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If there’s one thing your bucket list is missing, it’s a stay in a shipping container turned into a cozy vacation rental.
Shipping container homes are a popular trend that fall under the tiny home movement. Usually considered a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional buildings, most shipping container homes are built from decommissioned units that would otherwise sit unused.
And because most shipping containers measure roughly 8 feet wide by 20 or 40 feet long, their small footprint means you can find these unique homes in some of the most beautiful places around the country. It’s not unusual to find shipping container homes in the backyard of traditional homes or in tiny forest clearings where it’d be nearly impossible to build something larger.
See for yourself why shipping container homes in the U.S. have grown in popularity with this list of the best across the country.
Related Read:15 Amazing Airbnb Monthly Rentals Around the U.S.
1. The Helm
Why you should stay: Modern two-bedroom with reclaimed wood not far from Waco’s famous Magnolia Market.
- Location: Waco, TX
- Sleeps: 6
- Minimum stay: 1 night
- Rates from: $144/night
The Helm is an Airbnb Plus listing, which means it’s been recognized for its exceptional features. The luxurious space consists of two containers stacked on top of each other. The ground level is the high-end kitchen with an espresso machine, a well-appointed living room, and the first bedroom.
Outside, a spiral staircase leads to the beautiful rooftop deck and the second bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. Each of the two bathrooms has a walk-in shower and complimentary toiletries. While relaxing, you’d never know you were in a shipping container home.
2. Shipping Container Tiny Home
Why you should stay: Desert oasis at a glamping resort 10 minutes from the Joshua Tree National Park entrance.
- Location: Joshua Tree, CA
- Sleeps: 2
- Minimum stay: 1 night
- Rates from: $275/night
This shipping container tiny home is at a stylish glamping resort that blends the joy of camping with hotel-like comforts. During the day, soak up some sun on the private rooftop deck with plush loungers, and in the evening, sit beneath the stars as a fire burns in your private pit. Travelers with pets are more than welcome for an additional fee.
This dreamy resort sits on 12 acres of the Mojave Desert and boasts a communal sun deck around a pool.There are several lodging options here, making it a good pick if someone in your group wants a shipping container home and someone else wants to camp or sleep in a tent. And the cheapest option starts at just $55 a night.
Follow ‘em: @TheCastleHouseEstate
3. Riverside Hideout
Why you should stay: Rustic and remote getaway with fabulous outdoor space in the Midwest’s forested Amish Country.
- Location: Dover, OH
- Sleeps: 4
- Minimum stay: 1 night
- Rates from: $190/night
Styled with recycled materials inside and out, the Riverside Hideout is a vacation rental with a lot of character. From the bicycle frame table to the corrugated tin shower, the eclectic decor is full of rustic charm. In the backyard, guests can enjoy lounging on the deck beneath the eye-catching bike-tire trellis.
The deck is also furnished with a grill, plenty of seating, and a bubbling hot tub. The hosts have added personal touches such as board games and a photo album detailing their container home’s journey. Dogs are welcome with a few basic rules, and note that there’s a $10 fee per night for each person after the first two guests.
Follow ‘em: @Riverside_Hideout
4. Cam’s Container Tiny Home
Why you should stay: Bright and airy shipping container home with bay views 20 minutes from Newport.
- Location: North Kingstown, RI
- Sleeps: 2
- Minimum stay: 2 nights
- Rates from: $200/night
Cam’s Container Tiny Home is a lovely place to call home for a visit to Newport, Jamestown, or Narragansett. It’s just a quick drive from several fabulous Rhode Island beaches and just a speedy ferry ride from beautiful Martha’s Vineyard.
Thickets of trees surround the deck adding a touch of privacy (and scenic beauty). The home also features an eco-friendly dry-flush toilet, a well-appointed kitchenette, and a double bed that stores in the ceiling via an innovative pulley system.
Related Read:12 Charming Barndominiums for Your Next Rural Getaway
5. The Crazy Coup
Why you should stay: Gorgeous group rental with exceptional amenities 20 minutes from downtown Scottsdale.
