•leavenworth tiny house village•
a tiny house getaway that's big on fun
07•17•2022
If you are looking for a unique and fun stay in Washington State, the Leavenworth Tiny House Village offers just that. Located only 30 minutes north of the cute Bavarian town of Leavenworth, a stay here offers the opportunity to hike nearby, take advantage of resort amenities and activities, and enjoy Bavarian sausages and pretzels to your heart’s content as you explore Leavenworth.
•getting to the tiny house village•
The Leavenworth Tiny Houses are located in the Thousand Trails Leavenworth resort, offering plenty of fun activities and amenities. Looking at a map of the entire resort at Thousand Trails Leavenworth, you will see that these Petite Retreats are located right near the Alpine Trout Pond, which is a nice, peaceful setting. There are plenty of campsites near the row of five tiny houses. We usually visit with a larger group and some folks stay in the tiny houses while others RV and tent camp nearby. This gives plenty of options to groups with different lodging preferences!
Thousand Trails Leavenworth is located a little more than two hours from Seattle. Depending on where you are coming from in the Seattle area, you will take either US-2 over Stevens Pass, or I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. Either drive is scenic and beautiful once you get outside the city, although US-2 is two lanes in many places and can become congested, especially on weekends.
We normally travel to the Leavenworth area via I-90 and then take US-2 through Leavenworth and along Tumwater Canyon until the turnoff for Thousand Trails. Tumwater Canyon is gorgeous with views of mountains, the Wenatchee River, a dam, and waterfalls. This route takes you through Leavenworth, which can be a nice stop or a preview of the town but could also be challenging depending on traffic. If you take this route and need a pit stop, sometimes we stop at the 97 Rock House on US-97 before reaching Leavenworth. They have a small store, clean restrooms, hot and deli food items, espresso drinks, and most importantly for our kids, ice cream and milkshakes! There are also several fruit stand options as you get close to Leavenworth, offering fresh produce and locally made snacks, jams, cider, salsa, and more. We have stopped at both Prey’s Fruit Barn and Smallwood’s Harvest and would recommend either one.
Note that when you arrive at Thousand Trails, you check in at the main entrance, which is about a mile down the main road from where the tiny homes are located.
•The Tiny Houses•
There are five tiny homes to choose from, each with its own theme and layout. All of the tiny homes feel very modern, clean, bright, and well-maintained. They offer important amenities for those who prefer “glamping” to camping, including heating and air conditioning, a television with basic cable, wi-fi, a decently spacious tiny-home-sized fridge with freezer (except in tiny home Hanna, see below), a cook-top (but no oven), and basic cooking and dining tools. This includes a coffee maker, microwave, dinnerware, glassware, and silverware. There are also a few bonuses such as coffee filters and paper towels.
Another super important feature is the full bathroom which does include a toilet, shower, and the tiniest little sink you’ll ever use! The bathroom is by no means spacious, but it 100% beats using the nearby campground facilities, especially in the middle of the night!
Outside you will find that each tiny home has a grill and a nearby picnic table so that you can also enjoy some meals outdoors if you’d like, and there is a firepit with a few chairs that is shared by the tiny homes.
Most of the main sleeping areas in these tiny homes are mattresses in the loft of the home. I do want to be clear that these sleeping arrangements are not for everyone! You have to climb a narrow and steep wooden staircase to get to the loft, and there is not much clearance over the mattresses, which sit directly on the loft floor. You certainly will not be able to stand up in the loft, and likely will crawl from the top of the staircase onto the bed. Navigating to the bathroom during the night can be an adventure! But if you are up for it, it’s definitely a unique way to stay. The beds do include linens and pillows, which is thankfully the case because I cannot imagine making a bed up there!
Of the five tiny homes, we have stayed in Belle, Adeline, and Rudolph. Belle has probably been my favorite due to the size and the layout. Here is an overview of the different tiny home options:
- Belle is located furthest from the lake, and it offers just over 300 square feet of space. You enter the home into a small eating area for two and a kitchen. Behind the kitchen, separated by the stairs that lead to the loft, is a sitting room with a futon-style couch and television, and the bathroom is in the back of the home. Located in the upstairs loft there is a queen bed and a twin bed. The website says this tiny home sleeps 4-5, which I think would be crowded. In my opinion, this tiny home is probably best for 3 or possibly 4 if your group includes children.
