Getaway from the crowds and into your own private retreat with hotels and rentals offering secluded (and special) accommodations, from treehouses amid the forests to cottages steps from the beach.
It doesn’t get more picturesque than The Cottages on Charleston Harbor in Mount Pleasant, where you’ll find chic waterfront cottages perched on historic Patriots Point. These two-bedroom rentals offer spacious layouts, plus private screened-in porches complete with rocking chairs and a hammock. On Daufuskie Island, call the historic Haig Point Lighthouse your home away from home with a stay-and-play package that includes golf, horseback riding and tennis—or book one of the new cottages slated to open in 2022.
In Spartanburg, stay in a vintage 1947 Southern Rail caboose set amid English-style gardens when you book the MackRail Cabin Car at Clevedale Historic Inn and Gardens. The private deck and landscaped back garden are perfect for enjoying a book or a glass of wine in solitude.
For a getaway to the country, escape to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains at The Red Horse Inn in Landrum, featuring light, airy cottages with cathedral ceilings, fireplaces and private hot tubs, all minutes from wineries, waterfall hikes and historic covered bridges. Or stay in The Majestic Treehouse, tucked away on a 40-acre farm in Walhalla, with magical touches like chandeliers and an outdoor shower. If a more rugged wilderness excursion is calling your name, paddle 13 miles down a cypress-shaded blackwater river with Carolina Heritage Outfitters, and spend the night in an off-grid treehouse equipped with a propane stove, lanterns and a screened-in sleeping area.
Meanwhile, South Carolina state parks are perfect for waterfront retreats. Bring your whole crew to Devils Fork State Park in Salem to stay in a villa just steps from Lake Jocassee, a rondette-style cabin on Lake Marion at Santee State Park in Santee or a villa by Lake Murray at Dreher Island State Park in Prosperity. The Turner House at St. Phillips Island is part of Hunting Island State Park and is accessible only by boat.
