Makanda Inn and Cottages, located in Makanda, Illinois, is close to the Shawnee National Forest, and a 25-minute drive to the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. This beautiful, rustic inn is focused on sustainability and designed as an adult escape. The Makanda Inn and Cottages make for a remarkably unique experience.

The mission of Makanda Inn and Cottages, the prototype for sustainable development for Camp Zest, “is to bring people together to create a network of small-scale retreats featuring all forms of natural building materials and techniques.”

The Inn is run as a B&B sits on 18 acres of woodlands, with Drury Creek running through it. The rooms in the inn and cottages boast a king-size pillow-top mattress and high-quality linens. For registered guests, there is a bar in the evening, and in the mornings a sumptuous breakfast is offered at the inn (and the cottages upon advanced request). The cottages feature living rooves that are comprised of mushroom compost, mulch, topsoil, and perlite to encourage nature to live there. The cottages have plenty of space and offer amenities to prepare your own breakfasts for privacy and to enjoy the lush woodlands right outside your door.

Makanda Inn and Cottages uses eco-friendly techniques and sustainable supplies bearing a low carbon footprint. The inn and cottages are made out of local and natural building materials such as straw bales, earthen plaster, recycled plastic, and reclaimed wood.