive natural settings with boutique-style accommodations. The Sand Mountain development marks the company’s second location, following its flagship property near Asheville, North Carolina.

Founder Matt Bare said the goal is to create a space where guests can disconnect from daily routines and reconnect with each other and the outdoors.

“Our vision is just to create space for people to come, retreat, reconnect with themselves, their partner, nature,” Bare said during a recent interview at the property. “Create a space for people to get away and do that.”

The Glamping Collective was founded by Bare and his wife, Christina, with the idea of building mountaintop hospitality experiences that blend outdoor adventure with high-end design and comfort. The company’s North Carolina property features luxury domes and glass cabins designed to maximize mountain views while offering amenities more commonly associated with boutique hotels.

Bare said he had long been interested in the Chattanooga and northwest Georgia region before ultimately selecting the Sand Mountain site. The property was not initially on the market when he began looking for a second location. After touring several sites that “weren’t quite fitting the bill,” he agreed to visit the bluff-top tract.

“We walked out to the edge of this cliff and looked out at this view and just fell in love,” he said. “The wheels just went full hyperspeed ahead. The vision started to come to me. It just became clear.”

The company later acquired additional acreage below the bluff, bringing the total property to 37 acres. The expanded footprint allows for hiking trails, with roughly one mile along the bluff and two miles below, and leaves room for potential future expansion.

At the center of the development are 21 geodesic domes, similar to the structures used at the Asheville location, which operates 16 units.

“We have a lot of domes in Asheville. We have 16 domes there, and people love them,” Bare said. “They just create this really cool, unique accommodation experience that breaks you out of the mold of the ordinary.”

The domes feature curved architecture and large panoramic windows designed to immerse guests in the surrounding landscape. At the North Carolina property, units include private decks, fireplaces, climate control and modern interior finishes.

“When you’re inside during a snowstorm, it’s like being in a real-life snow globe,” Bare said. “You can sit and watch the snow fall on that curved window and cascade down.”

Each Sand Mountain unit will include a private hot tub positioned toward the valley view, tile showers with dual shower heads and select units with heated floors.

“The view is the biggest amenity,” Bare said. “You can put a hot tub anywhere you want, but you can’t put a hot tub with that view anywhere you want.”

In addition to the private domes, the property will include a shared amenity area beneath a rock overhang. The space, referred to as The Grotto, is planned to feature an infinity-edge pool with a waterfall, a flagstone patio with fire features and a cantilevered deck extending toward a roughly 120-foot cliff.

“When you walk to the edge of that deck, you feel like you’re flying,” Bare said. “It’s just this cool experience that the architecture and the land have brought together.”

Unlike the Asheville property, which is family-friendly, the Sand Mountain location will operate as an adults-only destination. Bare said the decision reflects the site’s layout and safety considerations associated with the cliffside terrain.

“With this site being a little smaller than our Asheville site, our domes being a little closer together, and then this vertical cliff that we sit on, it just felt important to me to be able to sleep at night with this being an adults-only property,” he said. “It’s important to keep everybody safe and also give everybody the really relaxed, quiet experience we want them to have.”

Bookings are expected to open in early March, with a targeted opening date of April 2. Initial weekday rates are projected around $350 per night, with weekend pricing beginning around $550. Construction crews are working extended hours to complete final site work.

Tourism continues to play a significant role in the state’s economy. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, tourism generated an $82 billion economic impact in 2024 and supported 470,570 jobs statewide. Visitors spent a record $45.2 billion on lodging, dining, recreation and other local expenditures, and tourism activity produced more than $5 billion in state and local tax revenue across Georgia.

Developments that attract overnight visitors can contribute to local economies through guest spending at restaurants, shops and attractions, as well as lodging tax collections.

With 21 units positioned along a prominent bluff and additional land available for future use, the Sand Mountain project represents a significant private tourism investment in Dade County.

“We can’t build this,” Bare said. “We just try to get people to a place where they can experience it.”