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Sleeps: 12
- Minimum stay: 5 nights
- Rates from: $600/night
The Crazy Coup is unique as far as group rentals go in that it includes a four-bedroom home plus a separate shipping container home to serve as a second guest suite. Stylish and contemporary decor fill both residences, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The main home’s transparent garage door connects the gourmet kitchen to the outdoors and a brick fireplace and piano add a touch of elegance. In the yard, you can take a dip in the heated in-ground pool, get your sweat on at the open-air gym, or sit fireside as chickens cluck in their coup nearby.
6. The Box Hop
Why you should stay: Insta-famous cabin on 18 acres near Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park.
- Location: Rockbridge, OH
- Sleeps: 6
- Minimum stay: 1 night
- Rates from: $427/night
The Box Hop is an eye-catching configuration of three shipping containers with various places to relax both inside and out. Modern finishes and fabulous amenities amaze guests and contribute the nearly perfect rating, including a fireplace, soaking tub, and spiral staircase.
The upper shipping container houses two bedrooms and a glass garage door that opens to the upper-level patio. When the weather’s nice, you’ll want to spend most of your time lounging on the first floor’s spacious deck, complete with a hot tub, grill, and a fire table. Definitely check out Hocking Hills while you’re there — it’s one of the best state parks in the state with several hike trails past waterfalls and caverns.
Follow ‘em: @TheBoxHop
7. Denver Shipping Container Home
Why you should stay: Spacious and sun-filled shipping container home 10 minutes from downtown Denver.
- Location: Denver, CO
- Sleeps: 8
- Minimum stay: 3 nights
- Rates from: $650/night
This Denver shipping container home is like no other. It boasts a whopping 3,000 square feet of living space, charming industrial vibes, and soaring ceilings. And along the wall of the living room is an impressively long glass door you can open for a fresh breeze.
Other excellent amenities include a luxurious main bedroom with a private balcony, a screen projector in the second living room, and a large grassy yard with a grilling station. Unlike most shipping container homes, this one has a whopping five bedrooms to accommodate large groups and families.
8. Salida Shipping Container
Why you should stay: Vibrant, modern home in a Rocky Mountain town consistently recognized by travel magazines for its charm.
- Location: Salida, CO
- Sleeps: 5
- Minimum stay: 3nights
- Rates from: $200/night
Wake up to rolling valley and mountain views at the homey Salida shipping container. Inside, the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows let sunshine fill the well-appointed space (and ensure you have amazing views).
The hosts provide guests with a wide selection of yard games and a fire pit for evenings filled with s’mores. There’s also a two-car garage and laundry facilities, which will come in handy when you get dirty enjoying nearby mountain biking, hiking, skiing, and white-water rafting. Head just north from the home to the town of Nathrop for a huge variety of trails.
9. Shipping Container Guest Home
Why you should stay: Artsy, coastal getaway near quaint port towns and the entrance to Olympic National Park.
- Location: Gardiner, WA
- Sleeps: 3
- Minimum stay: 1night
- Rates from: $190/night
The first thing to catch your eye at this shipping container guest home is the vibrant ocean mural coating its walls. But the second thing you’ll notice is certainly the incredible panoramic views overlooking Discovery Bay and the San Juan Islands. Inside, calming neutrals and high-end granite and stainless steel finishes create a comfortable place to unwind.
The yard is also pretty impressive with its balcony, wooden deck with patio furniture, and fire pit. You can bring a dog for $20 a night, the hosts can provide yoga mats during your stay, and you can even request canvases and paint supplies if you want to sit on the porch and let the creative juices flow.
10. Pisgah Highlands Container Cabin
Why you should stay: Glamping cabin in a prime location for exploring Asheville and the trails of Pisgah National Forest.
