8 Cool Vacation Rentals in Pennsylvania

We’ve rounded up eight vacation rentals across the state where you and yours can spend a weekend soaking up the sun, viewing wildlife, hiking, learning about history, or, of course, just relaxing.

Even though summer is coming to an end, that doesn’t mean you can’t still book a vacation. After all, isn’t planning a vacation often just as fun as the vacation itself?

We’ve rounded up eight vacation rentals across the state where you and yours can spend a weekend soaking up the sun, viewing wildlife, hiking, learning about history, or, of course, just relaxing.

Take a look at these Pennsylvania vacation rentals and start looking forward to taking some time off.

Magical Treehouse, Mehoopany

This vacation rental, the aptly named “Magical Treehouse” in Mehoopany, rises 30 feet above the ground, allowing you to sleep among the treetops.

While you’ll be staying off the grid—you’re in the trees, after all—you’ll still have access to everything you need. The Airbnb provides a grill, cooking gear, a hot-water shower with basic toiletries, a wood-burning stove, a coffee pot, and even a phone signal.

Back on the forest floor, hammocks and a stone fire pit (with firewood provided) surround the property, allowing you to relax in multiple ways.

Mehoopany is just under an hour from Scranton.

Stabbur Cabin, Huntingdon

This stunning cabin is a replica of a historic farm structure in Norway. In the Scandinavian country, stabburs are buildings used to store grain and other foods. In Huntingdon, this stabbur is a comfortable cabin surrounded by hiking trails and a stream that can be used for kayaking.

What may be the very best part of the cabin is also quite Scandi—there’s a sauna for guest use.

The Stabbur Cabin, available to rent on Airbnb, is a little more than a half hour from State College.

Frank Lloyd Wright Homes – Polymath Park, Acme

Perhaps you’ve visited Fallingwater and admired the architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece on a tour of the unique home. You can’t stay at Fallingwater. But did you know that there are Frank Lloyd Wright homes where you can stay overnight, just under an hour from Pittsburgh?

At Polymath Park, there are four homes built in Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Usonian” style, meaning a simple but beautiful design with little ostentation. The Duncan house and the Mäntylä house are both Frank Lloyd Wright originals, while the Balter house and Blum house were designed by Wright’s apprentice Peter Berndston.

Polymath Park offers tours of all the homes, but staying overnight in any of them is a singular experience—you’re experiencing the house just as the architect intended.

Getaway in Elk Country, Driftwood

“Pennsylvania Elk Country” is so-named because it’s home to the largest free-roaming elk herd in the Northeast, with more than 1,400 elk making this part of north-central Pennsylvania their home.

This rental, available on Vrbo, is located in the heart of Elk Country, just six miles from the Elk Country Visitor Center. So if you’re an outdoors enthusiast wanting to see these majestic creatures, this is the place. You also can hike, bike, and fish in the immediate area surrounding the property, and at the end of a full day, you can return to your retreat with its full kitchen, wood-burning stove, and porch swings.

Bring your own herd, as well—the rental sleeps up to 12.

Rustic Yurt, Ohiopyle

This rental in Ohiopyle State Park is managed by an artist, and you can tell. The metal-roofed yurt, built around 1920, is rustic but with a notably funky design. Tall plants create a jungle-like atmosphere surrounding the yurt and the outdoor lounge area. The unique yurt is in a prime location near popular trails and activities in the state park.

However, note that this stay is definitely for those who have traveled to Ohiopyle to spend time in nature. The bathrooms are located in a nearby building, there are two single beds, and you won’t have the use of a kitchen. But if you’re here to kayak the Youghiogheny River, bike the Great Allegheny Passage, or hike the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, those amenities won’t be necessary for you anyway! 

The yurt is available to rent on Airbnb.

Chalet in Private Woods, Lebanon County

This chalet might make you feel like you’ve stepped into the French Alps. But you’re still in Pennsylvania—you’ve just snagged a weekend getaway on the remote Texter Mountain, roughly an hour and a half from Philadelphia.

You can enjoy an outdoor hot tub complete with a colorful light show that will light up the darkness after you watch the sunset from the patio. You could also build a roaring fire in the patio’s fireplace with provided firewood. When you’ve had your fill of fresh air and wildlife viewing, you can head back indoors, where the Vrbo rental is fully outfitted with a full kitchen and Wi-Fi.

Shawnee Lodge, Shawnee State Park

Most Pennsylvania state parks offer cabins and campsites for overnight lodging, but Shawnee State Park also has a site that’s rather unique: a house on an island in the middle of Shawnee Lake. (Don’t worry, you can reach the island with your car.)

The house, Shawnee Lodge, is two stories, sleeps eight guests, and has a modern kitchen so you can cook your own meals. 

Enjoy the view of Shawnee Lake relaxing on the lodge’s porch, and then experience it yourself by swimming at the state park’s beach or renting paddleboats or kayaks.

Rent the lodge, just ten miles west of Bedford, on ReserveAmerica.

Airstream Stay, Orrtanna

Have you ever wanted to stay in a classic Airstream? This rental, located on an old apple orchard, combines a caravan stay with modern luxuries like a fully-equipped kitchen, an outdoor space with grill and fire pit, and a private hot tub (which requires an extra fee). 

In case you want to visit Civil War battlefields or other historic sites, the town of Gettysburg is just five miles away. The Airstream is available to book on Vrbo.