10 Vacation Homes That Bring Nature Inside
There are few better ways to improve your wellbeing than engaging with the beauty of the natural world, especially in the comfort of your own home. These vacation rentals across America engage with the surrounding landscape in surprising ways—from trees that cut through living spaces and sprawling green roofs, to perfectly framed views and even a psychedelic 70’s home that draws inspiration from organic forms.
Located in some of the country’s most spectacular wilderness locations—the forests in Washington state, the towering redwoods of Aptos, California, New York's Hudson Valley, and Joshua Tree National Park—these homes, cabins, and treehouses celebrate the power of biophilic design and architecture to connect us to the great outdoors.
A Treehouse That Offers a Romantic Escape From New York City
Located just a two-hour drive from New York City, this rentable cabin is perched amongst the treetops of a 14-acre property near Woodstock. Designed by Antony Gibbon Designs and built by William Johnson Construction using timber locally sourced in the Catskills, the 743-square-foot treehouse is conceived as an extension of the surrounding woods. It overlooks a natural swimming pond and features enormous glazed walls and windows that invite the leafy views inside.
Green roofs planted with no-maintenance grass are the crowning touch on this Hamptons getaway in Amagansett on Long Island. The home—which is clad in cedar and reclaimed cypress timber that blends into the natural surroundings—was designed by Scott Glass, cofounder of New York firm Guerin Glass Architects, and is available to rent for $75,000 for two weeks in summer months. The ground floor features sliding glass doors that open out to a spectacular sunken patio and a perfectly maintained lawn surrounding a swimming pool and lounge area shaded by mature oak trees.
Iconic Californian homewares brand Heath Ceramics embodies thoughtful craftsmanship thanks to the extraordinary vision of founder Edith Heath—and it's this approach that the company drew on when transforming a cozy 1973 cabin in the Bear Creek neighborhood of Lake Tahoe’s Alpine Meadows Valley into a year-round getaway. Designed by local architect Charles O. Matcham Jr., the interiors have been given a sleek makeover with a focus on handcrafted details, while existing details—such as the fireplace crafted from local rocks—bring tactile touches of the rugged wilderness inside.
Set amidst a forest in the Hudson Valley town of Coxsackie—just two hours from New York City—sits Gather Greene, a luxurious "glampsite" and events venue that balances indoor and outdoor living. The 17 timber-clad cabins are set on 100 acres, and each one features a fully glazed wall behind the bed that makes it feel as if you're sleeping in the forest. The site is also home to a 6,000-square-foot events pavilion enclosed by delicate timber latticework that offers a special location immersed in nature for weddings and other celebrations.
Treehouses don’t only make fun play spaces for kids—this collection of vacation rental treehouses, located at Treehouse Point in a beautiful forest along the Raging River in the Pacific Northwest, is beautifully crafted by builder Pete Nelson to exacting standards. Nelson has been designing and building treehouses in the Seattle area for decades, and his company Nelson Treehouses has grown into something of a treehouse empire. Treehouse Point is home to seven unique cabins perched high amongst the treetops and connected by timber walkways.
In the early 1970s, friends Dalton Bloom and Charles Harker created the Bloomhouse—now one of the world’s most unusual rental properties—in a woodland in Austin’s Westlake Hills neighborhood. The organic house seemingly sprouts from the forest floor, with spiralling forms that mimic the flow of the air and other natural shapes and patterns. As well as the natural world, Harker took inspiration from Cinderella’s castle and the Disney film "Fantasia." Inside, the twisting white forms, which are crafted from polyurethane foam and stucco, are complemented by carved timber details and nooks overflowing with greenery.
Airbnb has more than 5.6 million active listings worldwide—yet it’s a tiny geodesic cabin perched amongst treetops in Aptos, California, that has taken the title of most popular rental for more than a decade. The "Mushroom Dome Cabin" is owned by Kitty and Michael Mrache and is located in a secluded redwood forest on their 10-acre property. The cabin is rich in rustic charm and features a timber-clad geodesic roof structure with glazed sections that frame leafy views. There’s also a wrap-around deck that’s ideal for bird watching and stellar views of the Milky Way.
This pine cabin nestled in woods of white pine two hours east of Minneapolis is the perfect blend of quintessential woodland cabin and quirky, off-beat details—think a day-glo yellow handrail, color-changing neon lighting, an oversize stair. The cabin was designed and built by two friends, Danny Lindstrom and Duff Davidson, who took inspiration from classic cinema, Kanye West, James Turrell light installations, and the art scene of Marfa, Texas. It went viral on TikTok after the duo uploaded a playful tour of its less desirable features—including a "kind of pointless" deck, a queen-size bed that’s "not a king," and windows that open to "more nature—super original."
Cantilevered over a steep hillside in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park, House in the Trees is nestled between three enormous cedar trees—with a fourth tree that cuts directly through a bedroom and out through the roof. Designed by Simon Storey of Anonymous Architects, the interior is clad in timber and features reclaimed wormy chestnut timber floors that respond to the surrounding landscape. There’s even a bespoke timber bookcase that doubles as a stair leading to a hidden loft playroom.
Los Angeles-based artist Shawn Button has transformed a dilapidated 1959 cabin at the edge of Joshua Tree National Park into The Meltdown, a surreal desert getaway that immerses guests in the artist’s creative vision. Inspired by the otherworldly desert landscape of Joshua Tree, the conventional rectilinear cabin has been reimagined with arches and circular openings throughout, and the playful interiors feature hat-wearing cacti, vintage pink patio tiles, and Memphis-style furnishings.
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