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Cabins are the perfect antidote to digital-age malaise. With our collective nostalgia for simpler times, tapped-out travelers are increasingly drawn to cabins. There are currently more than 36,000 Airbnb cabin listings in the U.S., while hotel chains are reimagining the hospitality industry by acquiring cabin companies and boutique outdoor-centric basecamps.
From A-frame cabins with private hot tubs in upstate New York to mirrored prefabs in a Sitka spruce forest on the Oregon Coast—and not one, but two new getaways next to the Appalachian Trail—take a cozy, unplugged escape this summer in these hiking hotspots.
Prospect, Egremont, Massachusetts
To get to this hotel check-in, take a stroll through a white pine forest to the edge of a spectacular lake. Opened this spring amidst the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, Prospect looks like the origin story of cabin porn with its 49 Scandinavian-inspired cedar cabins tucked into a lush 30-acre revitalized lakefront. After a sumptuous breakfast on the restaurant’s waterfront porch, kayak or SUP on the lake, hit some balls on the tennis court, and cool off with a spiked slushie at the pool house.
You can walk out of Prospect and arrive at a beautiful trailhead in about five minutes. The 2.8-mile French Park Loop is a little-known jaunt with charming wooden bridges, chapel ruins, and paths dappled with buttercups, trout lily, and wild geranium.
Also nearby, find a 3.3-mile route along the AT, the bird-lover’s Alford Springs Reserve with its 4.3-mile Father loop and 2.4-mile Mother loop, and Monument Mountain, which Herman Melville and Nathanial Hawthorne once hiked together in 1850. Rooms from $175/night in summer.
Along the 363-mile public stretch of Oregon coastline, gorgeous vistas are as ubiquitous as local marionberries. But finding a view all your own, one you can get lost in forever—or, at the very least, a long weekend—can feel impossible. That is until winter 2025, when Two Capes Lookout opened with 15 geodesic domes and four mirrored cabins tucked into a Sitka spruce forest. Anna and Kevin Gindlesperger, the co-founders and Pacific City locals, set out to create an eco-friendly haven with a sense of harmony between the modernist organic architecture and deeply cherished natural environment.
The property covers 58 acres, complete with a waterfall, wildflowers and more than 40 acres of undeveloped wetlands and old-growth sanctuaries. Located two hours southwest of Portland, Two Capes is next door to some of the most stunning offbeat hikes that capture the wild essence of the Oregon Coast. One mile down Sandlake Road is the 3.4-mile Sitka Sedge loop, which takes you along a coastal estuary, through pine forests and out to a white sand beach.
A 14-minute drive from Two Capes, the 4.7-mile out-and-back on Cape Lookout offers dramatic coastal panorama that belongs in the canon of western hikes. Refuel with challah French toast with marionberry-apple compote at The Grateful Bread in Pacific City, an eight-minute drive from Two Capes Lookout. With energy left to burn, get out on the water to kayak the Nestucca River with Nestucca Adventures or cruise for Dungeness crab with Pacific City Fishing.
At day’s end, enjoy the sunset with s’mores around a communal firepit, likely with a mix of Portlanders and out-of-towners, followed by stargazing from bed. And your stay’s doing some good: Through its community impact program, Two Capes donates $1 per night stay to the local environmental nonprofit Nestucca, Neskowin & Sand Lake Watershed Council. From $275/night for geodesic domes and $346/night for mirrored cabins in summer.
An hour and 20 minute-drive northwest of Denver (or 2.5 hours via Amtrak), the A Frame Club has a honeycomb cluster of 31 standalone modern cabins with 28-foot ceilings, original Hunter Thompson photographs, wood-burning fireplaces, and private outdoor onsen-style soaking tubs—brand new for this summer. Just over a quarter-mile from the base of Winter Park Ski Resort, the 3-acre dog-friendly property is close to several beloved hiking trails, including Rogers Pass, Tipperary Creek, and Jim Creek Falls, where you can spot moose and A Frame Chef Yoni Kolel.
“I really enjoy Jim Creek because it gets you into the forest almost immediately,” said Chef Kolel of the 7.5-mile hike. “You can set out and be back to your car within four hours, giving you enough time to disconnect, see some wildflowers, waterfalls and wildlife.”
Another favorite local hike, Devil’s Thumb Pass, has 2,300 feet of elevation gain and spectacular views of the Continental Divide. After a day on the trail, enjoy the A Frame Club’s new sauna and cold plunge, then swing into the historic saloon for dirty martinis and truffle aioli fries, basking in the alpenglow in one of the coolest places in Colorado. From $219/night in summer.
Nestled away between Finger Lakes wine country and Lake Ontario, Maxam Hotels has five modern “A-Frame treehouses” and, this summer, will debut five villas, one tiny home, and two Airstreams alongside luxury tents. The brainchild of Darrel and Patrice Maxam, who grew up in nearby Lyons, the property is a romantic launchpad for outdoor enthusiasts. Included in your stay are firepits, s’mores kits, and a picturesque on-site 1.5-mile trail.
Hang with the resident herd of 28 rare Meishan pigs, lounge in the clubhouse, or go for a spin on Maxam’s complimentary beach cruisers. What’s to come? Darrel Maxam is planning for a 5-acre on-site garden, where he can harvest food to donate to low-income communities.
“We have 48 acres, but we’re only developing 20 percent of it. We see the value in protecting the land,” said Maxam, who has turned down offers to clear trees.
The 2.9-mile Chimney Bluffs Trail is a short yet spectacular hike just a 10-minute drive away on the glacier-sculpted bluffs of Lake Ontario. Geological marvels such as tall, spire-like cliffs treat hikers along Chimney Bluffs. Rooms from $185/night in summer.
With the AT just a few hundred yards from your mountainside cabin, the Hemlocks is your best new excuse to sample the southern section of the world’s longest hiking-only footpath. The hotel’s one- and two-bedroom cabins—including two ADA-friendly units—have a kitchenette, washer and dryer, and a lounge area with a modern gas fireplace, plus Pisgah Coffee and peaceful private decks with luxuriant views of Nantahala National Forest.
Beyond the AT, a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park should be on visitors’ agenda. Looking for a swim? Trade in your boots for a SUP board at the Fingerlake section of Fontana Lake, or go whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River. Thrill-seeking adventurers will enjoy ziplining at Nantahala Outdoor Center’s adventure park or mountain biking at Flint Ridge. Back at the Hemlocks, unwind around a community firepit where shared stories of adventure will commingle with the crackling air. Rooms from $250/night in summer.
