I recently returned from back-to-back weekends at the Maple Treehouse Camp and had a very pleasant…read moreexperience. It was my sixth trip out there over the last two years and it has always been a good time. I generally go in the off-season, when colder temperatures are the norm, because a lot of other people don't. The camp is dog-friendly and I bring my three whenever I go out. There are lots of places nearby to give them a good run. The area is knee-deep in history, and the Treehouse Camp provides a very comfortable and convenient location to all the things that interest me.
The Treehouse Camp is located in Crampton's Gap, on the western slope of South Mountain, overlooking Pleasant Valley. Pleasant Valley is aptly named and provides a very pretty scenic vista to the west. From October Through December, flocks of migratory geese fly over shortly after dawn. It is a nice way to greet the day. The valley itself is dotted with lots of farms and not much else to spoil the view.
The Treehouse Camp offers everything that I need to have a pleasant stay in the area. I use the tree cabins when I go up, because if I wanted to pitch a tent, I would hike the Trail. While I enjoy the backcountry experience, the comforts offered by the cabins in the camp make the cold weather months much more enjoyable. The wood-burning stoves heat the cabins to well over 70 degrees. They also double as cooking surfaces. I have prepared some great meals on those stoves. It takes a bit longer, but when you are in a simple environment, everything does. It forces one to slow down and the food seems to taste that much better.
The cabins offer a rustic experience, but something that any novice could be comfortable in with a little bit of preparation. What you bring will determine how comfortable you are. Knowing how to build a fire is very important to maintaining one's level of comfort. Bring lots of newspaper to get the fire going. Once the cabin starts to heat, everything is good. The cabins, both old and new alike, retain their heat well. You will have to get up in the middle of the night to restock the fire, if you hope to be toasty in the morning.
The cabins differ in age, but I have had positive experiences in both the older and newer ones. I prefer one of the older ones just because it's old stove does everything so well. The quality of the beds differs from one cabin to the other, as do the sizes of the beds. Cabins sleep six (two 2-person beds and two 1-person beds). They are bunked. I bring a foam egg crate to put on top of the mattresses, which I recommend, and sleep like a baby. Flannel sheets are worth bringing in those colder months as well. There is no electricity so one needs to bring lanterns, battery-powered devices and books/games. The bathrooms and Port-a-johns are very clean and conveniently located to the cabins, and the outdoor showers, while low-flow, get the job done. The showers shut down after it starts to freeze, but there is usually an indoor one available if you need it. Each cabin has a good BBQ and fire pit outside. Sites are located far enough from one another that you don't feel like you have a neighbor, at least in the off-season. One can see a bonfire through the dark of night, but the cabins are pretty well spaced out. I have never felt crowded. Summertime crowds would bring a different experience I would imagine, but I have other accommodations out that way during those months, so I cannot say.
The owner of the Treehouse Camp, and her staff, have always been very accommodating towards me when I have come out. I often arrive well after dark, and the wood for my stove is waiting for me, so I can get things going. They have been pleasant and hospitable to me on all of my visits, which is why I keep going back. For a quick drive from the city, I can wake up in a completely different environment. It is well worth the commute and the modest cost to rent a cabin. I look forward to my next trip out that way.
