Nothing can unlock our inner children and quiet our distracted minds like a stay amongst the trees. Treehouses have an enchanted aura and bring us closer to the wilderness outside and the people inside. Check out these 10 magical treehouses throughout the South — each with its own flavor, from luxe amenities to daredevil overlooks.
Firefly Treehouses
Cullman (Smith Lake), Alabama
This enchanted treehouse is nestled in the treetops of a completely secluded 40-acre property along Alabama’s beloved Smith Lake. This no-kids, no-pets, no-wifi paradise is great for a couples’ getaway, mini honeymoon, or reconnecting with nature. Walk the nature trails, build a fire, and deer-watch with your morning coffee on the deck. Take the provided paddle boat for a spin on the two-acre lake, or drive to some stellar waterfalls, hiking trails, and horseback riding excursions under an hour from the treehouse.
The Firefly Treehouse starts at $350 a night and can be booked here! Image: Firefly Treehouse
Both sitting areas — on the deck and by the fire — are luring us in! Image: Firefly Treehouses via Facebook
The Majestic Treehouse
Walhalla, South Carolina
“Live like kings and play like kids” in this extraordinary, award-winning treehouse. This wooden paradise was designed by Seth Bolt (of the band NEEDTOBREATHE) and his father. Heating and AC make this treehouse a year-round destination perfect for romantic getaways, milestone celebrations, or creative inspiration (songwriting, art, you name it!)
On Bolt Farm’s 40 acres, you’ll find relaxing gardens where they grow 100% organic and delicious seasonal vegetables. The pristine forest is filled with birds, oaks, hickories, dogwoods, creeks, and 2.5 miles of trails to hike, jog, or mountain bike.
The new VIP experience adds a variety of fun activities, sweet treats, and keepsakes like luxury s’mores around a private campfire, a fine bottle of wine, a candle, and $100 off your next stay. Image: Morning Wild Photography via Bolt Farm Treehouse on Airbnb
You’ll find lots of sweet touches like locally roasted coffee, plush bathrobes, fine vintage china, and vinyl records around the treehouse. Image: Morning Wild Photography via Bolt Farm Treehouse on Airbnb
Nature’s Nook
Dahlonega, Georgia
Nature and modern design collide in this stunning treehouse close to all North Georgia’s action. Built around a massive living oak tree, Nature’s Nook embraces the beauty of nature without lacking creature comforts like heat, AC, and a full bathroom. Layered bunks, lofts, and nooks sleep up to four, but the bay window-facing queen bed takes the cake.
Mirroring the shape of the treehouse itself, a large outdoor deck overlooks a verdant fern-filled valley below. The custom kitchen is decked out with everything you need to cook and relax, and there’s even a built-in YETI cooler on the deck for extra cold storage.
Whether you’re exploring wine country, hiking, or small-town hoppin’, North Georgia is always a good idea. Image: Nature’s Nook via Airbnb
Guests have access to the fire pit, front porch, and seven acres of grounds, including a nature trail. Vacationing with a few other couples? Rent all three treehouses on the large property. We call one of the custom whiskey barrel Adirondack chairs! Image: Nature’s Nook via Airbnb
Secluded Intown Treehouse
Atlanta, Georgia
This urban treehouse cluster has been the subject of innumerable articles, TV shows, and best-of lists, including Airbnb’s “#1 most wish-listed property in the world.” Yep, the world. Plopped in the heart of Atlanta, the triumvirate of tree structures consists of three separate areas — Mind, Body, and Spirit — each connected by rope bridges. Watch the builder explain the treehouses on the Today Show.
“Mind” is a sitting room filled with antique furnishings and curios like pressed butterfly wings and fossils. Cozy up with a view from the 80-year-old windows. “Spirit” is a hammock deck immersed in the thick greenery and next to “Old Man,” a 165-year-old Southern Short-Leaf Pine tree — the largest of the seven trees that support the treehouses and watch over the guests.
