Hiding In The Heart Of Atlanta's Bamboo Forest Is One Of Georgia's Prettiest Stays In A Magical Treehouse

If folks think of a treehouse, they might envision one of those ramshackle boxes that a loving, if mechanically-deficient, parent hammered into place. It was a secret hideout for one summer, all the neighborhood kids visited if they had the password, and other conventions belonging to an '80s coming-of-age flick. But how about a swanky glamp-worthy log cabin elevated to tree height and replete with electricity, air conditioning and heating, a cozy bed and antique furniture, a marble bathroom, and even some llamas roaming the bamboo forest floor below you? Welcome to the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse. 

Sure, nobody would connect Atlanta to bamboo forest, alpacas, or treehouses — except the owners of Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse, Kara and Kate. The two are responsible for conceptualizing, building, and managing Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse along with their daughter, Walker. Having roots in their privately-owned animal rescue, the family's project expanded to orchards of multiple types (apple, pomegranate, blueberries, figs, bananas, etc), gardens of multiple types (herb, veggie, flower), and also the treehouse, which is located on the same farm. "This is pure magic — there needs to be a treehouse in here," the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse website quotes Kara when she stepped into the bamboo forest for the first time. And that's exactly what they did. 

Now, visitors can steep themselves in that same magic. Whether a romantic escape, wedding, photographic or videographic project, or TV shows like Netflix's "Love is Blind," the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse has hosted it all. The property even offers multiple other experiences that incorporate alpacas and llamas, like wine tasting, yoga, and a tour plus animal meet-and-greet.

Would-be visitors to the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse are in for a real treat. The treehouse is enshrouded in the dense and deep bamboo forest, which makes it feel beautifully cut off from the outside world, even though visitors are still inside Atlanta. Stepping into the forest, which was planted in the 1940s, is like entering a magical little bubble full of fluffy alpacas and farmland growing all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. You could be strolling through one of Atlanta's walkable historical districts like Poncey-Highland during the day, and sleep in a bamboo forest that night.

And then there's the centerpiece of the forest: the treehouse. Each fragment of the treehouse is salvaged from various historical eras. We're talking stained glass from the 1890s, pine flooring from the 1900s, and French doors and windows dating back 100 years, all bundled together into a rustic art deco motif and beautifully lit with tiny point lights. A treehouse hotel like Tennessee's Sanctuary Treehouse Resort is a full-fledged resort, but the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse's gorgeous design and unparalleled, personal experience make it stand out. It's one of the most highly rated Airbnb properties in the world, with a rating of 4.96 out of 1,200 reviews. Every single review is a glowing rhapsody.

And even though readers might be hearing about Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse for the first time, it's been in the spotlight for quite some time. The treehouse and forest were featured on Netflix's "Love is Blind" and "World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals," Animal Planet's "Treehouse Masters," ABC's "Kevin Probably Saves the World," VH1's "Love & Hip Hop," and loads more. The property also hosted a tour for Billie Eilish and her family.

Even though most people will likely go to the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse for the treehouse and bamboo forest, there's a lot more to do while there. The Llama and Alpaca Experience takes visitors on a tour through the entire farm, which includes saying hello to, petting, and perhaps feeding carrots to the fluffiest farm residents. Llama Yoga isn't yoga where resident llamas do down dog poses, but yoga with llamas lying down in the room, and it meets every Sunday. Then there's the irregularly scheduled Wine Tasting with Llamas, Alpacas, and Guanacos, where you chill with animals and drink a selection of wine. You can't get a llama caddy like at Sherwood Forest Golf Club in Brevard, North Carolina, but that's a meager concession.

Because the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse is more than used to extreme interest from the public, proprietors Kara and Kate allow their property to be used for practically anything. Weddings are a common enough request that they offer an entire, standardized wedding package aside from what DIY package you want. Filmmakers can take heart, too, because the property has been used for TV shows, commercials, music videos, magazine photo shoots, short films, and more. Anything is welcome. Naturally, interested parties will want to book a night or event at Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse as soon as possible. They are solidly booked months ahead of time. Nightly rates hover at around $400 a night.