The Best Places To Try Tiny House Travel

Looking for something simple and new for your next vacation?

How about a tiny home?

While they are all the rage right now for those looking to downsize their living space, tiny homes make great vacation getaways too. Small and intimate spaces, the tiny homes popping up across the country make for interesting adventures, especially if you’re more concerned with getting out and about than living large.

Technically, a tiny home is any home that is smaller than 400 square feet. While some consider a tiny home to be up to 1,000 square feet, the industry norm is really between 150 and 350 square feet. This means that every iota of space inside a tiny home is at a premium.

And while, traditionally, tiny homes are smaller than the average suburban McMansion, that doesn’t mean that tiny homes skimp on roominess. Designed to make use of every available square inch, most people say that being in a tiny home doesn’t feel cramped or claustrophobic at all. High ceilings, re-imagined floor plans, and furniture that can be used for multiple purposes help to make the most of the space at hand.

Traveling small can save you money, as well! Some tiny houses in popular areas may go for as high as $500 a night, but in other cases you’ll be able to rent an entire tiny home for one night for less than dinner out at Red Lobster.

Here are 7 great places to try a tiny house vacation.

1. Asheville, NC

Arrowhead Cabin

$95 per night

Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains offer a great outdoor getaway destination. And Arrowhead Cabin is the perfect retreat for those wanting to get back to nature. The cabin is a 15 minute walk to Asheville and a 30 minute walk to Weaverville, with its artisan shops and restaurants. The cabin is 300 square feet with an open layout, large windows, and high ceilings, and features a well-equipped kitchen, a separate bathroom and shower, and furniture made from reclaimed wood.

2. Taos, NM

The Tiny Bunkhouse

$77 a night

With three beds and one bath, this diminutive adobe structure sits on 25 acres of land near the Rio Grande Canyon. Great for those who like hiking, walking, fly-fishing, or just being alone in a quiet space, the Tiny Bunkhouse is close to the Sangre de Cristo mountains and Taos ski areas. Complete with a tiny kitchen and a living room with HBO and Netflix on TV, the space is also dog friendly to friendly dogs.

3. Chattanooga, TN

Live a Little Chatt

Chattanooga is great place to experience Tiny House living. Not only is there a thriving tiny house community, but there’s also a tons of things to do in the Chattanooga area. Located on top of Lookout Mountain, Live A Little Chatt features four tiny houses from 500-square-feet to 160-square-feet in size. One, the Old Blue Chair, has a reading nook under the stairs, cedar siding, a huge farmhouse sink, a rain shower head and sleeps 5-6.

Whether you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind vacation, or curious about the tiny home lifestyle, Live a Little Chatt is a great way to get away from it all and live small.

4. Jackson Hole, WY

The Fireside Resort

This resort in Jackson Hole, WY lets you try out a tiny home, and if you really love it, buy one. Near downtown Jackson Hole and close to the Grand Teton National Forest, the 400-square-foot cabins start around $260 a night, but they offer one bedroom with a king-sized bed and a living room with a hide-a-bed. The cabin also features a bathroom and a kitchen, as well as additional deck space.

5. Portland, OR

Caravan Tiny House Hotel

From $125 to $185 per night, depending on season

This lodging features tiny homes on wheels instead of hotel rooms. Arranged in a circle, the six tiny homes all have their unique features and amenities. The Amazing Mysterium is our favorite, logging in at only 120 square feet, but making space for four guests in its two queen beds. The home is modeled after a Vardo gypsy wagon and features stained glass windows, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living area. Hard to imagine they fit all of that in 120 square feet, but… that’s why it’s amazing!

6. Austin, TX

Austin’s Original Tiny Home Hotel

$129 per night

Claiming to be the first tiny home hotel in Texas, this is one of several run by the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. Tumbleweed makes tiny homes and rents these models out to let customers try out tiny home living before they buy. Choose from a variety of floorplans and models to see if you like them, and then enjoy the RV park’s amenities like the hot tub, pool, fire pit and party patio. And, of course, it’s in Austin, so… how can you go wrong?

7. South Hampton, New Hampshire

Tuxbury Pond

Just north of Boston, Tuxbury Pond is a resort that offers five new tiny homes for rent. Again, it’s a way to try out tiny living before deciding to purchase your own tiny home. Homes range from 180-275 square feet and start at around $135 per night. The Tuxbury Pond property is close to wineries and apple orchards in the area, and is just 30 minutes from the Salisbury-Hampton beaches, museums and outlet malls.

We hope this article gave you just the tiniest bit of inspiration to think big by thinking small on your next vacation. Happy trails!