A tiny, octagonal cabin greets us in the canopy of The Mohicans. And then, we nerd out a little: It’s a true treehouse, held up by cables and wooden beam supports drilled into two healthy, towering trees.
We step up a wooden staircase and open the arched front door to a blast of warm air. The Nest is big enough for a bit of luxury: a queen-size bed, a reading chair, a full bathroom (with steaming hot water in the shower), a sink, a mini fridge, a microwave, two space heaters and a small TV with a DVD player. A vaulted ceiling frames a dangling chandelier, and a rope swing dangles beneath the treehouse, with a fire pit nearby. A wraparound porch connects to a boardwalk, leading to a nearby event venue.
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And then there’s the view: a vast sea of barren wintry trees, which blur in the pastel pinks and blues of the dimming sunset.
The Nest, often a honeymoon suite for warmer weather weddings held in the 200-capacity venue next door, is the smallest of 10 unique treehouses at The Mohicans. In the offseason, it’s a cozy respite from chaotic holiday schedules, winter blues and city life.
“I love Cleveland. Born and raised here,” says The Mohicans co-owner Kevin Mooney, “but in Cleveland, sometimes, there’s not as much to do, so I think we’re a great getaway. And I think it’s another way to enjoy nature in the wintertime.”
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Kevin and Laura Mooney first purchased the 77-acre property in Glenmont, 90 minutes south of Cleveland, as a nature-filled escape for their own family. But after he sold a sales consulting company at 40, Kevin found he wasn’t ready to retire. The Mooneys decided to open up their haven to the public with a set of rentable cabins.
The treehouse-building spark arrived when Kevin came across Pete Nelson’s book New Treehouses of the World. In 2013, the Mooneys even appeared on the first season of Nelson’s TV show Treehouse Masters — a spotlight that led to skyrocketing demand for their unique rentals, which the Mooneys have built with the help of local Amish carpenters over the past decade.
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These days, it’s typical for all of The Mohicans’ treehouses, which range from $200 to $500 for a one-night stay, to be rented out every day.
I arrive with my husband for our one-night stay on the day after Christmas. Our car tires crunch up the long gravel driveway winding through the forest until we reach The Nest. We lug a bag of board games, books and DVDs into the room. It’s pure, quiet bliss in the woods, especially in the winter, without the sounds of cricket chirps or bird calls.
Each of The Mohicans’ 10 treehouses fits uniquely into its landscape. There’s the dreamy two-bedroom Moonlight treehouse, the vintage Old Pine, a seasonal canvas tent treehouse and even the Silver Bullet, a treehouse made out of an Airstream travel trailer that was lifted into the canopy.
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Many of the creations are fashioned out of materials that Mooney reclaimed; he dismantled a couple of 100-year-old barns across Ohio for their worn planks. He works with a team of Amish carpenters who live in nearby communities to construct each unit, incorporating unique features like glass garage door windows and spiral staircases into the layouts. Laura then outfits and furnishes each space, decking them out with unexpected amenities — like granite countertops, steam rooms and tiled showers.
“Once it’s framed, I can step into the space and work with what’s been given me,” Laura says. “Sometimes it’s super fun because they’re quirky spaces.”
The Mooneys have no plans on slowing down. The two aim to expand The Mohicans’ treehouse offerings, with even more inventive features to set them apart.
But sometimes, it’s nice to stay simple. A night in The Nest is relaxing, quiet and warm — and we’re woken by rays of light streaming through the trees and into our window. You just can’t beat that forest view.
“We’re in the business of people reconnecting with nature and enjoying themselves,” Kevin says. “When we see someone coming out of a treehouse, or if I hear kids running across a bridge, I think, ‘God, how lucky are we to have a business of joy?’”
Three Treehouses to check out at The Mohicans
El Castillo
Designed with the help of Amish builders, El Castillo features a handmade spiral staircase, a king-size bed on the second floor and a queen-size Murphy bed in the living area. “It reminds me of The Nest, except it’s two stories,” Kevin Mooney says.
The View
This treehouse’s name is fitting, with massive windows immersing guests in nature from the moment they wake up. “There’s a first-floor bedroom; when you look straight ahead or to your left or right, it’s all glass,” Kevin says. “It’s just a beautiful view.”
Tin Shed
Named after their favorite Portland, Oregon, restaurant, both Laura and Kevin Mooney count the modular Tin Shed as one of their favorite treehouses. The unit features a glass garage door that rolls up and brings the outdoors into the living room. “If you can imagine, in the summertime, you can open that garage door and you’re literally in the canopy,” Laura says.
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