The 11 Coolest Colorado Airbnbs to Plan a Summer Vacation Around

Colorado’s idyllic mountain towns like Vail and Telluride are undoubtedly popular destinations for winter weekends away, but these high-elevation escapes are just as dreamy—and more affordable—in the summer.

Whether you’re looking for an air-conditioned cabin to serve as your home base for petal peeping, a soft place to lay your head after hiking to Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, or even just a remote retreat where you can spend a weekend in the sound of silence, these Centennial State Airbnbs boast vacancies all summer. Below, 11 of the raddest rentals to spend a summer weekend, from the closest to Denver to the farthest-flung.

The Bird House

• Closest Town: Conifer
• Rough Distance from Denver: 33 miles (40 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starts around $385 per night

Nothing screams “mountain getaway” like staying in a remodeled log cabin from the 1970s. With soaring pine ceilings, a reclining sofa, and a hammock slung beside a wood-burning fireplace in the living room, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom foothills home blends old-school charm with all the modern amenities you might want in your home away from home. A well-stocked kitchen, outdoor grill, and a dining table illuminated by an LED umbrella will please foodies and home chefs, and the Bird House offers three different outdoor decks for unwinding. But the crown jewel is undoubtedly the hot tub, which is perched on the patio like an infinity pool spilling over the mountainside.

Two Dancing Trees

• Closest Town: Breckenridge
• Rough Distance from Denver: 80 miles (1 hour, 45 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starts around $870 per night

Modern design meets mountains majesty in this opulent home that overlooks the Blue River Valley south of Breckenridge. Spend the day meandering through aspen forests, past trickling waterfalls, and high into the alpine tundra to reach the Mohawk Lakes (which are conveniently located to this rental).

But even when the day’s adventures are over, you don’t have to say goodbye to the outdoors. Push open the home’s floor-to-ceiling glass doors and crash on the leather sofa with unobstructed views of Mt. Baldy and Red Mountain. When the sun sets, transition to the spacious outdoor deck and snuggle up beside the gas firepit. And when it’s finally time to wash off the day’s grime in the master suite’s roomy soaking tub, a huge window still provides ridgeline views. This four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home is best enjoyed with lots of friends, so consider getting that girl’s trip out of the group chat and into Blue River.

Contemporary Crib

• Closest Town: Vail
• Rough Distance from Denver: 97 miles (1 hour, 50 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starts around $1,150 per night

You’ll book it to serve as your hiking headquarters, but you may never actually leave. This lavish, four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath home in West Vail has amenities that could keep you occupied for days, including a kitchen outfitted with top-of-the-line appliances for foodies, a family TV room to binge House of the Dragon after a long day on the singletrack, and a massive hot tub with views of the surrounding panoply of peaks. Oak and stone inside the home let Vail’s summertime greenery take center stage through the wall-to-wall windows so you might feel like you’re in a multimillion-dollar treehouse. If your friends get jealous, they can book the nearly identical home right next-door. The only caveat is that you have to book it for a full week, which means you have to commit to seven days of total serenity. Oh darn.

European Getaway

• Closest Town: Buena Vista
• Rough Distance from Denver: 123 miles (2 hours, 20 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starts around $750 per night

If a plane ticket to Paris isn’t in the budget this summer, this three-bedroom getaway in the heart of Buena Vista is the next-best thing. With design details including Spanish-inspired architecture, a spiral exterior staircase, two sets of French doors, century-old reclaimed wood beams, and a wood-burning river-rock fireplace, the home mixes European influences with classic Colorado elements.

This rental is designed to host a crowd: Two of the three bedrooms have their own kitchenettes and separate entrances, while the outdoor areas boast two additional fireplaces, a hot tub, and views of the Collegiate Peaks. If you prefer to while away the hours in the water, spend your stay trout fishing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, and paddleboarding on the Arkansas River (a short walk away). Meanwhile, audiophiles can catch a concert at the nearby Surf Hotel’s Ivy Ballroom or outdoor amphitheater.

