10 Charming California Cabins for a Nature Retreat

California, with its nine national parks and varied landscapes that include beaches, mountains, and deserts all within a few hours’ drive, is one of the best places to connect with nature. You don’t need to be an outdoor enthusiast to enjoy the great outdoors. For those who prefer comfort over camping, we’ve curated a list of 10 of our favorite cabin rentals in California, available through Airbnb, hotels, or glamping resorts. Whether you're planning a romantic escape to Joshua Tree, a family road trip along the Santa Barbara coast, or a group ski adventure in the High Sierras of Northern California, there’s a perfect spot waiting for you.

Desolation Hotel Hope Valley

Desolation Hotel Hope Valley is a nearly century-old, 165-acre mountain retreat that reopened in 2020 following a comprehensive renovation. This latest version is managed by the team behind the stylish Desolation Hotel Lake Tahoe, extending their wilderness lodging vision to this location in the Sierra Nevadas, about a 20-minute drive south of South Lake Tahoe. The Hope Valley site features a delightful blend of standalone, newly refurbished cabins, alongside newly constructed yurts, a vintage Spartan trailer, and RV and tent campsites. The 28 cabins boast a warm, modern Scandinavian design complete with full kitchens, accommodating between one and eight guests depending on the layout. Visitors will feel secluded in their own serene woodland retreat, while still being close to Tahoe's premier ski resorts, alpine lakes, and dining options.

For dining on-site (aside from cooking at your cabin or campsite), there's the restaurant Sorensen’s, which offers a spacious outdoor patio and serves classic American dishes like king salmon and burgers, complemented by refreshing cocktails.

Whimsy Homes Tree Castle

Located approximately 150 miles northeast of San Francisco in Stanislaus National Forest, the quaint town of Arnold hosts Calaveras Big Trees State Park, home to two groves of magnificent sequoias. Opened in late 2023, the Whimsy Homes Tree Castle is a vibrant Airbnb just a five-minute drive from Arnold’s main street.

Moving away from standard rustic cabin aesthetics, this lively home embraces a fun retro atmosphere with features like ABBA-themed wallpaper, a colorful shag rug, and teal kitchen appliances. It accommodates up to nine guests across two bedrooms, each with a queen bed, plus a loft with a bunk bed and a pull-out sofa. Don’t forget your swimsuit—the cedar hot tub located on the lower deck provides stunning forest views. This family-friendly Airbnb also includes a Guava Travel Crib, safety gate, children’s books, kids’ dinnerware, and a high chair. Dogs are welcome as well.

The Rum Runner Modern Homestead Cabin

Featuring barn wood and beautifully rusted metal accents, this one-bedroom Airbnb opened in 2021, just a 15-minute drive from the entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. The experience here highlights the breathtaking views of the surrounding desert. Inside, local artist Ana Digiallonardo has captured these vistas in a minimalist mural, while a retractable glass wall in the sunroom frames the high desert landscape like an 8-by-20-foot piece of art. The decor blends a luxurious king-size Tuft and Needle bed with Parachute linens, industrial-style fixtures, and a vintage chesterfield couch that promises relaxation after a day on the trails. From the six-person hot tub or the stargazing bed, you can enjoy the absence of light pollution and marvel at the expansive Milky Way. The side-by-side “cowboy tubs” are perfect for watching sunsets or spotting coyotes and jackrabbits.

Constellation Creek

Nestled in a serene corner of the Sierra Nevadas, just 30 minutes north of Truckee, lies Constellation Creek, a family-run collection of six cabins available for booking on Airbnb. For many years, this site was a favored retreat for anglers but fell into disrepair until owners Georgie and Sebastian took charge and meticulously restored the property. Now, guests can enjoy clean, refurbished log cabins that accommodate two to six guests, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, and porch. Thoughtful details like vinyl record players (reflecting the owners’ passion for music), local snacks and coffee, and ample blankets add a cozy touch to the experience.

With limited cell phone reception and no TVs in the rooms, guests are encouraged to disconnect—something made easy by the tranquil creek and the forest, which features hidden hammocks and Adirondack chairs. As the name implies, the stars shine brightly here. Yet, it’s the warm hospitality that brings us back time and again—whether it's your first visit or your fifth, hosts Georgie and Sebastian, along with their daughter Birdie and dog Blue, will likely welcome you like an old friend.

