Outside Magazine Features Montana Treehouse Retreat

The Treehouse Mansion of Your Dreams Is in Montana

The Montana Treehouse Retreat has not one but two spiral staircases that lift you up into the treetops.

by Samantha Yadron

original article at Outside Magazine, online.

The Montana Treehouse Retreat, near Whitefish, Montana, isn’t your childhood backyard treehouse. Its creators, Kati O’Toole and Darin Robison, didn’t want their guests to trade creature comforts for time spent in nature. Their cabin is “the best of both worlds,” O’Toole says. Sleeping four, with two spiral staircases, two full bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and a full kitchen, it’s the home base you’ll need after a long day of exploring the Montana wilderness.

Nestled within 7.5 acres of secluded forest, the retreat offers city amenities like bars, restaurants, and shopping within reach—it’s a five-minute trip to Columbia Falls or Whitefish, Montana. If you bring your mountain bike or trail running shoes, the Flathead Valley provides more than 42 miles of singletrack. In summer, the Whitefish Ski Resort metamorphoses into a downhill bike park. It’s also just 30 minutes away from hiking trails in Glacier National Park via the Going-to-the-Sun Road, a can’t-miss scenic drive with views of glaciers and waterfalls.

The largest trunk in the house’s architecture, incorporated into the spiral staircase at the entrance, isn’t native to the forest. It’s a lightning-struck Douglas fir from the front yard of Robison’s late grandmother’s house in Echo Lake, Montana. When his grandma passed, excavating and repurposing the dying tree was how Robison chose to honor her. In addition to the trunk, the cabin wraps around four living trees. 

“He wanted the entrance to the treehouse to be something really magical,” O’Toole says. John Colliander, a friend of Robison’s and one of the craftsmen behind TreeWorks Log and Timber Construction, a cabin contracting company based in the area, bolted each tread of the spiral staircase.

Both artists—O’Toole writes songs and Robison is a painter, illustrator, and sculptor—put other custom touches on the treehouse.O’Toole handcrafted all the shelving and bedside tables from milled remnants of the cabin’s initial build. “Everything has a story and was made by a craftsman,” O’Toole says. “It’s a real work of art.”

Even hardcore adventurers need a soft place to land. For a place to rest after a day well spent exploring the trails, mountains, and waterways of western Montana, book here for $399 per night.

Ski Whitefish and Stay At The Montana Treehouse Retreat!

Book Your Winter Getaway at Montana Treehouse Retreat

Ski season is right around the corner in Northwestern Montana. We are scheduled to have our first significant snow with this week. Have you started dreaming up winter vacation plans? Why not have the ultimate winter vacation and pair a trip to Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort with a stay at The Montana Treehouse Retreat!

Birds eye view of The Montana Treehouse Retreat, PC: Great Northern Drones

Our luxury treehouse is just minutes from the top of Big Mountain and we would love have you stay with us! This double decker treehouse, outside of Whitefish is the perfect unforgettable weekend getaway. Our luxury treehouse is equipped with a full kitchen, dishwasher, 2 bathrooms, a full shower and sleeping quarters for up to 5 people. 

Enjoy a hot toddy on the deck or cozy up with a hot cup of coffee on your own private balcony overlooking your own private forest off of the master suite deck! 

There is no roughing it at the Montana Treehouse Retreat! You will also have your own private wooded property for an outdoor fire. There is plenty of space on the grounds for nature walks, cross country skiing and sledding for kids!

We look forward to having you stay with us this winter and can't wait to meet you!

To see more photos and read more about availability of our listing or BOOK A STAY visit our Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18627194

Contact owner Kati at: 406-890-9925 if you have any questions or would like help booking your stay!

Montana Treehouse Retreat Featured in Flathead Beacon

Castle in the Sky

Whitefish couple's new luxury treehouse retreat featured on DIY Network's television show

BY TRISTAN SCOTT // FLATHEAD BEACON//MAY 18, 2017 // PHOTOS: GREG LINDSTROM

Kati O’Toole and her husband, Darin Robison, have transformed their lofty dream into a reality with their new business venture at Montana Treehouse Retreat, a unique backyard escape that spirits guests into the treetops.

Literally.

Campers looking for an outdoor experience that transcends pitching a tent or renting a cabin in the wilderness will get a thrill out of the latest trend of lodging — a vacation rental in the sky.

Located on the couple’s wooded 7-acre property off Dillon Road near Whitefish, the retreat incorporates the growing popularity of custom luxury treehouse dwellings with the mountain allure of Montana.

Professional treehouse designers have capitalized on the trend by building everything from breweries to recording studios, but a rising number of backyard escapes are cropping up across the nation, advertised as guest rentals on the online hospitality service Airbnb.

The couple’s treehouse made its television debut on May 15 on the DIY Network’s show “The Treehouse Guys,” whose crew visited the Flathead Valley to help frame the structure, which spans four trees — three larches and a ponderosa.

In addition to showing the early construction of the treehouse, the segment also features local activities and amenities of the Flathead Valley, and will re-air next month.

From the moment that O’Toole and Robison purchased their property five years ago, they’ve entertained visions of building a treehouse in their expansively forested lot, but with a growing family, full-time jobs and a basket of home projects, they were short on time.

“We’ve always wanted to build a treehouse,” O’Toole said. “It’s been a dream for a long time. But never in our wildest dreams did we think it would look like this.”

Both fourth-generation Montanans with a passion for the outdoors, their passion project was sidelined as they worked to keep up with their 3-year-old son, Rowan, and newborn baby, Ry.

When a friend pointed them to a casting call for the television show, they navigated a series of lengthy interviews and were selected for an episode.

O’Toole and Robison applied for and received a conditional use permit for their property, with the county Board of Adjustment granting approval for up to three high-end treehouses available for nightly rental.

The build crew with the Treehouse Guys — B’fer Roth and his team of “tree muskateers” — completed the frame of the treehouse in about six weeks and provided their expertise, while Darin and a crew of friends and family helped build a giant log spiral staircase, milled the siding and interior paneling, and anchored the structure to the trees.

Because it’s not connected to the earth, the house moves with the trees during high winds and as the trees grow.

The 18-foot wooden spiral staircase leading up to the entrance of the treehouse wraps around an old Douglas fir that had been struck by lighting on Robison’s grandparents’ property. The top blew off in the wind, leaving a 60-foot stub that Robison thought was perfect for his treehouse.

“It was definitely the right one for the job,” he said.

The maximum size of a treehouse is determined by the number of trees available to serve as its foundation. A single large, healthy tree can support a 350- to 400-square-foot treehouse, according to the builders, while two or more trees can hold a 700- to 800-square-foot structure.

O’Toole and Robison plan to begin renting their treehouse in November once they’ve completed the finishing touches, and construct two additional custom treehouses on their property in the coming years.

The two-story treehouse features all of the amenities including septic and sewer, a small kitchen on the lower level, as well as a living area and full bath. It rents for $500 a night, with a minimum of three nights and discounts available for weekly rentals.

O’Toole said she has already begun receiving inquiries, and predicts an uptick in interest following the airing of the show.

“It is a luxury experience. There’s nothing primitive about it,” O’Toole said. “It’s nicer than the home we live in and I think people are really going to enjoy staying here.”

For more information and to book a getaway, visit http://www.montanatreehouseretreat.com/ and to learn more about The Treehouse Guys check out http://www.diynetwork.com/shows/the-treehouse-guys.

LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE IN FLATHEAD BEACON: http://flatheadbeacon.com/2017/05/18/castle-in-the-sky/