Finally, “Body” is a bedroom for two with luxurious Parachute bedding and a wheelable bed, so you can slumber inside the room or out onto a platform that overlooks the stream below. There is a mattress warmer for cool nights, a big fan for summer, and a tin roof that makes for dreamy rainstorm sleeps. Image: The Atlanta Treehouses via Airbnb
Here, body, mind, and spirit converge. Image: The Atlanta Treehouses via Airbnb
Luxurious Secluded Romantic Treehouse
Old Fort, North Carolina
Another of Airbnb’s most wish-listed properties in North Carolina, this quiet and cozy home is surrounded by 14 acres of native laurel and abundant hardwoods. A quick walk along a well-lit path and over a swinging bridge brings you to an oasis in the woods. Fill your mornings with books and coffee to the tunes of songbirds. Then move to the hot tub below when it’s time for hot cocoa or wine. If you want to venture off-property, you’re 10 minutes from Black Mountain and 20 minutes from Asheville.
This treehouse has luxury bedding, an LED fireplace, wifi, heat/AC, a microwave, a cooktop, and a refrigerator. The large hot-water outdoor shower is perched on the deck overlooking the forest. Image: Luxurious Secluded Romantic Treehouse via Airbnb
This private tree cabin has a spacious interior and cozy deck. Image: Luxurious Secluded Romantic Treehouse via Airbnb
The Nest at Cypress Valley
Spicewood, Texas
About 30 miles west of Austin, Texas, is a peaceful, multi-story wonderland perched high in a canopy of trees. This treehouse system is an upcycled gem with many examples of “biomimicry,” like round rooms, green roofs, pallet walls, and slab tabletops.
All the wood is reclaimed or rescued, and the trinkets and furnishings throughout have been given new lives from other, less-cool places. Once you wake to the sound of birds, explore the creeks below, grill and dine alfresco, or take a dip in the small lake or pool. The area has many vineyards, art galleries, swimming holes, and Lake Travis water adventure.
With two bedrooms and lots of places to stretch out, there are quiet corners for reading or communal nooks for game nights. The full kitchen is nestled above the beautiful creek ravine. Image: Cypress Valley via Facebook
Book this as a launching point for an unforgettable Hill Country adventure, or stay up in the trees the entire time. Image: Oh Darling Let’s See The World via Cypress Valley on Facebook
Cliff Dweller
Campton, Kentucky
Part treehouse, part cliff house, this stay is absolutely not for the faint of heart or anyone scared of heights. Bolted to a cliff line in the stunning Red River Gorge of Kentucky, this stay is about as extreme and unique as it comes. After a taxing but worth-it journey up several hundred suspended stairs, you’ll find the first structure with a sitting area, kitchen, bathroom, and lofted queen bedroom. Climb the spiral staircase to the second suspended structure: another cozy queen bedroom with an under-cliff deck that overlooks the gorge. Check out this video to see for yourself:
“The rocks, the views, the adventure, the solitude. This has it all!” the listing says, and we’d agree. Image: Cliff Dweller via Airbnb
Tree Lofts 1 and 2
Beersheba Springs, Tennessee
The panoramic vista from these two new “tree lofts” is genuinely unmatched — especially this close to Nashville and Chattanooga. Bring all the sips and snacks you’ll need because you will never want to leave! Spend misty mornings in the hot tub and sun-streaked golden hour by the fire pit. Prepare some delicacies on the outdoor grill and get ready to totally disconnect from hectic life. These new properties have some of the most glowing reviews I’ve read of treehouses.
Tasteful decor and comfy furniture fill the tree lofts inside and out. Floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors bring nature into the main room. Image: Tree loft 2 via Airbnb
Tree Loft 1 has two bedrooms across two floors, plus many stylish, functional amenities. Image: Tree loft 1 via Airbnb
Toucan Treehouse
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
This treehouse is more of a multifaceted, mystical jungle experience. It sits on 250 private acres with a 10-acre jungle garden, a network of river canals, and five miles of nature trails. There are waterfalls, tropical pools, wisteria-laden bridges, boardwalks, pirate ships, working boats — even a teepee village and a “lost temple.” Just … look at the photos. We’re booking a trip to Arkansas ASAP.
Guests rave about how fun this property is to explore whether you’re 8 or 88. Image: Toucan Treehouse via Airbnb
Another guest says Toucan Treehouse is “40 feet in the air with all the amenities of a five-star hotel.” This pool is just one of many delightful corners to enjoy. Image: Toucan Treehouse via Airbnb
Let’s climb some trees (or at least climb the stairs to some treehouses) this year!
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