New Yorkers have long embraced the great outdoors, finding solace and adventure in the sprawling expanses of the Catskills and Adirondacks. In recent years, a wave of music-forward retreats upstate has expanded this outdoor culture, making it increasingly accessible for hardcore urbanites seeking a temporary escape from city pavements. Yet, for those who crave a wilderness experience without straying far from the urban core, a remarkably close alternative has existed since 2018: a seasonal, six-acre glamping site nestled on Governors Island, merely an eight-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan courtesy of Collective Retreats. This season, however, the landscape of urban glamping is evolving with the introduction of a distinct new presence: the Urban Cowboy Tent.
Waking up inside the expansive 325-square-foot tent, guests are immediately enveloped in a rich, tactile environment clad in red Pendleton textiles and rugged El Paso Saddle Blanket rugs. Stepping outside onto the porch reveals framed, unobstructed vistas of the Statue of Liberty rising majestically over New York Harbor. It is a striking juxtaposition—combining the raw, elemental feel of the American frontier with the unmistakable skyline and maritime history of New York City.
The masterminds behind these cowboy-inspired quarters are Lyon Porter, co-founder of Urban Cowboy and creative director of Cowboy Creative. Every element within the tent has been thoughtfully assembled, featuring a lovingly curated collection of custom and vintage furnishings designed to evoke a sense of history and lived-in charm. Guests will find antique artwork, repurposed boat oars, and vintage radios scattered throughout the space, with many of these unique objects sourced from well-known repositories like the Beacon Flea Market and the Elephant Trunk Country Flea Market. These found objects give the new tent the impression of having a long and storied life, rich with character and personal narrative.
To bring the vision to complete fruition, Kevin Jacob Design was brought on board to craft additional custom elements. These include meticulous hand-painted stencil work, bespoke signage, and mounted deer antlers that anchor the rustic, lodge-like atmosphere.
Despite leaning heavily into a classic cowboy aesthetic, the day-to-day experience is thoroughly anchored in modern comfort and convenience. The tent is fully equipped with a reliable HVAC unit to ensure a comfortable climate during unseasonably warm days or brisk autumn nights. An ensuite bathroom provides guests with the luxuries of home, featuring a generous standing shower, a large vanity mirror, and a proper toilet.
However, the undeniable standout feature of the interior is its patinated cast-iron tub. Plumbed directly with on-site hot water and strategically angled toward the harbor, the tub offers guests an immersive way to soak in the sunset views over the water as day turns to night.
Lyon Porter notes that the bathtub holds a special place among his curated finds for the project. An antique piece of this caliber can easily command a price tag of around $11,000 on the specialty market. Instead, Porter and his team discovered this particular gem sitting quietly in a Connecticut mansion’s yard for just $400. Weighing in at approximately 500 pounds, the tub features a naturally rusted exterior patina that contrasts sharply with its smooth white porcelain interior. It is precisely these kinds of unexpected, high-character discoveries that Porter believes lend the space its authentic soul and visual depth.
This striking new collaboration also continues Porter’s ongoing professional relationship with Dovetail + Co., the acclaimed hospitality group behind Collective Retreats. The two entities previously joined forces in 2020 to open the Urban Cowboy Lodge in the Catskills, a property that has firmly established itself as a beloved upstate destination for travelers seeking refuge in nature.
With this latest venture on Governors Island, Porter is positioning Urban Cowboy’s signature maximalist aesthetic as a deliberate, tactile antidote to modern screen fatigue and digital burnout. An authentic Urban Cowboy experience, he explains, is designed to be deeply transportive. Despite being located just a stone’s throw from the dense concrete and perpetual motion of New York City, the whimsical, highly detailed environment allows guests to feel as though they have traveled worlds away.
Reservations for the Urban Cowboy Tent on Governors Island are currently open, with the seasonal experience remaining available through the end of November 2026.
