If you’re planning your next trip and looking to surround yourself with nature, try staying in one of these treehouses located in Northern California.
Trinidad Treehouse
A beautiful treehouse is located in Trinidad, California, surrounded by redwoods just off the coast in Humboldt County. It’s built on top of an old-growth redwood stump left over when the property was logged in the 1880s.“As soon as you start up the pathway to walk to the treehouse, you are in a forest, and you are walking past 1,500-year-old stumps and mushrooms, and it’s very wild and native,” Danielle Ferguson, an architect and owner of the treehouse with her husband, told The Epoch Times, “It’s a very forest-embracing space. ... It’s very peaceful.”
The treehouse loft is about 100 square feet with a queen-sized bed, a half bath, and small kitchenette.
Ferguson’s husband did the tile work inside the treehouse in the color of the moss that grows on the redwood stumps.
She said they built the treehouse mostly with repurposed materials. The windows and door came from a local oceanfront house that was being redesigned and has custom cabinets built by a local craftsman.
They used scraps left over from a mill for the railings and the privacy fence.
“The stairs to the tree house are wrapped with red and black huckleberry bushes, so as you walk up the stairs to the tree house, when you’re here in the fall, you can just be eating huckleberries,” she said.
Courtesy of Trinidad Treehouse
Courtesy of Trinidad Treehouse
Near the treehouse is another large stump, which was burned out in a fire after it was logged, that they turned into a large outdoor shower that can fit two people comfortably, or up to five or six people total.
Ferguson said it was probably one of the biggest trees on their property when it was alive.
“You very much feel the forest when you shower in there. It’s very invigorating,” she said. “A lot of times the fog will come in and kind of get all misty and it’s pretty epic. It’s beautiful, very rejuvenating.”
Courtesy of Trinidad Treehouse
Redwood National and State Parks are a 20-minute drive north where you’ll find old-growth redwoods and lagoons, and to the south is Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Avenue of the Giants.
The treehouse is about a quarter mile from the ocean, Ferguson said, and you can hear the waves from the property.
She said the ocean is very much a part of the community in the town of Trinidad, and in the summer months, they run fishing charters for ocean fishing, while in the winter time, there’s a commercial crab fleet that fishes out of Trinidad Harbor.
“Northern Humboldt is just a really special place. The ocean is magical and Trinidad’s a great little town, if you’re into nature and outdoors, the tree house is just a great jumping-off point,” she said. “If you want to hike, mountain bike, explore the ocean or the trees or lagoons or fish the rivers, Humboldt County has everything you need for your outdoor adventure.”
She said her location sits at about 400 feet elevation in a little microclimate, and it will often be sunny when other parts of the North Coast is softened with fog.
Courtesy of Trinidad Treehouse
Ferguson said it’s a great place to visit anytime of the year, even the winter time.
“If you like a good storm and like to be cozy, then the winter months are pretty awesome,” she said. “You can be out there bundled up in the tree house listening to the rain under the skylights, so that’s kind of cool.”
She added that when it’s really stormy, the ocean gets 30- to 40-foot waves, and “it’s pretty awesome to watch.”
Ferguson said they have a lot of wildlife on the property, including birds, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, and black bears, but they’ve never posed any harm. She said the bears just eat the plums and apples on the other side of the property.
They have a seasonal creek that runs through the property, usually December through April, and she said they have a little bridge that leads through the forest to a platform suspended in the redwood trees that people can visit.
Courtesy of Trinidad Treehouse
Since Ferguson is an architect and her husband a general contractor, they had a construction company together—but in 2019, her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
They realized that he wasn’t going to be able to continue to work, so they pivoted and turned their children’s tree house and a studio into vacation rentals so that they could generate income.
Ferguson said they turned the Parkinson’s diagnosis into a positive situation and retired from the construction business. Now, running the vacation rentals has given them the opportunity to step back and relax and enjoy life more, and even do more traveling.
Magical Treehouse
Located in Los Gatos, California, nestled in a cathedral of old-growth redwoods on 72 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is a one-of-a-kind 300-square-foot treehouse.The listing on Airbnb says it’s for quiet, nature loving adventurers and is close to several hiking trails.
George Rabe, the owner of the treehouse, said it gives a wonderful feeling of being surrounded by nature.
