Texas Travel: Social Distancing in the Cypress Trees

What better way to explore your inner childhood than living in a treehouse?

Cypress Valley Canopy Tours is a family-owned business that helps educate and increase environmental awareness all while having fun, enjoy, and appreciate the outdoors. In addition to their canopy tours and ziplining activities, their treehouses have attracted many visitors to experience nature as it is.

Cypress Valley Canopy Tours have 5 Treehouses to choose from ranging from size and amenities. Check out their treehouses and what each offers here   .

WHAT TO EXPECT

Once you have made and purchased your reservation, you will be sent an email of the confirmation. Along with the confirmation, you will be instructed to fill out a waiver for EVERY guest. Instructions will be provided on what is expected during COVID19.

The day before, if you haven’t filled out the waiver, it will send you another reminder. Then, they will give you the gate access code and map of the compound on the day of your reservation. They will communicate via text. The staff are very attentive and responsive, so don’t hesitate to text your concerns or clarifications.

There is no need to “check-in.” Once you arrive at the gate, you will enter in the gate access code and head straight to your treehouse. The entire compound is a gated facility, and the only people who are in the compound is the staff and treehouse guests, so the treehouses themselves do not have door locks. If you feel uncomfortable leaving valuables in the treehouse, take them with you, but I honestly felt it was safe—you’re up in a tree!

Checking out is simple. All you need to do is text them you are checking-out and leave. Check out time is strict and there is no late check-out. There will be a hefty late check-out fee. This strict policy ensures that the staff have adequate time to clean and disinfect the treehouses.

COVID19

Due to the pandemic, Cypress Valley have increased protocols to ensure the safety of their guests. They have ozone room treatments to sanitize rooms after each guest (check-out times are strict to allow time for treatments). Beddings, robes, and towels are cleaned with hydrogen peroxide in each laundry cycle. Hand sanitizers are EVERYWHERE along with disinfecting wipes.

WILLOW TREEHOUSE

All the treehouses are graciously spaced out to ensure privacy and the experience of a secluded getaway. We stayed at the Willow Treehouse, the twin of the Juniper Treehouse.  While not as spaced-out as the other treehouses, they both have a good distance between eachother for privacy.

They are both nestled up in cypress trees and each house has their own lit bridge to walk across the ravine. To note, these treehouses are literally just bedrooms. The showers and restrooms is a rustic outdoor facility that’s about a 2-minute stroll from your treehouse. The Willow and Juniper treehouses share the facility, but each have their designated shower and bathroom.

There is a coffee station with complimentary packaged tea and coffee with an electric kettle to heat your water. There are no refrigerators or microwaves. You are provided 2 cozy robes and a bunch of towels located in the cabinet under the coffee station. The queen-sized bed is very comfortable, the sheets are fluffy, and the pillows feel like you’re sleeping on clouds. Although it is encouraged to open windows to appreciate the natural breeze, all treehouses have an A/C and also a fan.

Bring a pen and a polaroid camera! Since there is no wifi or tv, there is a cute basket of journals for your entertainment where guests have written “journal entries.” It was a joy reading some of their excerpts—some romantic and some were hilarious! Guests even left polaroids of themselves and their experience in the basket.

My favorite part of the treehouse is the outside deck. Here, you can enjoy your morning coffee and appreciate the morning air and sounds.

BATHROOM FACILITY

This arrangement may not sit well for some people because it is a separate facility outside of the treehouse. However, if you really think about it, you’re literally just camping up in the trees, so, don’t expect a 5-star bathroom. If this arrangement isn’t your liking, you can explore the other treehouses that is a little more elegant and have a more convenient living arrangement.

The bathroom has 2 shower stalls and 4 toilet stalls. You don’t have to worry about anyone else using the same toilet or shower because they all have their designated treehouse. The showers are also solar-heated.