- Adeline is closest to the lake and is almost 300 square feet in size. You enter into the eating area and kitchen, and this home does not have much of a sitting area for hanging out. Instead, it has a separate twin “bedroom” on the first floor in the back of the home next to the bathroom. I put bedroom in quotes because there is no door to the bedroom, but rather a doorway opening that is maybe 18-24 inches wide that allows you to crawl onto the bed. There is no space on either side between the bed and the walls, so it is snug! In the loft you will find a queen and a twin bed, allowing this home to comfortably sleep 4 guests.
- Rudolf is next to Belle and is 250 square feet. You enter into the sitting and dining area and the kitchen and bathroom are in the back of the home. The sitting area has a futon-style couch, and the loft offers one twin and one queen mattress. Again, Rudolf can technically sleep 4-5, but it is probably most comfortable for 3 or possibly 4 people at most.
- Otto is between Adeline and Hanna and it has a very similar floor plan to Rudolf, but is slightly larger at 287 square feet.
- Hanna is the smallest of the tiny homes at just 181 square feet, sleeping 2 people in a queen bed in the loft. Note that based on the pictures, it also has a much smaller fridge/freezer than the other tiny homes.
Whichever tiny home you stay in, I strongly recommend packing lightly! There is not really space in these homes for you to spread out suitcases, so we usually end up storing our things on an extra bed or the futon couch, which then obviously consumes those spaces. There’s no room in the bathroom for toiletries either. So you have to get creative about how you pack and store your belongings!
•Activities at Thousand Trails•
Since the tiny homes are located in the Thousand Trails RV resort, you can take advantage of their amenities during your stay. Some of the activities that we have enjoyed, which are included at no extra charge, are:
- Swimming Pool – There is a large outdoor swimming pool. They did say that it is heated, although we found it to be chilly in June. I am sure it would be refreshing on hot summer days though!
- Outdoor Sports – We checked out the basketball court while we were there. You will also find pickleball and tennis courts, and a sand volleyball court.
- Mini-Golf – There is a mini-golf course nestled in the trees near the main entrance, which the kids and adults all enjoyed!
- Bike Trails – We tried the bear cub bike trail, which was perfect for younger kids. It’s also fun to have bikes for getting around the campground, although make sure that you have a way to secure them at night as there’s no room in the tiny houses.
Thousand Trails Mini Golf Course
•The Surrounding Area•
If you would like to venture a little further, there are plenty of activities not far from the tiny homes:
- Leavenworth – One day I will write an entire post about Leavenworth, but basically, as mentioned above, this is a cute and very popular little Bavarian mountain town. There are lots of shops, bakeries, restaurants, and even a nutcracker museum. It gets very crowded on weekends, especially if there is a festival such as Oktoberfest or their winter celebration. But it is definitely worth exploring for a few hours. We always enjoy getting sausages and pretzels from the Munchen House restaurant, dessert from the Gingerbread Factory, and doing some shopping. And the best part is that you get to return to the quieter and more relaxed atmosphere at your tiny home when you are done exploring!
- Hiking – There are tons of great hiking opportunities in the Leavenworth area. My husband and I stayed at these tiny homes and did a day-hike to the very popular Colchuck Lake in the Enchantments. It’s a bit of a drive and would be closer to just stay the night in Leavenworth, but we like the relaxing atmosphere of the tiny homes over the crowds in Leavenworth.
- Lake Wenatchee State Park – This state park is only 15 minutes from the tiny homes and offers hiking trails and all sorts of water activities including swimming, boating, fishing, etc.
Whether you want to cross off sleeping in a tiny house from your bucket list, you’re looking for a quieter home base to explore Leavenworth, or you just want a fun getaway with lots of activities, the Leavenworth Tiny House Village is a great place to visit!