- Location: Upper Hominy, NC
- Sleeps: 2
- Minimum stay: 2 nights
- Rates from: $132/night
At this Pisgah Highlands container cabin, you can relax in the great outdoors while enjoying modern conveniences. Although tiny, this little shipping container home features a transparent garage door to connect your living space to the outside. To avoid mosquitos, simply roll down the garage door’s bug screen.
Surrounding the home is a lovely deck with a fireplace and an outhouse equipped with a solar-powered shower. The interior has cozy touches like a record player and a dry kitchenette with complimentary drinking water. It’s also near Asheville, a town known for fantastic outdoor recreation. And you can even bring you pup along, but make sure to bring a crate if you plan to leave them at the house. Oh, and bring your own linens, too – a sleeping bag will do.
11. Woodstock Shipping Container Home
Why you should stay: Catskills shipping container home in the woods perfect for fall leaf peeping.
- Location: Mount Tremper, NY
- Sleeps: 8
- Minimum stay: 2 nights
- Rates from: $743/night
Plan a relaxing staycation at this homey Woodstock shipping container home brimming with fun and eclectic decor. The hosts are highly reviewed for their excellent hospitality and often share seasonal veggies and farm-fresh eggs with guests.
It may look like a barn, but it’s actually a shipping container home, which you’ll see when you notice some of the accent inside. However, you may not notice them at all, since the outdoor living space is unbelievable and has plenty of space for everyone in the house.
“It is very stylishly appointed, the architecture is unique and cool, and it is perched with a beautiful view of the mountains. You can tell a lot of thought was put into this home.”
12. L3nee’s Lay-Up
Why you should stay: Lux cabin with an indoor basketball court near Ohio’s most striking natural landmarks.
- Location: Logan, OH
- Sleeps: 4
- Minimum stay: 2 nights
- Rates from: $579/night
L3nee’s Lay-Up is an elegant, two-bedroom airbnb in the heart of Ohio’s Hocking Hills. It’s impressively balanced, down to the shaped trees outside the front door.
But what’s most amazing about this home are the add-ons – how many shipping container homes have you seen with indoor basketball courts, covered outdoor living spaces, and swinging love seats? There’s also a relaxing hot tub, a fire pit, grill, and ample seating, and you’re near all kinds of fun outdoor recreation in case you somehow get bored at home.
Follow ‘em: CreativeCabinsLLC
13. Envase Casa
Why you should stay: Striking shipping container home with an impressive game room 25 minutes from Zion National Park.
- Location: Glendale, UT
- Sleeps: 12
- Minimum stay: 1 night
- Rates from: $300/night
The Envase Casa is a dynamic vacation rental consisting of two extra-large shipping containers with an asymmetrical layout. There are several usable outdoor spaces, including a patio with a grill and an upper-level balcony with plush seating and unobstructed views.
When you step inside, the home’s bright and airy atmosphere paired with unique features (check out that spiral staircase) are sure to grab your attention. This will be awesome basecamp for planning a trip to Zion National Park, but you’ll also be quite close to Bryce Canyon, the Peek-a-Boo slot canyon, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Follow ‘em: @EnvaseCasa
14. The Valhalla Sky Suite
Why you should stay: Nature escape in the Blue Ridge Mountains by the Chattanooga River, cascading waterfalls, and forested hiking trails.
- Location: Walhalla, SC
- Sleeps: 3
- Minimum stay: 1 night
- Rates from: $225/night
Farmhouse chic meets contemporary design at The Valhalla Sky Suite, a one-bedroom shipping container home with a pull-out sofa bed in case you’re three people traveling together who don’t want to share one room. Experience a new level of self care in the home’s incredible bathroom that you would not expect to find in a former shipping container, with floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the claw-foot tub and rain shower in natural light.
Other noteworthy features include a projector and screen in the bedroom and a fenced-in yard with a fire pit. There’s also a sun deck with bar stools and turf overlooking the forest. And if you have a slightly larger group, talk to the owner about renting the other home on-site that sleeps an additional two guests.
Additonal Read: 12 Unique Airbnbs in Missouri, from St. Louis to the Ozarks
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