Cabins & Cottages

Find the Texas Vacation HotSpots with the Cutest Cabins or Glamping

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you’ve probably heard of the concept of “glamping” before. It’s a portmanteau of glamour and camping, and covers a newer niche in vacation options in Texas. More and more landowners are setting up cabins or cottages on their vacant land and creating a travel destination that tourists can enjoy as they escape the urban grind and take in the Texas countryside.

With so many cabin and cottage destinations across the state, it can be daunting to find the best options for your next family vacation. Lucky for you, we’ll be covering the top six glamping destinations in the Lone Star State!

Read also: A Summer Guide Through the Texas Hill Country

Skybox Cabins

Glen Rose – official website

We kick off our list with Skybox Cabins in Glen Rose, just a short drive southwest of the Metroplex. This beautiful resort offers five different accommodations, each with their own unique style. One of the most popular is the Birdhouse, which offers a luxury treehouse experience. Here’s a blogger review of the Birdhouse from TravelAwaits:

“The rustic Birdhouse offers countless views from the bedroom balcony along with modern amenities. Your adventure starts as you climb the stairs to a platform in a tree nearby, then walk the cable bridge into the second-floor bedroom. You’ll find a kitchenette and bathroom down the cedar stairway to the main floor. You’ll find yourself in the trees with the birds, plus wild turkeys, deer, jackrabbits, horses, and some cows visit as well.”

If you’re looking for a beautiful escape from the hustle and bustle of the DFW Metroplex, a quick trip to Skybox Cabins might be the perfect fit!

Geronimo Creek Retreat

Seguin – official website

Much like Skybox Cabins, Geronimo Creek Retreat offers a variety of lodging options. Guests can choose to say in elevated getaway cabins, spacious treehouses, elegant teepees, or the luxurious guest house, all of which are conveniently located next to the beautiful, spring-fed Geronimo Creek. DallasSites101 summed up their experience at Geronimo Creek Retreat by saying this:

“We like the tree-houses best – they can fit up to eight people and have quick access to Geronimo Creek where guests have 24-hour access to the kayaks and paddle boards. Should the group decide to stay-in for the night, you can challenge your friends to a game of fooseball or shuffleboard, or just hang out and have drinks by the fire pit. If the group is going out, Schlitterbahn is a 24 minute drive and Gruene Hall is a 30 minute drive.”

For a luxurious creekside vacation near San Antonio and within a few hours drive of Houston, you could do a lot worse for yourself than Geronimo Creek Resort.

El Cosmico

Marfa – official website

If you’ve looked into glamping options in West Texas at all, you’ve undoubtedly seen El Cosmico. Calling itself a Bohemian Nomadic West Texas Hotel, El Cosmico has become one of the top destinations in the entire region. It offers yurts, teepees, safari tents, trailers and more and creates a uniquely eclectic environment for those venturing out to Big Bend National Park or hoping to catch the Marfa Lights. The Salty Canary travel blog site explains the experience of staying in El Cosmico this way:

“I really like the place! It’s unique! It’s cute! It’s fun! I mean, c’mon, Beyonce stayed here! I can see how it could be an awesome place to stay a few nights with friends – hang out in the hammocks, have some Lone Star beers around the campfire at night, etc. It would be an awesome spot for a Bachelorette Weekend for a group of girls from Austin, Texas!”

One thing to be aware of with El Cosmico, though, is that WiFi isn’t available. This can be a real selling point for those looking to unplug from technology for a bit, but can also create some issues if you’d expected a fully tech-accessible glamping experience. Either way, El Cosmico is perfect for those looking for a quirky, hipster type of experience in the middle of West Texas.

Cypress Valley Resort

Spicewood – official website

Looking to get a little bit of a break from the Austin rush hour traffic and want to spend some time in a luxury treehouse? That’s exactly what Cypress Valley Resort can offer! Located in Spicewood, just a short drive from Austin (and San Antonio, for that matter). Spend your weekend in a glamorous treehouse built into an ancient cypress tree overlooking the ravine and cross over into your elegant lodging on an elevated rope bridge. Dallas Wanderer summed up the experience as such:

“If you are looking for a treehouse adventure in Texas, this is the place to go! Cypress Valley offers unique and absolutely charming treehouses right in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Including incredible Lofhaven, an aerial yurt connected through a suspension bridge to a bathhouse featuring a waterfall tub – can you imagine that?! The property offers a canopy course, a lakeside pool, a spring-fed creek and pond, and hammocks for the ultimate chill-out experience under the stars.”

Something this cool is basically a perfect combination of Park Avenue and George of the Jungle, but done up with beautiful Texas Hill Country style and sophistication. Put Cypress Valley Resort on your to-do list and then make plans to check it off as quickly as possible!

Basecamp Terlingua

Terlingua – official website

Want to take in the night sky from the comfort of your own luxury space? Then Basecamp Terlingua is the West Texas spot for you. While many of the other properties listed on this blog have unique luxury appeal, Basecamp Terlingua is unique in offering 1 and 2-bed “bubbles” that bring luxury and convenience face-to-face with the majesty of the open sky near Big Bend.

Feel like the bubble concept might not be for you? Don’t worry! They also have casitas, tipis, lotus tents, and campsites. Travel blogger Karaboutlife gave these notes on her experience staying in one of the tipis at Basecamp Terlingua:

“Located just 8-miles outside of the northwestern entrance to Big Bend, the site of six teepees, a bath bathhouse, two adobe-style, and two bubble houses blended seamlessly with the desert landscape. Having not viewed the photos posted on Airbnb, I was blown away upon entering the teepee. It was bright, spacious, and luxurious and had a southwestern/boho style that looked straight from Pinterest! The room featured a king-size bed, nightstands with lamps, a sofa bed, chairs, a kitchenette, an evaporative cooler and heater, and wifi. …Overall, I would rate Basecamp Terlingua 9.5/10 stars and would highly recommend this place to anyone looking to stay near Big Bend.”

If you’re looking for the raw beauty of the desert landscape around Big Bend but aren’t interested in the “roughin’ it” style of camping that many in the area opt for, Basecamp Terlingua seems like it’s right up your alley.

Savannah’s Meadow

Celeste – official website

The Savannah’s Meadow website invites you to “connect with your inner explorer,” and that’s exactly what they help you to do. This quaint little escape in the northeast corner of the state offers three different accommodation options, two of which are luxury treehouses. In both treehouses, the limbs and/or trunk of ancient oak trees run through the interior of the space. TripsToDiscover put it this way:

“Staying at Savannah’s Meadow is like living in a fairytale. Described as a “treehouse bed and breakfast,” Savannah’s Meadow is so beautiful that it regularly hosts weddings here. Take a stroll through the lavender fields before retiring to your treehouse situated among the oak trees. There are two treehouses here and a trailer to rent as well. The treehouses can accommodate multiple guests. The Majestic Oak Treehouse is a magnificent, multi-story structure built around a living oak tree, with its limbs running throughout the space.”

Conclusion: if you want an escape from the world that takes you to a luxurious, yet simpler, place and time, consider Savannah’s Meadow as an option for your next vacation.

Whether you’re looking for a glamorous treehouse experience or prefer a nighttime sky view that can’t be rivaled, these cabins, cottages, treehouses and glamping experiences are sure to give you an opportunity to reconnect with nature without sacrificing modern comforts. Now, it’s time to pick a destination, pack up the car or truck, and head out there!