The Beverly, Featured in The Daily Interlake!
Forest voyage: Boat navigates into treetop retreat
By KATE HESTON
Daily Inter Lake | July 6, 2025 12:00 AM
I spent a night aboard a ship.
I dreamed of sailing to the North Pole to see a polar bear, passing ice caps and wine-dark water along the way. I rescued a capsized boat while sailing through a storm with waves larger than the tallest mountains I’ve seen.
But I woke up to the sound of birds, not waves, the early morning light sifting through the trees through the open windows. Turns out I was not on the water, but in the middle of the forest.
I was in a boat in the trees.
The Beverly is the newest treehouse design open to guests at the Montana Treehouse Retreat, located just 2 miles outside Whitefish. It is one of three treehouses on the property, a journey of labor and love for Darin Robison and Kati O’Toole, who bought the property in 2011.
Arriving at The Beverly on a warm afternoon with two books and a set of color pencils, the boathouse became the perfect retreat from day-to-day life.
The Beverly is a unique work of art and function. Named after Robison’s mother, who died during the build, the boat features a poem written by family friend Pat Johnson.
“Now settled in the Great Big Sky, her new look would begin. Sanded, stained and varnished and done by next-of-kin,” she wrote. “... She’s stately in appearance and unique for all to see. So, welcome to our treehouse, we’ve proudly named The Beverly.”
Owned by Robison’s uncle, the 1966 Trojan C Voyager was previously docked at the Brownsville Marina in Port Orchard, Washington. The idea to turn it into a treehouse sparked when Robison received a text from his uncle.
“This would make a cool treehouse,” he wrote. Why not become the Swiss Family Robison, O’Toole laughed, retelling the story, referring to the novel and movie featuring the Robinson family living in an impressive treehouse on a deserted island.
After towing the boat to a bigger marina and using a crane to get it out of the water, the Voyager was sent to Montana on a semi-truck. It’s been the family’s project, elevated in their front yard, since October 2022.
Robison and O’Toole completely gutted the boat, raised the ceiling but kept the original shape. Much of the decor is recycled from the boat itself. Small, original windows light up the entryway. The old diving deck from the back of the boat is the headboard and the helm sits next to the bed; the wheel still turns.
The front cabin is now a reading nook, adorned with panels of wood, small windows and cushions on top of the original cabinetry and woodwork. It boasts a midcentury interior, with features of mahogany and pops of color. Sandblasting the outside of the boat, some of it has been painted and some left with the original wood.
“It took way longer than building these,” O'Toole said, pointing toward the other two treehouses behind her. “But you have to be willing to take a risk and we’re willing to take a risk for a creative idea.”
Perched off Montana 40, the secret treehouse forest feels remote enough; one reason building the retreat made sense for the family.
The catalyst for a treehouse oasis started over a decade ago when the couple saw an advertisement in the paper for The Treehouse Guys on the DIY Network, a reality television show where builders traveled across the country to build treehouses.
With so many trees on their property, Robison and O’Toole sent in an audition tape, the Treehouse Guys flew out to Whitefish to check out the integrity of the trees and within a few months, the first treehouse was built: The Meadowlark, a classic treehouse with trees serving as the foundation.
The team framed the tree house in six weeks, staged it and then headed out. It took Robison and O’Toole around two years to complete it.
"Once we did, it was an incredible success,” O’Toole said.
Robison, who owned Ace Landscaping at the time, and O’Toole, who worked as a music producer, started a second treehouse that was completed during the pandemic called The Raven’s Nest, an A-frame building built on a steel frame with live trees growing through the building. Both The Meadowlark and The Raven’s Nest can sleep up to four people.
The Beverly is the third and final treehouse that the couple plans to build, sleeping two. O’Toole and Robison, along with their sons Ry and Rowan, look forward to watching their latest project finally, after three years, come to fruition. Each treehouse has its own yard of sorts as well, with fire pits and grills.
Spending the afternoon sitting on the porch, listening to a random mix of Bob Dylan, Chris Stapleton and Olivia Dean, I sketched some of the trees that surrounded me.
Sitting around the fire pit as the sun began to set, as the night got darker, the boat lights seemed to shine brighter.
Later, with every window open, I slept above the ground, one with the forest I was in.
I may have only sailed in my daydreams, but it was a great adventure, nevertheless.
