Perched on the far side of the Kitsap peninsula, these simple cabins make for an outdoorsy overnight that's practically a commuter's distance from the city. Bluffs overlook the rocky Hood Canal shoreline, and Poulsbo's bakeries are just down the road for provisions.

Just outside of Vancouver, WA, Battle Ground serves as a woody retreat not too far from the Columbia River or the south side of Mount St. Helens. The rentable cabins inside the state park are a short walk to Battle Ground Lake, and pets are welcome. Though tiny, the cabins can sleep five.

The yurts tucked into the woods near a Pacific-facing beach are simple; expect bunk beds, futons, and shared bathrooms. The round tents are sturdy and heated, not to mention most are pet-friendly. Pack the steaks for the charcoal grill outside and think of it as an upgrade from tent camping.

Is a lighthouse keeper’s house really a “cabin”? The residences near the mouth of the Columbia River are charming Victorian relics, though they’re not as cheap as the woodland cabins located nearby. The park also has rentable yurts, beaches, art installations, and an interpretive center to tell the story of how Lewis and Clark stumbled here more than two hundred years ago.

At the site of one of the state’s most dramatic vistas, Deception Pass State Park, like its famous bridge, also spans from Whidbey Island to the mainland. The five cabins are traditional, with parking nearby and firepits outside. A CCC museum tells the history of the twentieth century work crews that constructed much of the nation’s green space infrastructure.

It’s not named for holes in the road; Potholes Reservoir is a marshy freshwater lake surrounded by desert. It’s well prepared for fishers, boasting four boat ramps and 60 feet of dock space. Though the five cabins are rustic in many ways—no cooking inside, no plumbing—they do have the most important amenity of all: air-conditioning. 

The Eastern Washington state park has the coolest rental on the state park system, a 14-by-14-foot fire lookout perched on top of Quartz Mountain, with a deck (and windows, obviously) that go all the way around. You can see into Idaho from the high spot, and the space can sleep four. There’s no electricity, but there’s really no need with the propane stove and campfire ring outside. 

One of Oregon's southernmost state parks feels more like Northern California, thanks to the grove of redwood trees and more sunshine than the rest of the coast. Wood cabins set along the Chetco River have decorative touches along the front porches.

Though most of Oregon's rentable accommodations sit along the coast, this site along the John Day River in the northeastern part of the state is strikingly distinct. Rolling grasslands give way to dramatic riverside cliffs and winter snow stacks on the cabin roofs. Here visitors should take note to avoid rattlesnakes—not a problem you find at most weekend getaways.

Though some are categorized as rustic, other cabins at this south-of-Bend state park get the deluxe label and they rival any vacation house booked on Airbnb: think TVs, microwaves, and showers. Situated under ponderosa pine and along the Deschutes River, the spot is ideal for river floating in summer and cross-country skiing in winter.