Hartline Hill Cabin | Where nature meets luxury

(MAKANDA, ILLINOIS) — If it’s one thing I love, it’s log cabins.

My family and I have stayed in log cabins ever since I can remember. Always in Colorado, though. Their rustic vibe joined with the rustic outdoors, it’s a spiritual experience. I’ve seen the Milky Way sitting outside of a log cabin before. I’ve sat by a running stream, seen elk walk by, and just listen to the wind whistle by.

Illinois probably isn’t the first place you think of when you think of staying in a cabin. But for those of us who live in the Land of Lincoln, that time has come, and I’ve got a great choice for your next log cabin visit.

Hartline Hill Cabin | Makanda, Illinois

If you read my article about 8 things to do in Southern Illinois, you’d know Hartline Hill was at the beginning of the list. Located in Shawnee National Forest, Hartline Hill is in Makanda (pronounced muh-CAN-duh) – just 10-15 minutes outside of Carbondale, the home of Southern Illinois University.

The cabin is one of the Southern Illinois Vacation Rental (SIVR) properties. The 2,300 sq. ft. log house is right by Route 51 and close to so many fun activities.

With five beds total, you can comfortably fit 10 people. The living room is gorgeous, boasting vaulted ceilings that welcome you in with open arms.

The main bedroom is situated with a comfortable king bed, walk-in closet, and spacious bathroom. The shower was AMAZING!

Every detail at Hartline Hill was spot on. The architecture of the building, inside and out, was spectacular. It made you feel like you were at home, yet connecting with nature all at once.

The kitchen is beautiful, full of modern appliances you can use if you just want to stay in for the night. I envision the dining area being the perfect place for a Friendsgiving, a family reunion, or a weekend getaway with friends.

Whatever the trip you’re doing, Hartline Hill is the perfect place for it. It’s great to have a fridge where you stay that has a built-in water dispenser and ice maker. We like our water and ice in this family! Especially with the hikes we did on our adventure. The living room has a real wood fireplace, couch, loveseat, recliner and smart TV.

The second and third bedrooms have a Jack & Jill bathroom in between them, and there’s a half bathroom in the hallway near the living room and kitchen. There’s a washer and dryer with all the supplies you need on that side as well.

You can walk out from the main bedroom upstairs right to the deck, overlooking a grassy field with a forest behind it. This is a great place for stargazing at night! The property sits on 5 acres of private land.

If you’re a sit-on-the-porch type of person, you can do that here too. There’s even a fire pit out back on the gravel drive behind the house. Speaking of driving, you have two indoor parking spaces inside the cabin! You can pull in to the bottom level of Hartline Hill where there’s two perfectly paved parking spots.

Other incredible features of the lower level include the bar room with seating, a mini fridge and arcade games.

I played a few rounds of Buck Hunter myself! There’s also a Pac-Man machine and another machine with hundreds of games inside of it. It’s hard to choose!

Right outside the bar area is a ping-pong table, darts board and more.

I told my friends from college we travel with that this needs to be on our list for an upcoming friends’ getaway.

The lower level has a huge bedroom with two beds in it and a half bathroom.

The close proximity to activities makes this the perfect destination. Southern Illinois is wine country, so if you’re a wine lover, this is your spot! There are plenty of places nearby to eat, drink, get coffee or dessert, and take hikes.

What we did during our stay:

• Hiked at Giant City State Park
• Visited StarView Vineyards
• Ate pizza at Quatro’s
• Ate dinner at Giant City Lodge
• Climbed a water tower in Giant City State Park
• Visited Boo Castle Park
• Ate frozen yogurt at Cool Spoons
• Had breakfast at Harbaugh’s Cafe
• Got Frappuccinos at Kiki’s CoffeeHouse & Cafe

If you enjoy the outdoors, but need a mix of city life, you’re only 10 minutes from Carbondale. There are plenty of stores in town that you can shop at like TJ Maxx, Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and more.

Allison was a fantastic host and was very communicative during our stay. Another perk of Hartline Hill and SIVR is they send you an E-Guide before your visit! The guide has all of the FAQs you could imagine about the property. Plus it lists out all the nearby things you can do! Many of the things we did were from this list, and there were so many more I wanted to get to! I of course have to thank Derek Hayden for connecting me with Hartline Hill Cabin, I’m very grateful we got to make this happen!