To learn more, visit montanatreehouseretreat.com.
Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@dailyinterlake.com.
Kennedy & Austin's 4/20 Meadowlark Treehouse & Glacier National Park Elopement
April 20, 2024 will go down as one of the most beautiful Montana April days. The sunshine came out to greet our guests Kennedy and Austin for their wedding day. The weather cooperated, making the reflections across Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park the most serene backdrop for an elopement.
“I want To elope in Montana, but i don’t know where to go!”
Kennedy and Austin teamed up with the wonderful women of Elope Montana and had a magically private elopement in the park. The Meadowlark Treehouse at the Montana Treehouse Retreat served as the perfect home base for the couple to get ready, take photos before the wedding and come home to the most romantic forest honeymoon after such a special day. Congratulations Kennedy and Austin!
Elopement Team : Elope Montana
Celebrant: Kate Berry
Photographer: Lindsey Jane Photography
Katie & TJ's Treehouse Just Us Adventure Session - The Meadowlark Treehouse at Montana Treehouse Retreat
treehouse adventure sessions
“Katie and TJ aren’t cookie-cutter so they asked us where we thought would be a fun and unique spot for them to stay. We knew instantly the Meadowlark Treehouse at The Montana Treehouse Retreat would be perfect for them! We sent them over the Airbnb link praying it would be available for their date, and it was! Katie and TJ chose to wear their wedding gear from a couple days before to wear during their adventure session so they would get some banger pics while having a chillaxed blast. The two got ready together in their treehouse immersed in the smell of pine (thank you, live trees inside), ate some leftover chinese dumplings, and we were on the way!”
CLICK HERE read more about their magical day and see more photos of Katie and TJ’s adventures in Glacier National Park, captured by Des & Dan.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK THE MEADOWLARK TREEHOUSE
“Elope in Montana” with Des & Dan
Additional Vendors:
@eventsbykillian
@honeybeautymt
@planetcowboy
@beyondthe.canvasbyyaya
@livemoreweddings
@beyond_beautystudio
Lauren + Jared's New Years Day Elopement
Lauren and Jared wanted to kick off 2023 right! What better way to ring in the New Year than to become husband and wife in Montana, with the base camp of a luxury treehouse? The Meadowlark Treehouse served as the cozy nest for the couple to get ready, take photos and eventually land back and honeymoon retreat after a very private ceremony in Glacier National Park on the banks of Lake McDonald. We teamed up with our friends at Elope Montana and local musicians Tin Finley for a very special live musical performance for their first look as Lauren walked down the Meadowlark Treehouse grand spiral wood staircase.
Check out some scenes from their very special day. Congratulations to the lovely couple!
Photographer: Lindsey Jane Photography
Celebrant: Erin Sabin
Hair & Makeup: Shayna Achin
Cake: Fleur Bake Shop
Venue: Montana Treehouse Retreat
Music: Tin Finley
Videographer: Alex Donaldson Videography
Sean + Jenny's Montana Boho Treehouse Elopement at Glacier National Park
Sean and Jenny had a very specific aesthetic in mind for their Montana elopement that shines through in all of their photos. The photos were all so good, I couldn’t decide on which ones to share! From waking up in the morning with a treehouse pancake breakfast, to getting ready in The Meadowlark Treehouse with their own glam team, to keeping things simple yet just what THEY had in mind. To top it off, they said their “I Do’s” in Glacier National Park and watched the sun go down as husband and wife. Congratulations to the beautiful couple! Thanks for choosing The Montana Treehouse Retreat for your very special boho dreamy elopement day and honeymoon.
Bride/Groom: Jenny + Sean Kummer
Cake : Fleur Bake Shop @fluerbakeshop
Small Bites: Trovare @trovaremt
Location: Montana Treehouse Retreat (Meadowlark Treehouse) @mttreehouse
Elopement: Glacier National Park
Hair: Honey Beauty Montana @haileysbeautypage
Makeup: Mariah Sullivan @mariahsullivanmua
Dress: Lulus Weddings @lulusweddings
Photography: Montana Diaries @montana.diaries
Magical Glacier National Park Elopement
We love to see happy couples eloping at Montana Treehouse Retreat and Glacier National Park. Check out some beautiful scenes of Taylor and Vince’s magical elopement. What could be more romantic than saying your “I Do’s” in Glacier National Park amongst the grand mountains and retreating back to your own private treehouse? See for yourself. Congratulations to the lovely couple Taylor and Vince!