Panoramic Paradise

• Closest Town: Carbondale
• Rough Distance from Denver: 170 miles (3 hours, 5 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starts at $1,406 per night

Propped on a hillside in the Roaring Fork Valley, this sprawling, 4,000-square-foot ranch-style home sits on 20 secluded acres of piñon forest. Inside, a minimalist, light-and-airy design scheme emphasizes the panoramic views through strategically placed peak-framing windows. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom home’s layout is ideal for hosting a group of friends or extended family: Bedroom wings on either side of the open-concept kitchen and living room provide privacy while still being connected to the communal spaces. Outside, soak weary muscles in the oversize in-ground hot tub while taking in views of Mt. Sopris, but be warned—the idyllic setting might cause you to involuntarily belt “The Hills Are Alive.”

Perfect Day Getaway

• Closest Town: Loma
• Rough Distance from Denver: 260 miles (4 hours, 5 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starting around $162 per night

Despite being nestled on a quaint farm just a short drive away from Fruita’s epic mountain biking trails, this Western Slope sanctuary isn’t decked out in antlers and cowhide rugs. Instead, you’ll find a spacious kitchen, floor-to-ceiling windows, wood beams, and even a private sauna that give this remote retreat a modern feel. After a long day of tackling technical singletrack—we’re looking at you, Horsethief Bench—unwind on the quiet patio with a pint while you soak in the sweeping views of Colorado National Monument.

Architectural Masterpiece

• Closest Town: Telluride
• Rough Distance from Denver: 362 miles (6 hours, 15 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starts around $625 per night

With 20-foot-tall windows that capture views of Wilson Peak and its aspen-smeared apron, this recently renovated 1980s home is a modern marvel. Designed by architect Jack Young, the boxy, 2,700-square-foot structure is situated on more than two acres in the Ski Ranches neighborhood. Break a sweat on the nearby trails before soothing sore muscles in the home’s private hot tub or steam shower. Or if browsing artisan shops and art galleries is more your summer speed, hop on the gondola in Mountain Village—just three miles from the property—into downtown Telluride. Decked in original art pieces, including a vibrant wall mural that was painted in the ’80s and funky furnishings such as dining chairs sporting carved peacock feathers, the home offers an eclectic and cozy design scheme that’s only enhanced by the natural views.

Kerouac Cabin & Hemingway’s Hideout

• Closest Town: Durango
• Rough Distance from Denver: 337 miles (6 hours, 5 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starting around $175 per night

Inspired by the D-Log cabin that is the Nugget Mountain Bar near Purgatory Resort in Durango, these tiny homes are quintessential mountain living. Both custom-built rentals claim their own hot tub, cedar sauna, and vintage chair-lift swing. Plus, find queen or king beds, modern kitchens, and Internet access. Don’t be surprised if the wide-open vistas of the Needle Mountains inspire you to write masterpieces like their namesakes.

Campfire Ranch Red Mountain Pass

• Closest Town: Silverton
• Rough Distance from Denver: 356 miles (6 hours, 25 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starts around $1,400 per night

If a high-country hut trip is on your Colorado bucket list but trekking up a mountain with a weekend’s worth of supplies on your back sounds a little too adventurous, you’re in luck: This remote cabin alongside Red Mountain Pass has food and concierge services baked into its price. To lighten your load, a hut keeper stays in a building on-site and visits the cabin each day to prep all meals for your group of up to eight people, maintain the property, and offer information and advice about the nearby terrain.

Located at an elevation of 11,200 feet, the cabin blends rustic charm with sweeping mountain views and modern amenities, including a six-person sauna. Though getting there doesn’t require an ounce of physical effort—the hut is accessible with a four-wheel-drive vehicle—the backcountry location is a prime headquarters for hiking, mountain biking, trail running, and fishing your way through the San Juans.

Sage Canyon Cliff House

• Closest Town: Cortez
• Rough Distance from Denver: 381 miles (6 hours, 50 minutes)
• Rate in Summer: Starting around $295 per night

Mesa Verde National Park’s cliff dwellings may be off limits for overnighters, but you can still enjoy some quiet time among the red rock thanks to this unique stay. Situated on the side of Sleeping Ute Mountain, the two-bed house is literally built into the sandstone cliff, with the rock forming walls in the bathroom, kitchen, and living room. There is no TV (though there is WiFi) as the hosts hope to inspire guests to tune into nature instead. Petroglyphs can be found nearby, and wildlife—including deer, marmots, and even bobcats—are frequent visitors.