Hilltop cabin retreat with lake & mountain views

Entire guesthouse in Escondido, California

  1. 2 guests
  2. 1 bedroom
  3. 1 bed
  4. 1 bath
Hosted by Nicholas & Mara
  1. Superhost
  2. 6 years hosting

Listing highlights

Amazing outdoor space

Guests mention the pool, grill, and garden as highlights.

Great check-in experience

Recent guests loved the smooth start to this stay.

Beautiful area

Guests love this home’s scenic location.
Rustic hilltop cabin overlooking Lake Hodges. Surrounded by open canyons & mountains, you will feel like you're a million miles away from everything as you take in the views from the cabin, deck or the outside shower, swim in the saltwater pool, or relax by the fire bowl. A short walk to lake with boating, fishing & miles of hiking/mountain biking trails. Property offers swimming pool, fire bowl, and shaded arbor. SD Zoo Safari Park, wineries, breweries, & ocean beaches all within easy reach.

The space
This unique, cozy cabin is in the charming, rural community of Del Dios. There’s also a tiny house (airbnb.com/h/lakehodgestinyhouse), which we designed and handcrafted ourselves, also available on Airbnb. (Book both for up to 5 guests at: airbnb.com/h/lakehodgesretreat).

Situated in an oasis-like setting, a short walk from the lake, both the cabin and the tiny house are perfect for a romantic get away or a chance to relax, recharge, and commune with nature. The tiny house and the cabin each have their own private, outdoor shower and other outdoor amenities as well as sharing the swimming pool and firebowl.

Enjoy stunning panoramic views of the lake, mountains, and canyons from the outdoor shower, explore the extensive cactus and succulent garden, have a relaxing massage, and visit Cinnamon and Frost, our friendly Nigerian dwarf goats. While the cabin offers a more rustic experience, the tiny house offers many more creature comforts including air conditioning & heating, a full kitchen, TV, a washer & dryer, an indoor bathroom (in addition to the outdoor shower) w/a flush toilet, and an indoor dining area. The cabin has a comfy, queen bed and a small sleeping loft.

Why not schedule a relaxing, full-body massage during your stay? You can book an individual or couples' massage with Shana, a fantastic, licensed massage therapist. Your massage can either be on site or at Shana's house just a two minute walk from our property. Let us know ahead of time if you would like to arrange for a massage during your visit.

Guest access
Guests have the cabin, tiny bathroom building, outdoor shower, and shaded arbor with table and chairs and picnic table all to themselves as well as an outdoor gas grill and small outdoor food storage & preparation area by the pool. They share with us permanent residents and guests at the tiny house, the salt-water pool and seating around the fire bowl.

Other things to note
Getting to the cabin does require following a winding path past our main house, two koi ponds, the pool (e.g. human pond), the arbor, and to the cabin. This is about 180 paces, and there are five little flights of stairs along the path.
The bathroom is a little building behind the cabin, with a cold-water sink, a mirror, and an easy, odor-free composting toilet. There is also the outdoor shower and sink, both with warm water.
There is a coffee maker (BYOC), mini fridge, microwave, sink, gas grill with side burner, counter, and cabinet with dishes, utensils, and pots & pans for guests to use for food preparation and storage. These are on the patio by the pool.

Where you’ll sleep

What this place offers

Mountain view
Lake access
Kitchen
Wifi
Free street parking

5 nights in Escondido

Aug 18, 2025 - Aug 23, 2025

Rated 4.91 out of 5 from 832 reviews.

Guest favorite
This home is a guest favorite based on ratings, reviews, and reliability
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Overall rating

  1. 5 stars, 93% of reviews
  2. 4 stars, 5% of reviews
  3. 3 stars, 1% of reviews
  4. 2 stars, 0% of reviews
  5. 1 stars, 0% of reviews

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for value

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Where you’ll be

Escondido, California, United States
This listing's location is verified and the exact location will be provided after booking.

Neighborhood highlights

Area has easy access to hiking/biking/horsing trails. Lake offers boating and fishing (Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, & many others). Beaches and mountains are a short drive away. The San Diego Zoo's Safari Park is about 15 minutes away. Stone Brewing, including their brewery and World Bistro and Gardens, is less than 10 minutes away and there are many other great microbreweries and restaurants nearby.

Meet your host

Superhost
1005 reviews
4.89 out of 5 average rating
6 years of hosting
Born in the 60s
Speaks English and French
We're originally from New York but have lived out here on this property for almost thirty years. We both love gardening, especially with cactus and succulents, cooking (especially breads, jams, & pies), traveling, animals (we have a menagerie), and designing and making things together. Nicko's other passions include woodworking and Mara's hiking & yoga. Together we have built the tiny house & hilltop cabin, (both rentals on the property where we live), a teardrop trailer, a kayak, a standup paddle board, a spiral staircase, nearly all the furniture in our house, and many, many other things. We love meeting new people and are happy to share our place with our guests.

Nicholas & Mara is a Superhost

Superhosts are experienced, highly rated hosts who are committed to providing great stays for guests.

Co-hosts

  • Mara
  • Sophia
  • Magaly

Host details

Response rate: 100%
Responds within an hour
To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.

Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in after 3:00 PM
Checkout before 11:00 AM
2 guests maximum
Safety & property
Pool/hot tub without a gate or lock
Nearby lake, river, other body of water
Heights without rails or protection