You’ll find Kentucky’s most-desired Airbnb hanging from a cliff in the Red River Gorge
A cliffside retreat – one that hangs in the air overlooking the Red River Gorge and its deep forest canopy – is the top wish-listed Airbnb stay in Kentucky, according to a short-term rental platform.
In 2021, the Cliff Dweller listing had an occupancy rate of 88%, with more than 500 guests coming to stay in three tree houses, situated just steps away from some of the area’s best hiking trailheads.
The owners opened a fourth treetop abode in January, they told the Herald-Leader. Altogether they are the Eagle’s Nest, Serene Ravine, Lions Lair and Kentucky Breeze, and each offers their own unique flavor.
Why this getaway is so desirable
As a forest-lover’s fantasy comes to life, the stay advertised on the listing hangs suspended high above the woodland canopy, bolted to the underside of a cliff overhang. Its only access: hundreds of stairs that ascend into the treetops.
The climb up the towering staircase leaves you breathless, but rewarded for your effort, if the listing’s plentiful positive reviews are any indication. At the top, you find a small deck just outside of a kitchen accented with warm wooden finishes. All around are large windows with views of the surrounding forest.
Upstairs is a queen-size bed tucked away in a somnolent nook, and outside, up another set of stairs that lead to an overlook is a spiral staircase that ascends to the master bedroom. Here, you’ll find another queen bed with an almost panoramic view of the crowns of the trees below and gentle hills that arch off into the horizon.
Airbnb hosts in this rural, eastern Kentucky county raked in $5M in earnings last year
For an even better view, you can climb upward once more to the rooftop deck, just under the cliff overhang that holds the structure in place. There’s a small bench here and views of the sprawling Red River Gorge and forest all around.
What does it cost to stay and how do you get a room?
The Cliff Dweller is located in Campton in eastern Kentucky, and the experience does come at a premium.
Rates start at $500 a night with a two-night booking minimum, and can vary widely depending on what time of year you book. A choice weekend in mid-October when the fall foliage is at its peak could cost you as much as $1,200 a night. That sum total also includes a few fees, such as a $75 cleaning fee and a separate service fee. There is a $122 discount for booking in advance, however.
Still, reviewers who’ve stayed here praise it as an “unforgettable” and “magical” place.
“Sleeping in a queen size bed in a cozy room with gigantic views which hangs high in the trees above the ground is definitely an epic experience,” one reviewer wrote.
There are also many everyday amenities, according to one of the owners, Allison Mitchell.
“Guests get the feel of camping with hot running water, full bathrooms with a shower and the ability to prepare all the food they want,” she wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader. “Two of our tree houses have air conditioning and the others are scheduled to get it this year. Heat is in all four.”
How much are Airbnb owners in Kentucky making?
Recent data from Airbnb shows hosts in rural parts of Kentucky are doing pretty well for themselves, especially post-pandemic.
Hosts in the commonwealth’s rural counties made more than $27 million in 2021, and the typical Airbnb host in rural Kentucky earned more than $10,000 last year.
Powell County, near the Red River Gorge, topped the list at $5 million in earnings.
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