The ONLY thing that I didn’t care for are the wasps and spiders. The staff tries their best to control the bugs, but, again, it’s an outdoor facility surrounded by trees—it’s not the Ritz Carlton, so it’s expected. I’m petrified of spiders, but I was actually able to deal with it. If I can do it, you can too.

 

TIPS BEFORE YOU GO

NO KITCHEN/FRIDGE, SO WHERE TO EAT?

Bring a cooler to keep your drinks or food that may need to stay cool. There is also no sink or running water in your treehouse. If you need running water for whatever reason, the only place is the bathroom, which is an outside facility from your house. There is drinkable water provided in a large glass dispenser. We used that to rinse our coffee mugs. There is a bbq grill just outside the treehouse if you want to cook and there are also some restaurants not too far from the compound. I recommend The Lighthouse Restaurant and Lounge. It has a beautiful open patio overlooking Lake Travis, and the food was delicious! There is also a boat rental right below the restaurant if you are enticed enough from the scenery to explore the lake.

SHOWERING OUTSIDE

If you don’t want to pack anything bulky, the showers have body soap and shampoo in a wall dispenser. I would suggest to go naked under the robes that are provided for you. It reduces the amount of things you have to carry to and from the bathroom–use the robe as a towel and cover yourself on the way back to the treehouse to dress up and finish freshening up.

NO RUNNING WATER

There is NO running water IN the treehouses themselves. Like I said, it’s basically just an elevated tent. Do not plan to bring anything that requires washing, i.e dishes, utensils, clothes, etc. If you need running water, you have to go to the bathroom facility that is outside the treehouse. However, they do provide drinking water in a large glass dispenser. When we needed to rinse our coffee mugs, we just used the water provided in the dispenser. When we needed to wash our hands, it was of course in the bathroom. Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes were in the room when we needed it.

NOISY ZIPLINING TOURS

The only downfall staying in the Willow and Juniper treehouse is the active zipline tour. The deck immediately above the treehouse is the dock for zipliners. So yes, it can get loud. Luckily, their tours are cancelled for now because of COVID19, so our stay was super peaceful. Check with reservations to see if there will be a tour during your stay at the Willow or Juniper. If you want to stay at the other treehouses, check to see if they have an active zipline tour. You can check each treehouse here. 

WHAT THE HECK IS THERE TO DO?

Cypress Valley Canopy Tours provides a guide on the list of nearby activities. The compound itself has tours and ziplining tours, but because of COVID, those are closed for now. There is a pool and small recreational area, but not much aside from just sitting outside and enjoying nature. Of course, you can always do a leisurely walk around the compound and see the different treehouses along the way.

The most obvious thing to do is to visit Lake Travis to swim or boat. The Lighthouse Restaurant and Lounge has a beautiful view of the Briarcliff Marina at Lake Travis. You can enjoy a refreshing drink, eat, and then head down to the marina and rent a boat!

With the countless activities you can do in Spicewood, Texas, I actually came here to enjoy the serene and peaceful isolation from the city. I had never enjoyed waking up early in the morning until now—the clean morning air, the sound of swaying leaves in the trees from the cool breeze, and of course, a nice hot cup of coffee to tingle your insides.

Yes, exactly that.

Overall, the stay was wonderful. The treehouse was an experience I’ve never had before. However, the minimum stay was 2 days. I’m guessing it’s because of COVID and they are limiting the turnaround of guests. For me, 1 day was adequate considering the limitations of amenities. It’s basically just a bedroom in the trees, so living conditions for 2 days was tough if you are not prepared. I think if we stayed at the other treehouses that have full amenities, 2 days would’ve been more fitting.

With all that said, though, I’d do it again. If they offer 1 day on the Willow and Juniper treehouses, I’d reserve those treehouses again. If 2 days is the minimum, I would definitely want to try the Lofthaven Treehouse.

If you’re looking for another glamping idea in Texas, how about a cabin in the woods with a ginormous window? Check out my stay at The Getaway House .