“This is why we call it the Magical Treehouse,” he said.
Courtesy of Magical Treehouse
The treehouse features lofty ceilings and solar string lights. An oak spiral staircase leads upstairs to the “nest,” with a queen-sized bed. The family room downstairs has a queen futon and ottoman, a small library of books, and a half bathroom.
Also downstairs is a tiny patio with a bistro dining set overlooking a pond and a meadow.
There is a mini fridge but no kitchen or cooking allowed, including camp stoves and BBQs, so food and snacks have to be brought in.
Rabe said that just a short walk away from the treehouse is an outdoor vintage clawfoot bathtub with a shower inside a redwood enclosure, which overlooks a babbling creek and redwood forest-covered canyon and is fed by unlimited pure water from the natural spring on the property.
Courtesy of Magical Treehouse
Wildlife sightings have included deer, red tail hawk, owls (heard at night especially), cute little blue-belly lizards, turkey, and wild peacocks, among many other more shy animals such as foxes, turtles, and rarely bobcats.
The treehouse is close to Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz, including the state parks Big Basin and Henry Cowell. An hour’s drive north is San Francisco, and an hour south is Monterey.
Courtesy of Magical Treehouse
Rabe is an architect, artist, and contractor, and all his skills are reflected in the treehouse. He said he used many beautiful antique windows and doors obtained from Habitat for Humanity and Craigslist, along with other donations.
He said the solid oak spiral staircase was a donation from a contractor friend who was remodeling a house nearby. Since his friend knew Rabe was building a treehouse, he saved it for him, because the owner had planned to throw it in the landfill.
“I borrowed some friends and a large car trailer and picked it up. It took five strong men to lift it. The treehouse was literally built around the staircase!” he said.
Courtesy of Magical Treehouse
Pinecone Treehouse
Located in Santa Cruz, California, suspended between five giant redwood trees, is a 5 1/2 ton steel and wood geodesic pinecone treehouse. It’s made from 56 laser-cut welded steel diamond forms, wood window frames, and plexiglass windows.
Courtesy of Pinecone Treehouse
The one-bedroom pinecone treehouse is 22 feet high by 14 feet in diameter, hanging more than 30 feet off the ground on the uphill side and 50 feet off the ground on the downhill side. Near the steps up to the treehouse is a wooden catwalk that leads to a hand-crafted off-grid bathroom.
“The Pinecone tree house evokes a sense of wonder, connection, and serenity,” Dustin Feider, founder and designer at O2 Treehouse, told The Epoch Times in an email, “It’s designed to harmonize with nature, offering a playful yet grounding experience that sparks curiosity and imagination.”
Courtesy of Pinecone Treehouse
The treehouse was originally commissioned for the purposes of an advertisement campaign, and the builder, the company O2 Treehouse, was given nearly full creative autonomy to build the treehouse of their dreams. With the intention to rent the structure upon fulfillment of the commercial obligations, O2 Treehouse partially underwrote the budget of the structure to ensure there would be no compromise in the artistic vision.
Feider said that the pinecone was inspired by the intricate geometry and beauty of natural forms.
Courtesy of Pinecone Treehouse
“It reflects the Fibonacci sequence, which is often found in nature, and aims to create a structure that feels organic yet modern, merging functionality with the timeless elegance of nature,” said Feider.
Feider said that guests often describe staying in the treehouse as transformative.
“A couple once shared how spending a weekend there rekindled their sense of awe and deepened their connection, not just to each other but to the forest itself,” said Feider, “It’s amazing to hear how a design meant to blend with nature can inspire such profound personal experiences.”
Courtesy of Pinecone Treehouse
Feider said one of the most epic moments of his career came during the final hours of assembling the treehouse.
He said the project was a massive challenge, and the team was given only two months to complete the structure while balancing other ongoing projects.
He said that by 1 a.m. on the morning of the final deadline, they were still working on the bottom side of the structure, with one particularly stubborn diamond cell refusing to fit into place.
Courtesy of Pinecone Treehouse
Exhausted and facing defeat, he said the team decided to take a short break to regroup and strategize, opting to approach the assembly differently, working counterclockwise to piece the final cells together.
Through sheer determination and hours of strenuous effort, he said they managed to make it back to the problematic cell, and for two intense hours they used every tool at their disposal—ratchet straps, spud wrenches, sledgehammers, and giant structural C-clamps—to convince that final piece to fit.
