Select either our hand sculpted cob cottage for two or the spacious straw bale home for six, both set on the same private five-acre pondside retreat. Click “Book Now” on your preferred stay to check availability and pricing.
A cozy cob cottage hand-sculpted from earth and reclaimed materials. Curved walls, an outdoor staircase, and views of the pond make it a peaceful escape for two. Quiet, romantic, and surrounded by nature.
A spacious, light-filled home with thick straw bale walls, radiant heated floors, and solar power. Overlooks a seasonal pond and oak-covered hills. Built for comfort, designed to connect you with nature. Sleeps 6.
While each home is private and can be booked separately, you can also rent both homes together for a shared compound experience. Great for families, retreats, or small groups looking to stay close, but not too close.
Browse our 400+ reviews and see for yourself how guests rave about the handcrafted design, abundant wildlife, and pond-side serenity.
Posted on Airbnb
Katherine
Verified
Literally the most relaxed I’ve been in years. It was so peaceful, hot, but lovely. We saw goslings and fawn. It was just amazing and Lisa was an incredible host. We will definitely be back…hopefully sooner rather than later.
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Jordan
Verified
This was an amazing a truly unique stay - would highly recommend as your base for Yosemite and other natural areas in the region. Its exactly as pictured, very clean, and a beautifully custom built home that feels secluded, but is in a nice neighborhood and close to the town of Sonora. Lisa was very friendly and easy to communicate with throughout our stay with great local recommendations. This is one of the cooler Airbnbs you'll ever stay in
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Nidhi
Verified
We had a lovely romantic retreat. The house and grounds are lovely especially when the weather is nice. Appreciate the excellent wifi in the remote location!A note for tall people: My husband is 6'4" and had to duck around the ceiling beam in the living room.
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Casey
Verified
Fantastic place to stay. The pond and creatures in the area made it feel magical.
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Sanjna
Verified
We picked this place bc dogs aren’t allowed in Yosemite. Stanislaus rainforest is a forest next to Yosemite where this bnb is. The entire stretch of forest is very dog friendly! 40 mins from pine crest which is like mini Lake Tahoe. Airbnb is super cute if you are a nature lover! Our husky loved roaming around the property and even took a dip in the pond water (would avoid if your dog is white) but she had fun!!
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Sara
Verified
Incredible space! Private, peaceful and clean. Impressed with how equipped the kitchen and bathroom were and as stunning as the photos are, they truly don’t do justice to the beauty and energy at Bird’s Nest!
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Matthew
Verified
The bird's nest feels like it came straight out of Lord of the Rings. A really unique place that makes connecting to nature super easy. My girlfriend and I loved the experience and wished we could stay for longer.
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Rylee
Verified
The Birds Nest is gorgeous! It is the perfect place for a creative retreat, honeymoon, anniversary trip or even to get out of town. Lisa was so kind and hospitable and had so many restaurant suggestions and fun activities she recommended. The location is fantastic, it’s not too far from town but enough out of the way that it’s so quiet and peaceful. This beautiful little cottage has been one of my most favorite trips!
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Andrew & Nancy
Verified
This place is totally peaceful, great for recharging the proverbial batteries. The rental truly looks like something out of a fantasy story; it’s like 10 miles beyond cute. Guests should bring binoculars to watch the critters at the pond.
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Doug
Verified
This place is awesome and the host was great! At first, I was a little bummed when I realized it would be raining majority of the time I was going to be staying here, but it was actually amazing experiencing this place with that weather, and dare I say may have even made it more enjoyable than just having sunny days. The home itself felt cozy and comfortable and there was a family of geese wandering outside with all their little goslings foraging each day which sort of tied the entire picturesque stay together. Would definitely like to stay at this spot again during the warm summer and snowy winter.
Sonora Stay is tucked into the rolling hills of Tuolumne County surrounded by California’s best mountain towns, rivers, caves, and trails. Whether you’re here to hike, ski, swim, or slow down, you’ll be perfectly placed.
Yosemite National Park – 50 miles
Pinecrest Lake – 24 miles
Murphys (art and wine tasting) – 26 miles
Leland Snowplay and Dodge Ridge Ski Resort – 29 miles
I have a massage therapy business and over 30 years experience doing bodywork. I enjoy good coffee, gardening, reading, hiking, and nature. My husband Brendan and I love to explore gold country and we are happy to share what we love about the area. Brendan is an avid mountain biker and Industrial Designer. We have two teenage boys who keep us busy.
Now that we have kids, hotels don’t work for us. We need a kitchen, we need some room to spread out, and we love a yard. It is always nice to have a little privacy as well. When we travel we love to stay in people’s homes and now that we have been hosting since 2015 we are committed to creating a relaxing, nurturing and healing space. As a couple we are just remembering what we used to enjoy doing before kids. We enjoyed traveling, walking around our city with no destination in mind, eating at quirky restaurants, art, and meeting fabulous people.