From urban cabins to secluded treehouses, these short-term rentals across East Tennessee near towns like Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg give you something different.
Ride in a magical trolley in the Smokies
Area: Sevier County
Superhost: Kathleen Christie
Rating: 4.98
Average price: $225 per weekday night, $250 weekends
Hidden in Kodak near Sevierville, the two-story purple Wizard's Trolley is filled with whimsy, surprises and references to "Harry Potter."
Owner Kathleen Christie took apart a 1982 World's Fair Trolley and converted it into both a living space and a double-decker bus.
The 500-square-foot trolley features a small working kitchen with cabinets painted to resemble luggage. There's also a small washer and dryer unit, a working bathroom and a bedroom, all on the first floor. Small vertical staircases at both ends of the trolley lead to a bedroom and a small living area.
The Airbnb was listed in January and has been booked up ever since. Christie said next year is filling up quickly.
It certainly hits the right note for people who grew up reading or watching "Harry Potter."
Looking down from the second floor living area inside the Harry Potter-themed Wizard's Trolley AirBnB in Kodak, Tenn., on Friday, August 19, 2022. A trolley from the 1982 World's Fair was converted a 500 sq. ft. space featuring two queen sized beds, a living area, a working kitchen and a working bathroom.
"It's the details, and intentionally when I listed the Airbnb at first, I didn't fully reveal all the details of the inside because I wanted guests when they showed up to have some surprises," Christie said.
The trolley briefly went viral on TikTok, and Christie is considering changing out some details to maintain the surprise factor.
The Wizard's Trolley is listed on Airbnb now, but it's part of a larger area that Christie and her husband Chris Fortune call the Forgotten Forest.
The seven-and-half-acre property is under construction and is planned to have 19 fanciful dwellings listed Airbnb.
They expect the first few to be completed and ready for guests by spring 2023.
Experience a whimsical treehouse
Area: Sevier County
Superhost: Lacie Shingleton
Rating: 5.0
Average price: $106 a night, $125 on weekends
Distance: 40 minutes from Knoxville
How many times can you tell your friends that you stayed in a treehouse?
Located outside of Seymour, guests will walk a short trail draped with string lights to reach the 140-square-foot treehouse.
The 10-by-14 foot treehouse comes with a queen bed, small refrigerator, deck and mountain view. There isn't indoor plumbing, but water is provided in a five-gallon cooler and there is an outhouse and an outdoor shower that runs on a pump.
A treehouse Airbnb is seen in Seymour, Thursday, July 28, 2022.
Shingleton and her family built the treehouse in 2021 after moving onto the property during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her brother-in-law designed the treehouse, and she listed it on Airbnb in April.
Shingleton's treehouse is secluded, with nothing but a small shed and the forest in sight.
"Because doesn't everybody need to unplug?" Shingleton said. "And this is a great way to do it in comfort. And it's just really good for people to get to see some untouched land and some beauty and still have the opportunity to go and do all the fun things and come back and just be together."
Get comfortable inside a century barn
Area: Blount County
Superhost: Jeremy Goode
Rating: 4.90
Average price: $150-$175 per night
Distance: 10 miles from Maryville, 25 miles from Knoxville
Instead of staying on a farm, guests at this Airbnb stay inside the barn itself.
On a 13-acre property, this 114-year-old barn was renovated into a wedding venue and pair of small residences in the northeast corner of Blount County.
The top rental is a 500-square-foot loft-style room with a queen bed, bathroom, small living area and a balcony that looks out across the property. The bottom Airbnb is more spacious at 1,300 square feet with a full kitchen, living room, 1.5 bathrooms, walk-in closets and a bedroom. Both are outfitted with décor to make you feel that farm vibe.
The cabin Airbnb at Wildwood Springs Barn is seen in Maryville, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022.
The Airbnbs are available unless there's a wedding in the barn, owners Jeremy and Stephanie Goode said. They bought the property in March.
There's also a cottage for rent on the property, and guests can roam the farm if they like.
"We encourage them to go have a picnic by the spring," Jeremy Goode said. "We encourage them to go play a game of cornhole downstairs, or go sit on the swing."
They are in the process of adding more rental properties to the location, like a tiny home modeled to look like a chicken coop. They would like to expand the property into a larger retreat center.
"We're not in Dollywood. We're not in the Smokies. But there's a lot of people who are visiting Knoxville that still love the idea of being a little bit of a mountain experience," owner Elizabeth Wiseman said.
The cabin can be found in the woods near Lyons View just outside of Knoxville, not far from grocery stores and the interstate. The cabin has two floors and covers 1,700 square feet.
The downstairs has rustic features like timber walls, but the upstairs is more modern with renovated bathrooms and painted bedrooms.
Take a look inside of this cabin found in Knoxville. The screened porch is a favorite amongst guests, according to owner Elizabeth Wiseman.
Located in a small cul-de-sac of other cabins, this unit includes a firepit, tree swing, hot tub and a screened-in porch overlooking the woods. Guests can explore the woods, or relax inside the cabin setting.
Wiseman listed the property as an Airbnb in March after she and her family outgrew it. But they maintained the property during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, outfitting it to make it as comfortable as possible.
Tucked in the mountains near Sevierville, guests can stay in a renovated camper not too far from destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains region.
The renovated 1973 Avion camper can be found on a property next to another Airbnb also owned by Sher Love.
The 30-foot camper features a queen bed and two single beds, bathroom, kitchen appliances, wooden cabinets and a firepit with plenty of outdoor space. There's even Wi-Fi, but that might not be needed with the scenic views.
Inside a 1973 Avion camper that has been restored and converted to an Airbnb in Sevierville, Tenn.
"We remodeled it a bit trying to keep the integrity of it … and we got it about 98% finished and then my brother was diagnosed with brain cancer and given six months to live, and then we had an amazing six months with him," Love said.
After her brother's death, Love completed renovations and listed it on Airbnb in 2019.
"It's near and dear to our hearts because it was his vision and we kind of feel like we are helping to carry that out," Love said.
