There are some Airbnbs that are perfect for a weekend of idleness—a place to chill out solo with a good book or around a firepit with friends and a bottle of wine. But vacation rentals can also make for an excellent launchpad for adventure, and plenty of them are within walking distance or a quick drive from some of the best hiking trails in the world. These routes run the gamut from leisurely rail trails, where you can stroll with your kids or dogs in the shade, to epic multi-day hikes that require training and advance planning. Pack your hiking boots (we have suggestions for men and women) and head to one of these Airbnbs that combine creature comforts and proximity to desert trails, coastal cliffs, pilgrimage treks, and more.
This cottage is only a few miles from the famed Kalalau Trail.
Courtesy of Airbnb
Oceanfront cottage on Kaua‘i’s North Shore
- Location: Hā‘ena, Kaua‘i
- Sleeps: 4
- Book now: airbnb.com
This beachfront cottage on the secluded North Shore of Kaua‘i has more than 270 feet of ocean frontage and is five steps away from the sand. The Pacific is so close, in fact, that the hosts warn that digital nomads may be distracted during Zoom calls by sea turtles and humpback whales swimming by. The hosts provide reusable stainless steel water bottles for when you want to explore nearby attractions like Hā‘ena State Park and the difficult but worth it Kalalau Trail. This 11-mile stretch of coastline was the original trail used by native Hawaiians who lived in the valley, and now it’s one of the island’s most strenuous hikes. After two miles, you’ll reach Hanakāpīʻai Beach, at which point you can take a two-mile detour to a 120-foot waterfall, or you’ll need a hiking permit to continue on as the trail steeply climbs 800 feet out of the valley and over towering sea cliffs. This one is not for the faint of heart.
>> Find more Hawai‘i Airbnb recommendations
After a day of hiking Sedona trails, take in the views from the deck at this Airbnb rental.
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Mountaintop getaway in Sedona
- Location: Sedona, Arizona
- Sleeps: 7
- Book now: airbnb.com
Centrally located up the hill from 89A, the main road that leads from Uptown to West Sedona, this two-bedroom, two-bathroom Airbnb offers enough room for a group of seven to be comfortable. When you feel like being active, the backyard has direct access to Coconino National Forest and the Airport Mesa trail system; the Airport Loop Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Sedona, a 3.3-mile loop with a roughly 430-foot elevation gain that’s known for its basalt boulders and incredible views of the town below. Afterwards, relax on the daybed on the front patio and take in the unobstructed panoramas of the surrounding red-rock mountains.
>> Find more Sedona Airbnb recommendations
The WonderInn is located in the Nordre Øyeren nature reserve in Norway.
Photo by Dani Purington Photography
WonderInn mirrored glass cabin outside Oslo
- Location: Rælingen, Norway
- Sleeps: 4
- Book now: airbnb.com
If you’re not paying close enough attention, you could almost miss this sleek tiny home: The surface of Norway’s first mirrored glass cabin operates as camouflage, reflecting back the serenity of the surrounding Nordre Øyeren nature reserve. About a 25-minute drive from central Oslo, WonderInn occupies prime waterfront real estate along Northern Europe’s largest inland delta. The paths here are peaceful and mostly flat, offering the chance to take a stroll with your kids where you might run into moose, beavers, deer, and eagles. When the sun goes down, make your way to the firepit or hot tub, which juts out over the delta, for a dual view of the stars—up above and reflected by the walls of your temporary home.
The glass walls at this Michigan cabin let the outdoors in.
Courtesy of Airbnb Community
Riverfront cabin in Michigan
- Location: Baldwin, Michigan
- Sleeps: 4
- Book now: airbnb.com
Overlooking Pere Marquette River in western Michigan’s Manistee National Forest, this two-bedroom cabin has central air-conditioning and heat to keep things comfortable no matter the season. But the lack of TV and Wi-Fi means you can enjoy your time in nature away from digital devices. Instead, take advantage of the canoe, tandem kayak, and fishing poles that are free for guests to use. Another highlight? The floor-to-ceiling windows on three walls of the living room that let the outdoors in long after you’ve gone inside for the day. Best of all, the craftsman-style home is about 3.5 miles from the start of the Pere Marquette Rail Trail, 30 miles of flat, paved trails built on the former site of railway tracks that used to bring timber to lumber mills in the southern part of the state.
The tallest lighthouse on Prince Edward Island was recently moved back from the eroding shoreline.
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Lighthouse keeper’s inn on Prince Edward Island
- Location: Cardigan, Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Sleeps: 2
- Book now: airbnb.com
Canada’s Maritime Provinces are dotted with hundreds of lighthouses, but the 1901 Annandale Lighthouse is among the most special. At 70 feet high, it’s the tallest on Prince Edward Island, and in 2020, it was moved 100 feet away from the eroding shoreline and given fresh interiors. The new digs feel cabin-like, with lots of exposed beams, many of which have been signed by decades of visitors, and if you look up from the living quarters, you can see almost all the way up into the open bones of the tower. In 2021, PEI opened the roughly 435-mile Island Walk, which gently circumnavigates the entirety of Canada’s smallest province (and the land of Anne of Green Gables). It takes about 32 days to complete the entire route on foot, but if you want to only do the portion near the lighthouse, this is section 27: You’ll find flat terrain on the Confederation Trail, and in about 7.5 miles, you’ll reach the town of Montague and its pair of craft breweries.
