Photo by Crystal Allbright
Lofthaven at Cypress Valley Canopy Tours, Lake Travis. The Lofthaven treehouse encircles ancient cypress trunk in this tree-lined ravine. Enjoy watching the sunset and listening to the creek from chairs on the wraparound porch before sleeping snugly in the canopy bed or hammock inside. A suspension bridge connects to a private bathhouse with a waterfallfilled tub. The property includes three other treehouses: Juniper, Willow and Nest. A night’s lodging includes a zipline tour along the creek.
La Posada Milagro
CYPRESSVALLEYCANOPYTOURS.COM
Ranch House, Galveston Island State Park. Built for hands at the old Stewart Ranch on the island's west end, the three-bedroom, two-bath house has a spacious living area with a fireplace and a shady deck. It also has a kitchen with microwave, refrigerator and stove and an outside grill. The 2,000-acre state park, the only piece of public land that still straddles the island, stretches from beach to bay with prairie in between. TPWD.TEXAS.GOV
Lighthouse Cabin, Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The Civilian Conservation Corps built three rock cabins on the wall of Palo Duro Canyon – the Lighthouse, Goodnight and Sorenson. All three overlook the dramatic landscape below—Palo Duro is the second largest canyon in the country—with the Lighthouse patio providing the best view and the most privacy. Each cabin sleeps four, with fireplaces, refrigerator and microwave, bathroom, plus outdoor picnic table and grill. Be sure to step outside at night for impressive starry skies.
Photo courtesy Perini Ranch
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Cibolo Lakeside houses overlook a tranquil lake reflecting the mountains
CIBOLOCREEKRANCH.COM
Perini Ranch Camp House, Abilene
TPWD.TEXAS.GOV Photo courtesy Perini Ranch
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Photo by Melissa Gaskill
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Cibolo Creek Ranch, Chinati Mountains. High-end guest rooms featuring fireplaces, tile floors, and rustic furnishings occupy El Fortin del Cibolo, an adobe fort built by rancher Milton Faver in the 1800s and restored by current owner John Poindexter in 1990. Rooms overlook either a spring-fed stream through a lush courtyard or a serene lake. Accommodations include three meals a day, served family style, and the ranch offers jeep tours, hiking, horseback riding, stargazing and more. Faver also built El Fortin de la Ciénega and El Fortin de la Morita, each now a secluded retreat deep in the 30,000 acres sprawling over the Chinati and Cienega mountains in far West Texas. Poindexter also restored grasslands on the property and reintroduced native wildlife, including bison.
The main room of Abilene's Perini Ranch