El Capitan Canyon

Located just a short drive up the coast from Los Angeles, El Capitan Canyon is enveloped by 350 acres of oak and sycamore trees, yet only 20 minutes from downtown Santa Barbara. The Cedar Cabins, complete with en suite bathrooms, provide space for multigenerational families or groups of up to seven, allowing for private areas while still gathering around a shared firepit. Enjoy the fun at nearby El Capitan Beach, visit the llamas and goats at the on-site farm, and roast marshmallows as night falls. The property also features a swimming pool and live music on summer weekends, while the market store offers everything from wine to barbecue kits.

Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite

In 2019, Tenaya Lodge introduced the Explorer Cabins, featuring 50 two-bedroom cabins designed for larger groups of up to six guests. Each cabin boasts a living room with a sleeper sofa and fireplace, a partial kitchen (including a fridge, microwave, and sink), and a private deck. Some cabins offer bunk beds, and several are pet-friendly. They are located about half a mile from the main Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, which has 353 rooms and is near the South Gate of Yosemite.

Guests staying in the Explorer Cabin complex enjoy full access to the main lodge, including its restaurant, spa services, and both outdoor and indoor pools—the latter being especially valuable during winter visits. Explorer Cabin guests also benefit from exclusive access to the Explorer Clubhouse, which hosts a complimentary wine hour at 5 p.m. and provides s’mores kits from 6 to 9 p.m. each evening. For late-night cravings, a grab-and-go selection of snacks, beer, and beverages is available 24/7 through a scan-and-pay system.

The A-Frame Apogee

Located at Arrowbear Lake, which sits between Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear—both favored year-round retreats for Angelenos—this two-bedroom A-frame Airbnb was originally constructed in 1964 and fully renovated in 2023. It comfortably accommodates up to four guests with two queen beds, one in a downstairs bedroom and another in an upstairs sleeping loft. After a day of skiing or hiking, unwind in the five-person Jacuzzi, heated to a cozy 101 degrees year-round, or relax by the 1960s Malm gas fireplace in the living room.

AutoCamp Yosemite

While AutoCamp is famed for its stylish Airstream accommodations, its glamping site located about an hour from Yosemite Valley also offers three traditional pitched-roof pine cabins. Each cabin is equipped with a porch swing, firepit, grill, and outdoor dining table. Inside, they can accommodate up to five guests with a memory foam queen bed, twin bunk beds, and a pull-out sofa. Amenities include a galley-style kitchenette, a bathroom with a walk-in shower, and a dining area in the living room. The property boasts a central clubhouse where guests can grab a bite or stock up on cooking essentials, plus a heated pool.

Hilton has recently announced a new partnership with AutoCamp that will provide Hilton Honors members with exclusive benefits and opportunities to earn and redeem points for upcoming stays.

Flying Flags

Location: Buellton

Flying Flags combines an RV campground with a glamping resort in the Santa Ynez Valley, just a 45-minute drive from downtown Santa Barbara. It features canvas tents and Airstreams, but its one-bedroom cabins and cottages are perfect for groups of up to four to relax and unwind. With various layouts available, most cabins include a living area, kitchenette, bathroom, a queen-size bed in the bedroom, and two twin beds in either a loft or bunk setup in the hallway.

Dine at a table on the deck, with some cabins also offering a private firepit. If you can get the kids to leave the on-site swimming pool, explore the charming Danish village of Solvang; taste craft beers at Firestone Walker in Buellton; and don’t forget to visit Full of Life Flatbread in quaint Los Alamos for their delicious mushroom and caramelized onion pies, just a 20-minute drive away.

Post Ranch Inn

Nestled on a cliff 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur, Post Ranch Inn boasts the most opulent cabin rentals in California. Alongside cliff-side suites, renowned architect Mickey Muennig designed the retreat’s tree house cabins, crafted from recycled wood to harmonize with the Santa Lucia Mountains. Elevated nine feet off the ground, each stand-alone cabin features a wood-burning fireplace and a spacious skylight above the king-size bed, perfectly positioned for stargazing. When you’re not unwinding in your tree house, visit the spa for a reflexology treatment or explore the nearby forests on a private guided hike or meditation session.

Reporting contributed by Jessie Beck, Michelle Baran, Nicholas DeRenzo, Kathryn Romeyn, and Tanvi Chheda. This story was first published in 2022 and was last updated with new information on March 29, 2024.