From self-guided fall foliage tours to weekends at the lake, booking a secluded cabin is an easy way to avoid crowds this autumn.
Cabins today come in every incarnation imaginable, from traditional log designs to modern wonders, and in sizes ranging from palatial estates to one-room shacks located smack in the middle of a pond.
The cabins we bring you here, however, are anything but small. They are designed for groups of families and friends who want a luxury holiday that is as posh as a resort — but without all the people.
Most are also booked far in advance, which may be even more reason to start making autumn travel plans today.
A remote cabin in the middle of everything
Where: Telluride, Colorado
Average cost per night: $750
A cabin that is naturally social-distanced.
Courtesy of VRBO
This seemingly remote five-bedroom cabin is just over a mile from Telluride Ski Resort’s 2,000 acres of skiable terrain.
Autumn is quiet in Telluride. After summer visitors have departed, and before the ski season starts in mid-November, visitors can bike, fish and hike through the aspen forests surrounding the cabin. Nights are best for curling up next to the fireplace or soaking away in the hot tub. Golf is nearby too; the Telluride Ski & Golf Club is less than two miles down the road.
The Martha of the Midwest
Where: Pequot Lakes, Minnesota
Average cost per night: $750
This lakeside cabin has five bedrooms and a loft.
Courtesy of VRBO
Where Paul Bunyan meets Martha Stewart, this 5,100-square-foot log cabin sports vaulted ceilings, a spacious loft and an outdoor firepit. A large manicured lawn connects the property to Pelican Lake, where kayaks and a paddle boat can be launched from a sandy shoreline or 100-foot pier with connecting sundeck.
With interior décor that beautifully blends rock, wood and glass, the cabin maintains flawless reviews on VRBO — a full five out of five stars from all 70 reviewers.
A cabin to please all personalities
Where: Ellijay, Georgia
Average cost per night: $1,320
This cabin, called Lake Buckhorn Lodge, has a sports bar with pool table, shuffleboard and arcade-style video games.
Courtesy of VRBO
For a fall getaway for you and 29 of your closest friends, this 8,000-square-foot cabin with eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms is an entertainer’s dream.
Outdoor enthusiasts can kayak and swim in the lake out back well into the early autumn months, while late season travelers can pivot to hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. Sports lovers can hang out in the cabin’s full-size sports bar, while shoppers can explore the upscale stores, art galleries and wineries in the area.
Everyone can meet for meals in the dining room — it seats 22 — which spills into a covered “party porch” outdoors.
Rustic royalty in the Rockies
Where: Telluride, Colorado
Average cost per night: $7,000
Castlewood Manor is a ski-in ski-out cabin with an optional housekeeper.
Courtesy of VRBO
For larger groups, Castlewood Manor has seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, plus a billiards room, stone wine cellar, stadium-tiered movie theater and man-made grotto.
The rustic interior is heavy on antiques, leather, wrought iron and natural wood. A spiral staircase is supported by interwoven deer antlers, and bathrooms are adorned with barrel bathtubs reminiscent of those shown in old Western films. The character here is as large as the house itself — with a price tag to match.
A ski-in ski-out Scandinavian classic
Where: Vossestrand, Norway
Average cost per night: $547 (for a four-night stay)
Autumn visitors to this cabin can hunt, fish and explore the fjords of southern Norway.
Courtesy of Airbnb
This ski-in ski-out rural family cabin in Myrkdalen, the largest ski resort in western Norway, is indicative of classic Scandinavian décor. Its sleek and understated interior can accommodate 16 people. Only 1.5 bathrooms could cause issues for larger groups, but with a 4.91 rating on Airbnb, renters so far haven’t seemed to mind.
An artistic gem in Japan
Where: Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
Average cost per night: $307
This cabin is located between the beaches and mountains of Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost prefecture.
Courtesy of Airbnb
Japan is renowned for austere interior design which is what makes this stylish three-bedroom cabin — the smallest on our list — a surprise. Its bold colors and industrial décor are rare for Japanese cabins, as is its Okinawa location (others tend to be closer to Mount Fuji). Still, the classic A-frame architecture and an emphasis on natural wood give it a forested cabin feel, though in reality it’s but a short walk to the beach.
A luxury mountain hideaway in Australia
Where: Crackenback, New South Wales, Australia
Average cost per night: $1,270
This cabin in Crackenback, Australia has nine beds and fits 13 guests.
Courtesy of Airbnb
Australia may be known more for its surf than its snow, but several locations get enough powder to ski. This cabin is in the heart of one of those — the Snowy Mountains, located between Sydney and Melbourne — and has four bedrooms, two hydrotherapy bathtubs and heated bathroom floors.
The area is famous for outdoor activities. Skiing and snowboarding dominant from June to October, then give way to horseback riding, fishing, bushwalking and vineyard touring as the weather warms for Australia’s year-end summer.