If you’re a writer who is also another thing — parent, worker, teacher, friend, daughter, the list goes on — chances are, sometimes that Other Thing gets in the way of your writing. When Virginia Woolf wrote in A Room of One’s Own that “one must strain off what was personal and accidental” in order to “reach the pure fluid, the essential oil of truth,” she may not quite have envisioned that personal/accidental mess as including runs to the DMV, Kroger, and finding “crazy” clothing for your kids’ third Spirit Week of the year. (But she kind of did, didn’t she?) 

If you, like me, are a Nashville-based writer who is also an Other Thing and who envisions a room of one’s own to truly tackle that essential oil of truth, fret not. You don’t have to fill out countless applications and vie for limited spots in a coveted writer’s residency far from home. You just need to get away for a weekend (or, bless, a whole week!) to get the space and the peace to create. It’s time to DIY your very own writer’s retreat.

Ahead, a few of the best options right here in Tennessee, broken down by driving distance from Nashville. You can take a short skip to Ashland City or trek well into the Smoky Mountains to really go off grid. With just you and your pen (ok, your laptop) perched among rolling Tennessee hills and forestland, your next masterpiece will be well on its way.

One hour or less from Nashville

The Bridge House over Blue Spring Creek in Ashland City is, believe it or not, exactly what you’d hope, given its name: a house created on an actual bridge that spans the water. It’s something out of a dream, and less than an hour from Nashville. The guest house, which was a working covered bridge before Christie Grotheim and her husband converted it in 2021, features a cozy reading nook and an abundant library. A sturdy, well-lit desk positioned in front of the window makes an ideal spot for writing — unless, of course, you prefer to write at the outdoor table on the 50-foot deck that spans from bank to bank. As for all that glorious nature surrounding the Bridge House? From walking trails to scenic spots for wading, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to just be in nature. Everything in Ashland City proper is just about five to fifteen minutes from the house by car, so you can stock up on groceries and bop around town when a break from writing/woodlands is needed. Christie welcomes each guest with fruit, muffins, coffee, tea, and a half dozen (!) eggs, so you don’t even have to pre-stock your retreat and can just show up, settle in, and get cracking on that novel. Plus, it’s a straight-up steal: Upcoming weeknights are listed for $179, aka the price of a humble room at the Holiday Inn.

Just an hour outside of Nashville, Crossing Creeks Farm in Shelbyville is the best of all worlds when it comes to writerly retreats: rustic but comfy, elevated yet smack-dab in the middle of a working farm. Shelbyville, you should know, is near Normandy Lake, the Duck River, and historic Bell Buckle, so hikes and river-wanderings abound around here. Crossing Creeks itself is an idyllic family-run farm with sprawling fields and picturesque hills you’ll be able to amble through and enjoy from your cabin window. Choose an affordable, open-air Adirondack Cabin (starting at under $100 per night). Or, BYO accommodations and mosey your RV or camper over to one of Crossing Creeks’ fully-equipped hookup sites (for as low as $57 per night). You can even go big with the farm’s spacious Cottage option, pictured, which will give you plenty of places to write: screened porch, kitchen table, the classic in-bed spot for morning pages, you name it. The Cottage sleeps up to six so you could even invite some writer friends and make it a full-on communal retreat (no applications or waiting period required!). 

No. 9 Farms isn’t just a regenerative farm that specializes in medicinal herbs and berries along with the usual seasonal produce — it’s the home of this gorgeous restored 1949 trailer, which you can book for your solo writer’s retreat. And, surprise: The whole shebang is also in Ashland City (who knew Nashville’s industrial neighbor was such a hotspot for offbeat and beautiful Airbnbs?!). This one is also a great deal, with balmy May nights listed for $189. No. 9 partners with nonprofit Nashville Grown in order to provide produce to 40 local restaurants, including the coveted Catbird Seat. While you’re posted up at the trailer, you can explore No. 9’s gardens or head to the nearby wildlife refuge, Cheatham Wildlife Management Area, for hiking; inspiration is everywhere in these woods. As for your writing setup back at Old Blue (that’s not the trailer’s name, I made it up, but shouldn’t it be named that?), you’ve got options. You can choose between the cozy galley nook, with a table and plush seats, and the covered outdoor deck / seating area. Need a post-work reward to motivate you through all that writing? Four words: Private. Outdoor. Clawfoot. Tub. 