All images courtesy of Jennifer Mooney Photography.
Interested in eloping at Montana Treehouse Retreat? We don’t charge extra for elopements. It’s our belief that you should enjoy this moment at a fair price. Check availability to plan your special day!
Montana Treehouse Retreat Featured by Zillow!
This Stylish Treehouse Is Luxury Off-the-Grid Living
BYJAMIE BIRDWELL-BRANSONON31 JUL 2019
More castle-like than rustic, this forested glamping retreat took the couple three years to build.
Kati O’Toole and her husband, Darin, wanted to create a giant piece of artwork on their private and heavily wooded seven-acre property in Montana. They ended up with what they refer to as the Montana Treehouse Retreat — a two-story, fully finished treehouse nestled among three living trees.
“Everybody thought we were crazy [at] the beginning, like ‘What are you guys doing building a treehouse here?’ Our parents thought we were crazy,” says Kati.
But the hard work and vision paid off, and now visitors from all over the world routinely come to stay at their carefully crafted work of art. The 700-square-foot treehouse features a master suite with a deck that overlooks the forest, a living area with three benches that can double as sleeping quarters, and two bathrooms. Guests can also prepare a meal in the treehouse’s downstairs kitchen, complete with a refrigerator, a stove, a sink and a dishwasher.
“There’s even air conditioning in this treehouse, because we wanted to create a very luxury experience here. I have to be honest — the treehouse is nicer inside than the house that I live in, so I like to come back here and just have a little retreat away from it all,” says Kati.
Every detail of the treehouse was painstakingly thought out, and most of the materials were either sourced locally or repurposed. The trim and the interior feature wood that Darin himself milled, sanded and finished, and the breakfast table nook was made from the base of a tree located right on their property.
One of Kati’s favorite details of the treehouse, however, is the spiraling exterior staircase, which is wrapped around a large tree shipped in from Darin’s grandmother’s yard, roots and all.
Although Darin handled most of the heavy-duty construction of the structure, Kati’s handiwork is all over the interior.
“We wanted it to be kind of funky and modern — but still have some Montana accents and still be a little rustic too. So there were many things coming into play, and we wanted people to feel like it was a very cozy home away from home when they came here, and just like a one-of-a-kind Montana experience,” she says.
A combination of white shiplap and multicolored wood paneling covers the interior walls, giving the home an eclectic yet polished farmhouse look, and expansive windows create an open, airy feeling in the small living spaces. Modern elements that are dotted throughout the house, like the industrial chandelier in the kitchen and the black hexagon and subway tiles in the bathrooms, are more reminiscent of a boutique hotel than a remote treehouse located near Glacier National Park.
Close to Kati’s heart are the pieces by local artists that don the walls, with some of the pieces coming from guests who created the artwork while staying at the treehouse.
“It’s been really cool to see [how] this place inspires people,” she says.
But the defining characteristic of this home — and what guests travel miles for — is the unique experience of living out your childhood dreams of sleeping in a treehouse.
“It’s a very unique feeling that most people have never experienced, to be lying in bed and seeing a tree — or you’re actually moving. And people have told me that they love the experience, and it’s — yeah, it’s a treehouse. That’s the beauty. It’s a real treehouse,” says Kati.
Outside Magazine Features Montana Treehouse Retreat
The Treehouse Mansion of Your Dreams Is in Montana
The Montana Treehouse Retreat has not one but two spiral staircases that lift you up into the treetops.
by Samantha Yadron
The Montana Treehouse Retreat, near Whitefish, Montana, isn’t your childhood backyard treehouse. Its creators, Kati O’Toole and Darin Robison, didn’t want their guests to trade creature comforts for time spent in nature. Their cabin is “the best of both worlds,” O’Toole says. Sleeping four, with two spiral staircases, two full bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and a full kitchen, it’s the home base you’ll need after a long day of exploring the Montana wilderness.
Nestled within 7.5 acres of secluded forest, the retreat offers city amenities like bars, restaurants, and shopping within reach—it’s a five-minute trip to Columbia Falls or Whitefish, Montana. If you bring your mountain bike or trail running shoes, the Flathead Valley provides more than 42 miles of singletrack. In summer, the Whitefish Ski Resort metamorphoses into a downhill bike park. It’s also just 30 minutes away from hiking trails in Glacier National Park via the Going-to-the-Sun Road, a can’t-miss scenic drive with views of glaciers and waterfalls.
