Cozy Cannaley Treehouse Village opens in May, begins rentals in July
“It’s essentially a hotel in the sky.”
By Tom Henry / The Blade
Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:19:00 GMT
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A highly anticipated project that appears destined to become Lucas County’s premier “glamping” experience - overnight stays at the soon-to-be-finished Cannaley Treehouse Village at Oak Openings Preserve Metropark - has created such a buzz that a lottery system is being created for the first 1½ years of reservations.
The drawing will be in early May, in conjunction with the grand opening and ribbon-cutting.
Here are some important developments to know about the offering, which has attracted both local and national attention:
■ Overnight stays begin the second week of July.
■ Camping will be allowed every Wednesday through Sunday night only. Metroparks Toledo is indefinitely reserving every Monday and Tuesday for public tours or special events.
■ The first 1½ years of Wednesday-thru-Sunday reservations are being awarded through a special raffle in early May. Scott Carpenter, park district spokesman, said the drawing will be at a public event the park district will host with Imagination Station to help create an even bigger buzz. Thousands of entries are expected, based on the response thus far and how widely the project has been embraced by national media outlets.
■ Although the actual date in May of the drawing for those reservations has not yet been scheduled, here’s how you can enter the raffle: Go to the metroparkstoledo.com, beginning on Feb. 3 to enter your name and contact information.
The park district’s website will go live that day for online entries, according to Matt Killam, Metroparks Toledo chief of community outreach and experience.
If you’ve already contacted the park district in writing, you’re entered. Mr. Killam told The Blade that the park district has received hundreds of unsolicited requests, and will include them in the drawing. There is no cost to enter. Winners will be allowed to choose from available dates and units.
■ Prices start at $30 a night for a tent platform to $500 a night for the clubhouse, or commons, that can hold up to 49 people. The other initial rates will be $150 a night for the two-person units; $200 a night for the four-person units, and $225 a night for the six-person units. Discounts will be applied for all renters who have purchased Metroparks Toledo memberships, which start at $40 annually for individuals and $55 annually for families.
During her update before the park district’s board on Wednesday, Emily Ziegler, park district chief of planning and capital projects, showed interior photographs of the units and talked about amenities such as cabinets, counter tops, and wood flooring.
Each unit will be equipped with electricity and heat. Mr. Killam told The Blade after the meeting. The plan is to have Wednesday-Sunday rentals available year-round, even during winter.
“It’s essentially a hotel in the sky,” Mr. Killam said. “The insides are exceptional.”
He smirked when told it doesn’t sound like a hardcore, rustic experience.
“They are modern rustic,” he said. “They will have whimsy and interest.”
Each unit will have its own theme, according to Ms. Ziegler’s presentation to the board.
The clubhouse, or commons, will be called “Flatwood Commons,” in recognition of a type of forested wetland native to Oak Openings.
One unit will be called “The Dragline,” in recognition of the strand of silk that spiders spin as the frame of their webs.
Another will be called “The Nest,” a nod to the region’s popular birding community. It will feature a loft and is expected to help market northwest Ohio’s biggest ecotourism event, The Biggest Week in American Birding, each May.
Another unit is being dubbed “The Hub,” in recognition of a bicycle wheel’s center. That will be the unit with direct access to the closest bicycling-hiking trail.
The six-person rental will be called “The Stable,” to help promote the Oak Openings region’s equestrian trail. Reclaimed wood from a nearby horse stable has been used to build that one.
The three tent platforms will be called “The Perch,” “The Drey,” and “The Lair.”
What’s a drey?
It’s another name for a squirrel’s nest, Ms. Ziegler said.
She and other park district officials said they consider the treehouse village one of their most exciting projects. They expect it to immediately become one of northwest Ohio’s more popular ecotourism destinations.
It has received national attention, and Mr. Carpenter said there will be another push for national media exposure in the weeks leading up to the grand opening.
But first, there are a few more finishing touches in order.
The site will have a modern restroom built on the ground. There will be a boardwalk and plenty of lighting, plus other walkways. A communal fire pit is being built instead of individual fire pits. There also will be a paved driveway from a parking lot about a quarter-mile away.
The commons and a four-person unit will be ADA-compliant, and rangers will provide shuttle service between the parking lot and the treehouse village for those unable to walk or in need of help with large amounts of camping gear.
Vehicles will be allowed to unload passengers and gear next to the treehouse village, but will not be allowed to park next to it for more than a few minutes at a time, Mr. Killam said.
After the ribbon-cutting in mid-May, public tours will be offered daily from then until unit rentals begin in July.
“We’re heading toward the finish line with construction,” Ms. Ziegler said.