Two hours' drive from Nashville

Bolt Farm Mirror Cabins in Whitwell are just one of many unique and rentable dwelling options atop this cliff of the Cumberland Plateau. Just a two-hour drive from Nashville, Bolt Farms is owned by Seth Bolt of Christian indie rock band Needtobreathe, which I admittedly had never heard of until I checked into my accommodations and their LP was there waiting beside the old-school record player. (Having also zero experience with Christian rock music, I did play it, and it was a bop!) Anyway, jamming out is certainly not required, especially since the cabins’ total immersion in nature encourages peaceful contemplation with just the sounds of the forest. The overall Bolt Farms property offers treehouses, geodesic domes, and mirror cabins — but the latter are your best bet in terms of balancing beauty with any chance of affording this epic retreat (the cabins start at $445 per night, while the treehouse is $794). They’re elegantly appointed with a marble-topped desk and luxe writing chair, plus a private bathroom and mini-kitchen. And they’re constructed with one-way mirror walls, so from the inside you can view the entire forest surrounding you, but from the outside, the mirrored structure seems to disappear among the trees. 

You may know Postcard Cabins by their former name, Getaway Houses. They’re a brand that pops up clusters of stylish tiny homes all around the country, within a two-hour drive of major cities — so urbanites like you can do just that, get away. Their Nashville outpost is in the lush green and aptly named town of Moss, in east Tennessee. It’s a pared-down pick that provides everything you need and nothing you don’t. This is glamping at its minimalist-chic finest, and it’s the most affordable option on this entire list. Weeknights you can often book a cabin for as low as $90, and prices never hit $200 — not even on Christmas or the Fourth of July. Plan to pack in your food for the weekend and cook on your campfire or stovetop, and set up your writing spot on the small table or in the big bed with expansive forest views that soothe. The cabin includes surprisingly delicious pour-over instant coffee, and you can even request a S’mores kit to celebrate that final draft. 

Three hours' drive from Nashville

And finally, the big leagues: If you’re down for the schlep and wanting to really get away, Little Arrow Cabins in Townsend, TN is a prime spot a 3.5-hour drive from Nashville, on the “peaceful side” of the Smoky Mountains. What does that mean? Well, you’ve likely heard of or visited the tourist-overrun hotspots of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, right on the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They’re cute, they’re wacky, they’re busy…they’re anything but a chill place to write. Enter: Townsend, TN, a quiet hamlet an hour west of Gatlinburg (closer to Nashville!) but still a stone’s throw from the national park’s dreamy hikes, waterfalls, and bear sightings. Little Arrow is just the place to post up, and as at Bolt Farms, you can choose your own adventure in terms of accommodation size and pricing: cozy cabins, RV sites, tiny homes, and safari-style glamping tents are all options within the outdoor resort. They all share access to a lovely pool, playground, bath houses, and a small food hall called the Campfire Cafe. But my very favorite is Little Arrow’s deluxe vacation home, pictured here. It’s a full-on cabin in the woods, about a half-mile walk from the resort’s main cluster of accommodations. While the resort’s smaller accommodations are as low as $175 per night, this home is $600 per, but split among the up to eight people it sleeps that’s still a deal. It has three main bedrooms and a loft with a trundle bed, so it’s the perfect place to gather with a bunch of writerly friends. Get work done during the day, and reunite in the evening to make dinner, gather ‘round the bonfire, and recharge in the hot tub beneath the pines.

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