Rate: $240 to $320 per night
Glam Factor: 5 of 5
Any glamping destination can offer a night among the trees. Very few provide an evening up in them. On an isolated 100-acre property just south of Mohican State Forest in Northeast Ohio, owners Kevin and Laura Mooney have built one of the coolest treehouse villages in the country. It all started when Kevin read a book about arboreal architecture and decided to hire Pete Nelson, host of Animal Planet’s Treehouse Matters, to design a few of the dwellings. They were such a hit with renters that the couple continues to add a treehouse or two each year.
Their most recent build, The Silver Bullet, is a vintage Airstream trailer that has been hoisted into the canopy and wrapped with a deck. It features many of the luxuries (steam shower, granite countertops, record player with killer vinyl collection) you’d expect in a boutique hotel, but sitting on that elevated deck feels very woodsy. Birds sing all around you, and a strange beetle might drop in for a visit.
Other notable structures here include The Little Red Treehouse (a cross between a tiny barn and a church, featured on the Discovery Channel), El Castillo (a two-story octagon with walnut floors), and The Nest (a single round room with cathedral windows). Craftsmen from the surrounding Amish country constructed all of them, and it shows in the details. Custom hardware has been incorporated to ensure the oaks and maples supporting the rentals continue to thrive. These are treehouses, however, which means the spaces are tight and there’s some creaking when the wind blows the trees from side to side. The view of the forest from 25 feet up is worth it.
Most weekday guests here are glampers, but quite a few weddings take place in the property’s Grand Barn, so weekends are often booked with bridal parties. As long as the pandemic lingers, expect to make reservations months in advance. Just as they were in your childhood, treehouses are great places to hide. 23164 Vess Rd., Glenmont, Ohio, 740-599-9030, themohicans.net
While You’re There…
Eat: Dining options are limited in the isolated area, so you’ll want to pack most of your food. But the Copper Mug Bar & Grill (landollsmohicancastle.com/dine) in nearby Loudonville is a contemporary American standout in a bizarre, castle-like building.
Hike: Just 15 minutes from the treehouses, the Mohican Valley Trail (knoxcountyparks.org/trails) is a 4.5-mile walk that includes the longest covered bridge in Ohio.
Explore: Adventurous types will love Tree Frog Canopy Tours’ zipline course (treefrogcanopytours.com). For two-and-a-half hours, you rappel as high as 60 feet from the forest floor and navigate multiple sky bridges.