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Cabin

Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views

Photo gallery for Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views

Exterior
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Unclassified image, 3 of 25, button
Exterior
The Cabin

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • The great outdoors
    Guests love the outdoor space here.
  • Outdoor pool
    The outdoor pool is a refreshing retreat under the open sky - a rare gem in this area.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Lake Hodges Pedestrian Bridge
0+ bathroomsSleeps 3

Popular amenities

  • Private pool
  • Onsite parking available
  • Pet-friendly
  • Kitchenette
  • Barbecue
  • Balcony

Explore the area

View map
Escondido, CA
  • Place, Lake Hodges Pedestrian Bridge
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Place, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
    ‪23 min drive‬
  • Place, LEGOLAND® California
    ‪38 min drive‬
  • Airport, San Diego, CA (SAN-San Diego Intl.)
    ‪46 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

0 bedrooms (sleeps 3)

Cabin

1 Queen Bed

1 half bathroom

Outhouse and Outdoors

Toilet · Outdoor shower

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Outdoor shower
Kitchenette
Balcony
Garden

About this property

Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views

Rustic hilltop cabin overlooking Lake Hodges and surrounding mountains. Queen bed & sleeping for two more in loft. Views from front deck, side deck, shaded arbor, inside cabin, loft, and bed. Urban amenities just a few miles away, but this small private cabin is surrounded by open canyons. Property offers swimming pool, fire bowl, shaded arbor, direct access to hiking/mountain biking trails and, by arrangement, yoga & massage. Ocean beaches, Safari Park & micro-breweries within easy reach.

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 18
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Adults only
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed, service animals permitted
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Remove personal items
Turn off the lights
Heat and AC off.
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
Pets are permitted on a case by case basis with prior approval

Important information

You need to know

Property # 1841361vb
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Some water is reused through a grey water recycling system
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

About the area

Escondido

Located in Del Dios, a neighbourhood in Escondido, this cabin is in a rural area and on a lake. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Moonlight State Beach and Del Mar Beach, while San Diego Zoo Safari Park and LEGOLAND® California are popular area attractions. Del Mar Fairgrounds and California Center For The Arts are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking and windsurfing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails and cycling.
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Map
Escondido, CA

What's nearby

  • Lake Hodges Pedestrian Bridge - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • San Diego Zoo Safari Park - 23 min drive - 17.9 km
  • LEGOLAND® California - 38 min drive - 31.2 km
  • Mission Bay - 42 min drive - 55.9 km
  • Petco Park - 43 min drive - 55.9 km

Getting around

  • San Diego Coaster Sorrento Valley Station - 28 min drive
  • Carlsbad, CA (CLD-McClellan-Palomar) - 37 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪In-N-Out Burger - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Chick-fil-A - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Vintana Wine + Dine - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Panera Bread - ‬5 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views pet-friendly?

No, only service animals are welcome at the property.

How much is parking at Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Hilltop cabin with panoramic lake & mountain views located?

Located in Del Dios, this cabin is 0.2 mi (0.4 km) from Lake Hodges Pedestrian Bridge and within 6 miles (10 km) of Felicita County Park and Stone Brewing. California Center For The Arts and Palomar Medical Center are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 32 out of 39 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 39 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 39 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 39 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 39 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

6.0/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.6/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

8/10 Good

Kristin G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cabin is great, pool is fabulous, but the outdoor shower is amazing!!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Nicholas and Mara are great hosts The cabin is great if you want to disconnect for a bit. Awesome views!
Stayed 1 night in May 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Stefanie m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful views in the most charming cabin. The Pool is picturesque and amazing. A perfect relaxing getaway only 20 mins from the beach!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Robert S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful property, comfy cabin
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jaruska S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The property is truly a special one! The cabin is cozy, clean, and full of artistic charm! It is immersed in and surrounded by pristine nature. We felt very welcomed by the hosts, Mara and Nicholas, and all communication was friendly and timely. We had a wonderfully relaxing and beautiful stay. If you plan your visit, be prepared to wear good shoes, as the path leading to the cabin is fairly steep - but absolutely worth it for the breathtaking views!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2026
Verified

8/10 Good

Randall K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Outstanding view of Lake Hodges. Del Dios has a funky and relaxed vibe. We had a fine dinner at Hernandez Hideaway, the only restaurant in this community. The room was comfortable and filled with lots of fun curios. The bathroom is outside of the cabin, as is the shower. The day we were there it didn't have hot water, but the proprietor promptly addressed the issue. A little inconvenient is the walk down about a floor to the pool for the 'kitchen' facilities; microwave, coffee maker, refrigerator, and kitchen supplies. Beautiful grounds that I could live in with a bit more comfort.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Leslie F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved this property. Pool and outside patio area with kitchen was great! The view from the cabin was wonderful under the stars at night and beautiful to wake up to.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

David I.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This was a perfect little getaway to celebrate my wife's birthday and Nicholas was a great host. We enjoyed the spacious pool until the sun went down and grilled our dinner poolside. In the morning after a comfortable nights sleep, we woke up to the sounds of birds, made coffee, had a light breakfast and enjoyed the amazing view of lake hodge from the deck. The outdoor shower was a nice little experience for us. I mean how could you go wrong showering with a view? This charming little cabin was exactly what we were hoping for and we plan to be back sometime in the near future.Highly recommend.
Morning coffee and breakfast with a view
Outdoor shower(amazing view and plenty of hot water)
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Joy T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This was a great way to start our trip to CA! The hillside garden was wonderful, and a highlight of our stay was sitting out on the deck birdwatching in the morning. Nick was great, and very welcoming.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lindsay F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

very relaxing

a beautiful spot - a great little getaway
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lyanna L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

