Take a Haycation! Local Farms That Welcome Families Overnight

White Lotus Farm

The Experience: Seventy acres of serenity is what you’ll find at White Lotus Farm & Inn, just over the Hood Canal Bridge. Established in 2017 by owners Niall and Natalie, farm animals are the big draw for kids here. They’ll make fast friends with the sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks and Cue, the farm llama. When it comes to navigating the space, look to Niall, who gives tours and explains the farm’s “beyond organic” practices. There’s a good chance he’ll also invite the kids to help feed the animals and look for eggs.

The Stay: The Farmhouse Suite is where you'll stay. It's got its own private entrance and a door that leads to a shared fire pit, garden and food forest. The kitchenette’s hot plate, microwave and mini fridge mean you can keep food fresh and do a bit of cooking if you’d like. Check out the cute chalkboard door to see what’s happening on the farm or around town. And of course, each stay includes fresh eggs and a homemade loaf of bread (depending on Natalie’s baking schedule).

Insider tip: Check out nearby Finnriver Farm & Cidery. We’re sure your kids will love finding Mike Mulligan’s Steam Shovel, Mary Anne who lives between the two farms.

Farm stay bonus: Mix summer camp for the kids into your stay when you sign them up for a session at CedarRoot Folk School. They play. You play. Everyone wins!

Sleeps: 4
Cost: $125/night
Reservations: airbnb.com

3723 Beaver Valley Rd.
Port Ludlow, WA
Online: whitelotusfarmandinn.com

Purple Haze Lavender Farm

The Experience: Surround yourself in a sea of lavender when you stay at this sent-sational property. Relaxing is an easy option on this working farm where families can pick their own lavender, explore the distillery and gather fresh herbs from the garden for dinner. The orchard out back provides fresh fruit in the summer, and the chickens and ducks will keep your kiddos entertained (hint: they'll also provide fresh eggs for your breakfasts). Plus, with Sol Duc Hot Springs and Dungeness Spit just a short drive away, there's plenty to do.

The Stay: You’ll have the three-bedroom house all to yourselves. It’s fully equipped for family living, with plenty of space both inside and out. The best part’s gotta be the ice cream store that scoops up Elevated Ice Cream’s legendary lavender flavors—seven in all. Settle in to enjoy yours on the porch swing.

Insider tip: The farm’s lavender is in bloom from around the third week of June through the Sequim Lavender Weekend in July.

Farm stay bonus: Pets are a go for an additional $100 fee.

Sleeps: 6
Cost: Starting at $240/night; 2-night minimum
Reservations: resnexus.com

180 Bell Bottom Rd.
Sequim, WA
Online: purplehazelavender.com

Nettles Farm

The Experience: If you’re looking for a farm with a mellow, positive vibe this is it. If you’re looking for a farm that’s a foodie paradise, this is also it. With a beach just down the way and chickens who love to be fed by kids as much as they enjoy entertaining them, families can easily spend time together here. We think your kids will love the outdoor pizza ovens best. Owner Riley even puts together gourmet pizza kits (we're talking homemade sourdough dough, red sauce and fermented black garlic) so you’ve got an excuse to use them. If a late summer stay is in the works, Nettles Farm boasts the best blackberries around (no joke—people travel long distances just to pick them). 

The Stay: Families have two options to choose from at this out-of-the-way spot. Rent the Farmhouse or the Farmhouse Suite. It’s either side of the main house, and both feature top-notch gourmet kitchens so you can live out your MasterChef dreams. You’ll find lots of outdoor living and cooking space with both. Plus, there’s a wood-fired sauna that’s big enough for eight, so you and the kids can warm up Oaken-style.

Insider tip: If all this gourmet cooking has piqued your curiosity about the nearby Willows Inn, plan a parents-only dinner (sorry no kids allowed). Riley can connect you with a local sitter.

Farm stay bonus: If you and your little fish are curious about sustainable commercial salmon fishing, talk to Riley. As the Executive Director of the Salish Center for Sustainable Fishing, he takes people out on tours of the reefnet gear from late July through Oct. 1.

Sleeps: 6
Cost: starting at $199/night
Reservations: nettlesfarm.com/rooms/

4300 Matia View Dr.
Lumi Island, WA
Online: nettlesfarm.com

Gooserosa B&B

The Experience: We’ve got three words for you—Skagit. Valley. Farm. This quintessential farm has got it all. Twenty-two chickens and roosters roaming the property, and a duck named Sage who answers (with a sweet quack) when kids call her name. Families will find seasonal flowers and veggies available to pick and fields for sports, challenge coursing and general play that’ll wear your little farmers out. Plan picnics right on site, or explore local restaurants when hunger strikes (word on the street is that local favorite Whidbey Island Bagel Company will soon call Mt. Vernon home). They even have a pack ‘n’ play if you need one.

The Stay: The Nest is a spacious spot that works especially well for families. You won’t feel like your kids are under foot, and the kitchen has everything you need to settle in, cook what you pick and even enjoy your morning espresso. The loft is stocked with books and games, but you won’t find a TV here. Another bonus of farm living. Bring your bikes and keep them in the garage downstairs.

Insider tip: A field of tulips and daffodils is planted right behind the property. It’s Technicolor spring viewing at its best!

Sleeps: 4
Cost: $120/night
Reservations: airbnb.com

18225 Best Rd.
Mt. Vernon, WA
206-359-0810
Online: thegooserosa.com

Pebble Cove Farm

The Experience: If you’re looking for a little bit of B&B with your agrotourism, Pebble Cove Farm is what you need. Set on a serene spot on Orcas Island, it mixes modern amenities with the benefits of living alongside sanctuary animals and being steps from a bountiful u-pick garden. How you spend the day here is up to you—rent kayaks to explore, row out to Skull Island, play on the playground, nap in the hammock or dream about roasting s’mores 'round the fire pit that night.

The Stay: Families will get that home away from home feel at The Cottage, a freestanding, one-room building that sleeps up to four guests. The kitchenette includes a two-burner cooktop, microwave and fridge, so cooking your own meals is definitely doable. The Family Suite, part of the main building, is another great option when you’re traveling with kids. It’s one bedroom, plus a living space with a sleeper couch and a small cooking area that includes a mini fridge, single burner and a microwave.

Sleeps: 4
Cost: starting at $250/night; 3-night minimum
Reservations: pebblecovefarm.com/accommodations/

3341 Deer Harbor Rd.
Eastsound, WA
360-622-6460
Online: pebblecovefarm.com

Monteillet Cheese Farm

The Experience: Just outside Walla Walla, you’ll find Monteillet Cheese Farm and The Gite (it’s French for "holiday home"). This 32-acre farm, nestled along the Touchet River, is a great spot for families to play in the spring or summer. Baby animals are all the rage in the spring. Piglets, chicks, ducklings and kids (the goat kind) make roaming the property exciting. And summer brings river soaks and fishing. It’s also the milking season—the perfect time to see the farm in full swing.

The Stay: The Gite is yours during this farm stay. It’s a three-bedroom cottage (renting all rooms changes the price) that capitalizes on its old-world charm. You’ll find a cast iron clawfoot tub in the bathroom and the kitchen range is a fully functional antique. Expect a fridge stocked with fresh goodies from the farm like eggs, butter, milk and of course, cheese.

Sleeps: 6
Cost: starting at $250/night; 2-night minimum

109 Ward Rd.
Dayton, WA
509-876-1429
Online: monteilletcheese.com