This holiday season, why head home when you can spend your vacation time in a yurt, nest, lighthouse, or rustic cabin?

Treebones

If you're going to stay in a yurt for Christmas, you might as well do so in one of Treebones' glamorous cabins, stocked with plush beds and Ping-Pong tables. For those that don't want to forsake the traditional holiday meal, Treebones cooks up a family-style feast using ingredients from their onsite organic garden. More adventurous campers can choose to spend the night in one of Treebones' human nests, made out of life-size branches. Waking up to the expansive Big Sur views of the Pacific is a pretty great alternative to Black Friday shopping. // 71895 Highway 1 (Big Sur), treebonesresort.com

Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel

When's the last time you stayed in a hostel with a hot tub overlooking the Pacific? The Pescadero Pigeon Point Lighthouse isn't your typical backpacker's hostel; you can choose between private or dorm rooms in four separate houses next to the 115-foot Pigeon Point lighthouse on a coastal cliff just 50 miles south of San Francisco. Forsake the traditional tidings for nearby tide pooling, whale watching, or guided history tours of the grounds. Check in with the staff before your visit for the latest schedule of events. // 210 Pigeon Point Rd. (Pescadero), norcalhostels.org/pigeon

Steep Ravine Cabins

What better place to feel thankful than a beachfront cabin? Try out the Steep Ravine Cabins near the sleepy coastal town of Stinson Beach in Marin County. After a visit to the beach and tidal hot springs that border the nine coastal cabins, throw some logs on the wood-burning fireplace and enjoy a holiday with less frills. No stove and no kitchen means less holiday cleanup! // 801 Panoramic Highway (Mill Valley), reserveamerica.com/steep-ravine

West Point Inn

Hike or bike to the middle of Mt. Tam for a holiday stay at West Point Inn. Holiday cheer abounds in the main dining room of the inn, which is decorated with a Christmas tree and woodsy décor. Choose from five different rustic cabin options or stay in one of the seven rooms on the second floor of in the inn. Hit one of the several trails out the front door or sit back and watch the fog roll in over the hills of Tam from the deck. // 100 Old Railroad Grade Fire Road (Mill Valley), westpointinn.com

Calpine Fire Lookout

Really want to get away this season? Drive right up to your own private hilltop fire lookout in Tahoe National Forest. This retired lookout was in service for fire spotting in the Sierras until 1975, but is now set up for public reservations for up to four people with two twin beds inside. Featuring campfire rings outside and a small stove with communal kitchen appliances inside, you're more than situated to cook up a holiday feast. Snowing? No problem. The lookout can be accessed by skis or snowshoes in the winter. Peace, quiet, and Sierra sunsets are guaranteed from the glass windows of the lookout or outside on the wraparound observation deck. // reserveamerica.org/calpine-lookout