Off Grid Inn - a Unique Wisconsin Airbnb Cabin Experience
In a remote area 30 minutes outside of Eau Claire, Wisconsin sits a pair of unique tiny home cabins that were recently given the title of ‘most wish-listed’ in the state of Wisconsin on Airbnb. The tiny homes are the brainchild of four University of Minnesota graduates, who built these stunning modern and minimal tiny homes themselves, inspired by nature and the great outdoors. The two cabins sit on a five-acre area of land in a forest, far apart enough that you can’t see the other cabin, and it feels like your own private forest. We were lucky enough to stay at their second cabin, which is farther back in the woods, and a little larger than the first unit.
Highlights of the Off-Grid Tiny Home #2
This tiny home is BEAUTIFUL and we absolutely loved the giant windows and cozy vibes of the all-wood design. It was perfect for a couple’s getaway, but would be good for a small group of 3-4 friends as well. You feel completely immersed in nature while having the luxury of a bathroom, kitchen, etc that you normally don’t have when camping.
the space
The main living area of the cabin is one long room with three huge windows, and two smaller screened-in windows that you can open to let the breeze in on a cooler day. The queen bed sits right up against one of the main windows, and the light comes in here so beautifully through the trees. Our first morning we woke up to see deer outside the window.
There is a desk/ table area right behind the bed. There is only one chair though, so I wish there was a way to add a table or coffee table in the lounge area to eat at on rainy days together.
The Kitchen
Since the closest restaurant is about 12-15 minutes away, it’s so nice to have the little kitchen area! There is an induction stovetop with two burners. (side note, I loved how the trees reflected off the stove. It felt almost like a picture frame on the counter) There is also a little fridge under the counter, but it’s not very big so don’t pack too much food that needs to be kept cold. If you want to keep beers or other drinks cold bring a cooler and grab ice on your way there.
They also have these well-designed pull-out drawers in the kitchen that hold the pot and two pans, utensils, cutting board, cups, bowls, plates, silverware, and coffeemaker. We also brought our little camping grill along but didn’t use it that much due to the rain.
Movie Projector
Speaking of rain, it rained the majority of our two-night stay here, but we didn’t mind one bit because it was so cozy to watch the rain coming down outside the windows. At night the sound of the rain put me right to sleep. One feature we really appreciated during our rainy stay was the fact that they have a projector you can connect to your device and watch movies on! Download some Netflix shows and movies to your device before you leave - they have a wifi hotspot available, but recommend download big files ahead of your arrival. The projector also works as a bluetooth speaker to listen to music with. They also had some decks of cards that came in clutch.
COLOR CHANGING Lights
The main house, entryway, and bathroom all have Philips Hue lights set up that you can customize the colors for from the Hue app downloaded to your phone. (download the app ahead of time) It was really fun to change the lighting colors at night!
Bathroom
The bathroom has yellow tile and color-changing lights. It’s right off to the left of the covered walkway across from the doorway to the main living area. It has a shower, sink, and composting toilet. The composting toilet is easy to use as long as you read the instructions the host sends you before using :) The shower has shampoo, conditioner, and towels so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own. The house has well water, and while there is warm water for your shower, the water pressure isn’t as strong as it is for most showers you are used to.
Firepit
The firepit area has bench seating and several piles of unsplit firewood around. But I would recommend picking up some firewood before you arrive to be sure you have dry wood. Since it was raining, we didn’t get to enjoy the firepit but hopefully we get to on a future visit. Thinking the fall leaves surrounding this tiny house would be stunning!
PARKING
You can fit 1-2 cars in a spot next to the walking path that leads up to the house. The rain made things pretty muddy outside, so the path covered in woodchips was great to have!
Heat and AC
There is a little unit under to counter in the main living area of the tiny house that puts out both air conditioning and heat. You can control the temperature with a remote. There were also additional space heaters in the main house and bathroom.
IMportant Things to note
If you are coming as a group of 3 or 4 I would bring extra pillows and blankets or sleeping bags, although they do have some extras in the drawers underneath, as well as heated blankets.
The sink does not have a garbage disposal so just be sure to scrape everything off your plates into the trash before washing them.
In one of the drawers, they also had a few decks of cards, a lighter, and an HDMI connector for the projector that connects to an iPhone. However, I would recommend bringing your own HDMI connector in case.
There is another tiny home at the front of the property, but the only time you can see the other cabin is when you pass it coming down the driveway.
Reminder that the stove is an induction stove. If you bring your own pots and pans BE SURE THEY ARE INDUCTION COMPATIBLE.
The best spot for the projector is on the desk behind the bed and works great with the curtain. It won’t obviously be high def like a TV, but it was absolutely charming to have in the cabin.
There isn’t much space for coats, bags, etc. Wasn’t a big deal for our two-night May stay, but I could see it being hard in the winter with coats, and multiple layers not really having a place to go.
Service is spotty in the area unless you have Verizon.
No pets are allowed on the property. While I would love to bring our dog, I could totally see how hard it would be to keep this spot clean with a dog, especially when it’s muddy outside.
It was fun reading through the guest book and hearing about all the special memories made at the Off-Grid Inn. Some of them even made some cute little doodles on the pages. We were sad to leave, but hoping to get back again in the Fall or Spring! I have a feeling though it won’t be easy to snag a booking soon now that it was named the ‘Most Wish-Listed in Wisconsin’ by Airbnb!
Another cabin I highly recommend in Wisconsin is the Woodland House - one of seven properties at Candlewood Cabins. Click below to learn more about this dreamy cabin, and the bedroom with floor to ceiling windows that make you feel like you are sleeping up in the tree tops!
Or check out Nordlys Lodging Co's stunning cabin on 140 acres in Frederic, Wisconsin. The floor-to-ceiling windows, cozy fireplaces, and incredible kitchen make for a serene and cozy winter experience.