The largest trunk in the house’s architecture, incorporated into the spiral staircase at the entrance, isn’t native to the forest. It’s a lightning-struck Douglas fir from the front yard of Robison’s late grandmother’s house in Echo Lake, Montana. When his grandma passed, excavating and repurposing the dying tree was how Robison chose to honor her. In addition to the trunk, the cabin wraps around four living trees.
“He wanted the entrance to the treehouse to be something really magical,” O’Toole says. John Colliander, a friend of Robison’s and one of the craftsmen behind TreeWorks Log and Timber Construction, a cabin contracting company based in the area, bolted each tread of the spiral staircase.
Both artists—O’Toole writes songs and Robison is a painter, illustrator, and sculptor—put other custom touches on the treehouse.O’Toole handcrafted all the shelving and bedside tables from milled remnants of the cabin’s initial build. “Everything has a story and was made by a craftsman,” O’Toole says. “It’s a real work of art.”
Even hardcore adventurers need a soft place to land. For a place to rest after a day well spent exploring the trails, mountains, and waterways of western Montana, book here for $399 per night.
Minnie and Jason's Elopement at Montana Treehouse Retreat
We love the idea of eloping. To be honest, if I could go back, I might do it myself. Less stress, more focused on the love of the couple and making the day uniquely their own. We were honored to host Minnie and Jason and be a part of their magical elopement/wedding day and team up with the creative team of Elope Montana for the first time!
The lovely couple got ready, had their first look, took pre-wedding photos and then headed to Glacier National Park (just 30 minutes away) for the actual ceremony. After a super private and romantic ceremony, they headed back to the treehouse for some uninterrupted honeymoon bliss. See for yourself the magic that can unfold.
Contact Kati at: 406-890-9925 if you’re interested in checking out availability for your own special day.
Special Thanks to:
The Elope Montana Team!
Kate Berry Officiant: A Joyful Matrimony
Marcela Cloud: Hair/Makeup
Room Porn Features Montana Treehouse Retreat!
Staying at the Montana Treehouse Retreat
A Treehouse of Dreams near Glacier National Park
Hey all, it’s Roberto. This past week I took Carleigh & Odie on a trip up north to the great state of Montana to visit the Whitefish area. Whitefish, and the surrounding Glacier National Park has been a region we’ve been admiring from afar because of the beautiful Instagram photos our friends Justin & Travis would often post of their hometown. So we decided to visit them.
We reached out to the popular Montana Treehouse Retreat to see if they had any nights available, and to our surprise, they did – so we booked ourselves two nights to experience treehouse living in the cozy retreat once featured on the DIY network.
Upon arrival, we had to get a picture of Odie standing in front of the treehouse, and to our delight, there was fresh snow on the ground, and the Christmas lights still adorning this magical double decker treehouse.
Nestled on a private, wooded 7 acres, this artistic architectural marvel is truly one of a kind.
As blue hour slowly creeped in, the warm light and details of the exterior came into focus, and a short sprinkling of fresh snow made for a magical scene.
The interior of the treehouse is as cozy as it looks. Unique decor, art pieces, and fairy lights make for an attractive setting, and the live tree trunks that provide the house with structural support steal the show
The house has all the luxury amenities you need – wi-fi, a big screen TV, a heating/cooling system, dishwasher and a coffee maker. While it’s the perfect place to unwind and unplug, it is nice to have these amenities in case there is some work you need to get done, or a Netflix show you want to cozy up to.
The house has one bedroom, and 1.5 bathrooms. While the home can comfortably host a family of 4-5, we think it’s ideal for a couple looking for a romantic retreat, an artist looking for a creative retreat, or a small group of close friends.
Odie was completely in his element in the treehouse. He was excitedly running up and down the hand-built staircase, and tremendously enjoyed having 7-acres of land to run around on.
For more images of the treehouse, and your daily dose of unique places & spaces, follow Roomporn on Instagram.
Link to original Room Porn Post (with full photos and video walkthrough of treehouse):
https://roomporn.co/2019/01/16/staying-at-the-montana-treehouse-retreat/