This dome Airbnb is located near Chile’s La Campana National Park.
Photo by Alejandra Nerche
Geodesic dome near a Chilean national park
- Location: Quebrada de Alvarado, Chile
- Sleeps: 2
- Book now: airbnb.com
An hour’s drive from Valparaíso and a little under 1.5 hours from Santiago, this geodesic dome is the model of tranquil seclusion: It sits on a massive property planted with lemon, apple, olive, avocado, and almond trees and surrounded by native forest. Beyond that you’ll find a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and La Campana National Park, where Charles Darwin climbed the namesake mountain in 1834. Once in the national park, you’ll have access to a number of marked trails. The most popular (and perhaps the most challenging) is the seven-mile, out-and-back Cerro La Campana along the El Andinista trail, which involves a steep climb. The reward at the top? On a clear day, you can see out to the Pacific Ocean and to Aconcagua in Argentina—the highest mountain in the Americas, the Western Hemisphere, and the Southern Hemisphere, at 22,838 feet.
This multi-story cabin will put you up among the trees in the Vermont woods.
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Secluded Vermont tree house cabin
- Location: Johnson, Vermont
- Sleeps: 6
- Book now: airbnb.com
Live high up among the trees at this secluded multi-story cabin located about a 25-minute drive north of Stowe, Vermont. With three bedrooms and room for six to spread out, your group can come together in the living room around the gas fireplace or gather in the hot tub on the enclosed deck. Keep in mind that the house is on a dirt road three miles from the village of Johnson, so you’ll want an AWD or 4WD car with good snow tires if you visit in the winter. The cabin is less than a mile from the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, the longest in New England at 93 miles, and it’s surprisingly active in all four seasons—from hiking, cycling, and horseback riding in the summer to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and dogsledding in the winter. For a bigger challenge, you’re also just a quick drive from the 272-mile Long Trail, which stretches from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts-Vermont line; it’s the oldest continuous footpath in the USA, built between 1910 and 1930, and provided the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail.
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Before cuddling up in this cozy cubbyhole, take in the night sky from this Airbnb’s stargazing balcony, which is warmed by a log burner.
Photo by Polly Lovegrove
Cozy Welsh barn near the mountains
- Location: Carmarthenshire, Wales
- Sleeps: 2
- Book now: airbnb.com
Located in the southwestern Welsh county of Carmarthenshire, which is known for its stargazing and the National Botanic Garden, this cozy bohemian barn is all about cwtch, an untranslatable Welsh word that roughly means a cuddle or a cubbyhole and is the local version of hygge. Here, that might look like wrapping yourself in a blanket and plunking down on a cushion on the stargazing balcony, which is warmed by a log burner. But don’t miss out on the underrated adventures available across Wales. The county’s tourism website has put together a handy guide to walks in the area, and the closest to the property is a 4.6-mile hilly trail that begins in the village of Cil-y-cwm and traverses through unspoiled terrain that includes Bronze Age burial cairns and standing stones, Iron Age hill forts, medieval churches, and plenty of birdlife. Farther afield, you can trek into the Cambrian Mountains or even Brecon Beacons National Park.
Plan your days around sunset happy hour at Cloud Canyon Ranch.
Courtesy of Airbnb Community
Cloud Canyon Ranch near Joshua Tree National Park
- Location: Yucca Valley, California
- Sleeps: 10
- Book now: airbnb.com
Perfect for family reunions or friend-group getaways, this sun-drenched villa near Joshua Tree National Park is filled with cozy nooks that double as sleeping quarters: In addition to four bedrooms, there’s a living room with four fold-out cushions that make for an ideal slumber-party setting for younger guests, or simply a place to laze about with a fleece throw and a drink. Those looking for a more resort-like experience can request a private chef, massages, sound baths, and even horseback rides. Right outside the gated property, guests have access to 1,200 mountain acres, crisscrossed with hiking and biking trails, and the national park is 10 minutes away by car, offering about 300 more miles of trails.
>> Find more Joshua Tree Airbnb recommendations
This vacation home in Japan offers access to a UNESCO-designated pilgrimage trail.
Photo by Jessie Beck
A coastal Japanese apartment near an ancient pilgrimage trail
- Location: Shingū, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
- Sleeps: 2
- Book now: airbnb.com
Many travelers dream of tackling Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage–designated Kumano Kodo trail system, located south of Osaka on the Kii Peninsula. Among these seven trails, the most sacred is Nakahechi, which was first developed in the 10th century to connect three sacred shrines. Along the way, many pilgrims (or more casual hikers) choose to stay in ryokans or guesthouses, but perhaps the coolest lodging option near the trail is this wildly inventive Airbnb, Kamikura-Hideaway, which doubles as an immersive mystery in which guests can search the 50-year-old house for clues to solve the mystery of a missing tenant. It’s located in Shingū in the Wakayama Prefecture, just a minute’s walk away from the vermilion-colored Kamikura Hayatama Taisha (shrine).
Additional reporting by Jessie Beck and Lyndsey Matthews.
