It’s our Treehouse Tour of 2017. A week after staying in the Dove Men+Care Elements Treehouse near Chattanooga, we made our way up I-75 from Atlanta, this time to Chickamauga, Georgia, where we would sleep in the trees in the new nostalgia-invoking property named Candlelight Forest.
There are two treehouses here, nestled in the woods of 200 acres, in a development called Cloudland Station, a gated community of primarily second homes developed by John Tatum. When we turned into the development and crossing a small bridge, we passed by the Homestead at Cloudland Station, a special events venue with a cute chapel and a barn. White chairs were set up down by Lake Angela during our visit, waiting for the next set of “I do’s.”
After parking in a small gravel lot, we made our way up a short path to Le Petit Chateau, our home for the evening. Inspired by a French farm house, the treehouse has two bedrooms, 1.5 baths and can sleep six. No ladders to climb up into this treehouse – we walked up a few steps and we were inside. The home is nestled in the trees with the main elevation coming from the back side where there’s a large deck with a gas grill, fold-down table and built-in sink with dishes in the cabinet underneath.
The treehouse has a microwave, minifridge and Keurig coffee maker. While there are dishes and flatware, we brought paper products so we wouldn’t have dishes to wash, and a cooler to store extra food. We also brought a large trash bag we kept inside to keep any hungry critters away.
The queen bed is nestled cozily into a nook, with a curtain to draw for privacy. The sitting area has a comfortable sofa and chair, with throws rolled up in a basket for warmth in the cooler months.Natural light poured though the windows of the living area, although it was a bit subdued in our cloudy weather. A bathroom downstairs includes a shower and small sink.
The loft upstairs is surprisingly spacious, with four twin beds, a half bath and a small children’s desk with chairs. The ceiling is plenty high enough for even my 6’2″ husband to fully stand up. The twin beds are cleverly placed; there are two sets of two beds, with one placed perpendicular underneath another in a configuration that I haven’t seen before, but allows for four beds to fit easily with plenty of floor space left. There’s a gate you can latch to keep the younger set safe at night. The climb up or down is made easier with a small landing and metal handles to grip while you take the stairs.
As soon as we unloaded some groceries, we settled down on the couch to listen to the rain during a short shower. My husband curled up on the bed and took a nap, while I indulged in watching an episode of “Master of None” on my iPad, enjoying the free wifi. It’s that kinda place where we could instantly relax. After enjoying an adult beverage and appetizers, we grilled salmon on the gas grill and corn in the cob in the microwave along and enjoyed a yummy treehouse dinner.
Activities at Candlelight Forest
Although our weather wasn’t conducive to outdoor activities, there’s a lake on the property where you can paddle board, canoe, fish, or play on the river raft. There’s also a picnic park with badminton, corn hole and a fire pit, a cove with hammocks and “forest library” and marked hiking trails. A “FamCave” with board games and other low-tech activities is opening soon, along with The Plucky Peacock. a country store that sells fresh produce, snacks and local preserves.
It you do want to leave the property, head to Chattanooga, or to nearby Cloudland Canyon State Park, with plenty of hiking trails, caves for touring, horseback riding, mountain biking, 18-hole disc golf course and interpretive programs.
We traveled without kids, but it’s the perfect unplugged getaway for your family as they can roam the woods and enjoy all those fun activities we did as children – chasing fireflies, having treasure hunts in the woods, swinging on rope swings and just relaxing with only the sounds of the wind in the trees and birds as they fall asleep.
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