It was a wonderful stay, we will be back❤️

Everything is as what we expected, spectacular view,
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Verified

8/10 Good

Shiho P.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This place was beautiful! It was a fun stay. There were few things that surprised us though. One was how steep the hills are to get to the cabin. We loved the adventurous feel of it but it was hard to bring our suitcases up and down. Property didn't have any drinkable water and we weren't prepared. We also thought we had pool to ourselves but on the last day we bumped into another guest.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Wes D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely Cabin

This was a great stay with a gorgeous view! What a cool experience. Nicholas was a great host.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

giselle H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing !!

We had an amazing stay here! We had so much fun playing in the pool and relaxing in the sun! The views were outstanding and the hosts were very friendly. What a great time!!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Robert B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Simply amazing

So beautiful, the views, so many varieties of plant life. Thank you so much
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kelsey B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

wish I could have stayed longer

This listing was awesome and the host was so accommodating with arrival and later getting the firepit going for us! The views of the lake were even more breath taking in person and the pool is gorgeous, the cabin was adorable and truly loved everything about this property!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

amy h.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Too short of stay

Enjoyed the nest top on the hill
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Francis C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Best host you could ask for. Mara greeted us at the entrance and escorted us to the house. Absolutely gorgeous. The view, at night, in the morning during the day was simply amazing. The shower was large spacious and plenty of hot water!!! The toilet was spot on also, basic simple to use and eco friendly. We plan on coming back and just staying at the house. This trip me had prior commitments and could not really just take in and enjoy the full environment that Nick and Mara have created
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Haley G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The outdoor space and the view are incredible

Amazing views of Lake Hodges. The deck patio first step is broken and my wife rolled her ankle on it right before we left. Other than that and inconsistency in the hot water for the shower, it was an awesome space with two sweet goats and chickens!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Charlie T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Views to die for!

A cute cabin up on the hill. A trail up to the garden , through a jungle, duck under beautiful huge cactus, Not your ordinary Vrbo; the outdoor shower was exilerating, composting toilet was a new experience. The mist on the lake in the morning was spectacular. The pool would be great on a hot summer day. I might build a couple cabins at my ranch in the mountains.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023
Verified

6/10 Okay

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, communication
Quiet location and beautiful property. The owner was kind and met us as we arrived. The quaint, hilltop cabin had a breathtaking view of Lake Hodges and the surrounding Mountains. However the futon mattress was too hard and lumpy for both our backs. My husband and I couldn’t sleep well all night. Other than that, everything was fine.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

jennifer m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Such a cute, tiny little place!

We loved our one night stay at this tiny house! It was exactly what we needed for two of us. The property is gorgeous and the sunrise view took our breath away!! The bathroom is in a separate building behind the house. We still can't get over that view. One thing that was a bummer is the hot tub and pool heater were out so we didn't get to use them but everything else was amazing. We would love to go back. :)
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Josh D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A little cabin in the Garden of Eden.

Such a lovely little spot. My wife and I chose to stay at the Hilltop Cabin after a few nights in Escondido. We wanted to get out of the city and closer to nature. The cabin and the area around it did not disappoint. The cabin was very comfortable and the host's garden was spectacular. We love birding and there were so many birds to watch from the balcony of the cabin! It was the perfect place sit and watch the evening take over the valley. Frog calls and two separate packs of coyotes howling. The bed was very comfortable and the morning balcony show was as engaging as the previous evenings'. It really was the perfect little spot to get away from the more urban parts of Southern California. The goats were super cute.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jordan Z.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The ultimate glamping experience

Hesitant to leave this review because this place is such a hidden gem and I don't want it to become too popular and booked out so that I may come back. The view is as beautiful in person as it looks in the photos and Nico's garden was stunning. Although, the path leading up to the cabin, and the path leading from the cabin to the bathroom and shower, were a little narrow and overgrown and could maybe stand to be hedged back a little bit. The comforter and bed were one of the most comfortable I've ever slept in. All of the windows in the cabin allow for spectacular views even when you're not out on the deck. It's a short walk from Lake Hodges and other trails. We also had some fun feeding the goats and chickens on the property ice plant. Hoping to come back again someday!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Adrienne B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Views and Comfy Cabin

Everything about this property was as advertised and the views were spectacular. The cabin was comfortable and the bed was cozy. You should know that staying at this property is more like glamping than staying the house next door or the mansion down the street. You have a somewhat narrow path to navigate to get there and, of course, there's the outhouse and composting toilet. The outhouse is close and cute, also with views. We kind of underestimated the pleasures of modern plumbing but, in reality, the composting toilet worked well and was easy to operate. The hills surrounding the property look to be full of great hiking trails. In short, as long as you're okay with the whole outhouse/composting toilet, the property is great! I highly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

About the host

Hosted by Nicholas Christenfeld & Mara Sanders

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Languages:

English

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