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Fancy life among the trees? You're in luck: the largest tree house resort in the world is coming to the United States this summer.
At a planned 40-acre compound in east Tennessee, the Sanctuary Treehouse Resort will allow you to live in the canopy with expansive views of the Smoky Mountains. Eventually, there will be around 130 treehouses, but for now owners Amanda and Brian Jensen are rolling out 20-25 abodes per year. As early as this summer, six treehouses will be open for rental.
The units are all two stories with two sets of stairs to get between levels and a spiral slide to whoosh you to the lower deck level – or you can pull up an “escape hatch” to find a hidden ladder if you remember not to tell your kids about it. Disabled access isn't an option yet, but there are plans to have treehouses for guests with mobility needs in the future.
The Tree Fort contains a king bed with a queen trundle beneath as well as a double bunk with a crank system that can, Transformer-like, make bunks, a day bed system, or even a small dining table. There’s an LED fireplace on the inside, and a real wood-burning one on the porch. In the kitchenette, there’s a small, stocked fridge with items for purchase, a Keurig coffeemaker and retro appliances. If you need to deliver drinks to the folks on the lower level, just use the can/bottle chute or the bucket pulley system.
You can book a Tree Fort double for your group, with two Tree Forts connected by drawbridge. Or go that extra step with the Luxe, and bathe in a copper claw foot bathtub, then retire to the gel-cooled King bed 'with rope supports.' You also get a second, outdoor tub and a bidet.
On the premises, you'll also find eggs swings, larger net swings, climbing ropes, a telescope off the balcony and two 18-hole golf courses. For some, the best part might be the transportation. All driving in the resort is done in a golf cart. You can park your regular park in the lot and then transfer to the more fun alternative.
Over time, the resort will add more fun things for kids, such as walking trails with a scavenger hunt, a lit enchanted forest, a live entertainment space, local storytellers, an in-ground hot tub and more.