“When it finally came together, it was an incredible triumph,” he said.
Later that morning, as the film crew arrived, they raised the pinecone into its final position, he said, “It was a moment of profound relief and pride, knowing that after countless parallel processes and attention to detail, the Pinecone had come to life.”
“This experience will always stand out as one of the most memorable and rewarding moments of my career.”
Courtesy of Pinecone Treehouse
Sanctuary Treehouse
Located in Cobb, California, is the Sanctuary Treehouse. The off-grid treehouse in Lake County sits between two huge Douglas fir trees and gives its guests beautiful views of nearby Cobb Creek.
Courtesy of Sanctuary Treehouse
The website says it’s equipped with a queen bed, a screened-in porch, bar seating for two, and a small outdoor deck. The listing for the rental space says the birds-eye views are stunning, and this is an incredible spot for quiet reflection, connection with nature, or for special time with a loved one.
Since the treehouse is off-grid, the space has battery-operated lights to light up the area and a charger for visitors’ devices.
The treehouse itself is at the top of the properties’ forested knoll in which the listing says is “one of the sacred spaces on this property.”
Courtesy of Sanctuary Treehouse
Guests can take a walk down to the creek or walk down the knoll to swim in the spring-fed pools.
A nearby campground is where guests can use the bathroom, which is a short walk away.
Courtesy of Sanctuary Treehouse
Forest Camping Hut
Located five miles from the town of Elk, California, is a private forest camping hut nestled among the redwoods a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. The Airbnb listing describes it as rustic yet designed with comfort in mind.
Courtesy of Forest Camping Hut
The camping hut is fenced off with a dedicated outdoor area for guests’ private use, and visitors are free to explore the surrounding property’s forest and paths.
The space is equipped with a queen bed, a private outdoor hot shower and bath, outdoor sink, small gas stove burner just for tea and coffee, a small cafe table, books and games, a music player, gas heating, and a modern composting toilet.
Courtesy of Forest Camping Hut
Courtesy of Forest Camping Hut
The listing says there is no kitchen for cooking due to the many forest animals and insects that it tends to attract, but plates and utensils are supplied, as well as a sink to clean up, so guests can bring their own take-out and snacks.
The hut is just a short coastal drive away from historic Mendocino where you’ll find restaurants, cafes, markets, book stores, and other shops.
Courtesy of Forest Camping Hut
Courtesy of Forest Camping Hut
This listing says, “This is a place for you to disconnect and reconnect with the surroundings. To unplug and decompress from busy life.”
It suggests guests arrive before sunset, as the forest gets very dark at night, and to bring a flashlight if you will be arriving late or after dark.
Also there is no wifi or cell services, but in case of an emergency, the host has a phone guests can use.
Courtesy of Forest Camping Hut
Courtesy of Forest Camping Hut
A Yurt to Get Away and Relax
In Los Gatos, California, a yurt sits on top of a deck built around a giant Douglas fir tree on a mountainside about 12 feet off the ground.While technically not a treehouse, the yurt is an elevated living space surrounded by trees and measures 16 feet by 16 feet, providing enough space for couples, friends, and family.
The Airbnb listing says it’s a place to get away and recharge.
Courtesy of May
For people looking to reconnect with nature, there are nature trails onsite, and the Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve is down the road.
The secluded yurt has views of San Francisco Bay and Silicon Valley 2,800 feet below, with the Apple building and Moffett airfield clearly visible.
Enjoy the lovely setting of this romantic spot in nature, says the rental listing.
Courtesy of May
Courtesy of May
Some of the luxury glamping accommodations on the listing for the space includes a free well-stocked pantry with basic foods, canned goods, pasta, coffee, tea, snacks, and farm fresh rainbow-colored eggs from free ranging hens onsite.
They also provide a free full bar with mixers, beer, wine, and soft drinks.
The couch converts to a full-size bed and WiFi is provided, but being a rural property there are occasional service issues.
Other amenities include a small refrigerator, freezer with ice maker, TV, compact convection oven, highchair, microwave, coffee maker, crockpot, electric fans, rechargeable cordless wand vacuum, ceramic heater, and gas firepit.
Courtesy of May
