Places to Stay in Nashville & Brown County, Indiana

Written By Kara Hammes

If you’re planning a trip to visit Brown County or Nashville, IN and trying to figure out where to stay, this post is for you! I’m going to cover everything you need to know to find the perfect lodging for your next trip to Brown County.

Whether you’re interested in booking an Airbnb cabin, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, campground, or any other type of lodging, I cover it all here. There’s a lot to consider, so let’s get into it!

How to Pick Your Lodging in Nashville & Brown County, IN

As you’re starting to plan, and looking at all your options of where to stay, here are a few questions to answer to make sure you pick the best lodging for your group:

What dates will you be visiting?

Like any destination, Brown County has a “peak” season, during which lodging books up faster and your choices will probably be more expensive. In general:

  • Brown County is busier on the weekends (Friday through Sunday) than on weekdays (Monday through Thursday)

  • Visitor numbers are lowest in the months of January and February, and pick-up from mid-March through the end of December

  • Mid-September through mid-November would be considered the “super peak” season

If you want to save money, consider visiting during the week or the “off season,” which is still beautiful, just less crowded and more affordable - in fact, winter is one of my favorite times of year here.

For the best availability, you’ll want to plan further ahead for weekend dates and during the “super peak” season. While many properties open their booking calendar a year in advance, you can often contact them directly to see if they can assist with a reservation for dates that are further out.

What type of activities are you interested in while you’re here, and where are they located? How far are you willing to drive to get to specific activities and restaurants?

Your answers to these questions could seriously narrow down the geographic areas within the county that you want to consider for your lodging.

If your plan is just to arrive, soak up time in nature with your group, and rarely leave where you’re staying, then the skies are the limit for what lodging you can choose! But if know you want to spend time shopping in Nashville, or plan to eat out for most of your meals, or you just don’t want to drive more than 10-15 minutes to get to anything, then you’re going to want to consider your lodging location more carefully.

Two of the things that make Brown County so quaint and awesome - namely the topography and windy roads - mean that even distances that don’t SEEM far can still take quite a long time to drive. For instance, it’s less than 15 miles from my house to the Story Inn but, depending on the weather and other drivers, it can easily take me 30-45 minutes to drive there. While I absolutely love the Story Inn, it’s just not a drive I want to do very often!

So keep that in mind when you’re choosing your lodging. And if you have any doubts about a particular lodging location, you can always check Google Maps for estimated travel times, or ask the host specifically before you book.

How willing are you to “rough” it?

Another thing that is so amazing about coming to Brown County is that it can feel like a step back in time, and you’re able to unplug from your normal busy life, and recharge in nature. BUT that can come with some modern day challenges, specifically:

  • There are large sections of the county that do not have access to high-speed broadband internet, as well as areas with little to no cell service coverage. If having access to WiFi/cell service during your stay is important to you, make sure to specifically check the listing for this information before you book.

  • There are numerous gravel roads and driveways in Brown County, and some are exceptionally steep. There may be certain times of year and weather conditions where a 4-wheel drive vehicle is required. Hopefully the listing for any lodging where this is the case would make that clear, but it’s just one more thing to keep in mind.

If you want more detail on the “5 Random (but Important) Things You Need to Know for Your Next Trip to Brown County” definitely check out that post, where I cover everything in a lot more detail.

How many people are in your group?

For reasons that I’ll talk about more below, this question is especially important if you’re traveling in a group of more than 10 people.

Because Brown County is such a popular tourist destination, with limited housing availability in general, there are relatively strict rules on what houses and locations can be “approved tourist rentals.”

The term “approved tourist rental” applies only to residentially-zoned properties that have gotten approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals to operate as a short term rental (aka stays of less than 30 days). In general, this applies to houses you would typically see on sites like Airbnb or Vrbo.

The maximum occupancy for an approved tourist rental in Brown County is 10 people.  If the house is on a septic system (as many are in Brown County) the occupancy is determined by the capacity of the septic system.  If the house is on sewer, then occupancy is determined by the number of bedrooms and beds. This process is tightly managed and controlled by the Brown County Health Department and the Brown County Planning & Zoning Office.

If a property is advertising a higher occupancy than 10 people, then one of three things is true - either it’s:

  • A business zoned property and is not subject to the 10 person limit, or any other regulations for “approved tourist homes” (like at the Brown County Barn Burner - we are business zoned and can accommodate up to 29 people)

  • Located in a neighboring county, NOT actually in Brown County, or

  • Operating out of compliance with the local regulations and runs the risk of being shut down by the county (and subsequently messing up your travel plans)

Properties designated as “Bed and Breakfasts” by the county have some slightly different rules and occupancy limits, but in general, they’re similar to approved tourist home Airbnb-type listings.

Is there a particular type of property you’re interested in? Any amenities that are non-negotiable?

With everything from super rustic cabins to modern builds, hotels and motels of all sorts, quaint bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, glamping, and even tiny homes - there are hundreds of places to stay to choose from in Brown County!

If you already know for certain that you want a cabin in the woods, or to be walkable to everything in Nashville, or to have a fully-stocked kitchen or a hot tub under the stars… then those things will quickly narrow down where you search and what lodging you consider booking for your stay. Which leads me to:

What to Know About the Different Types of Lodging Available in Brown County, IN

Based on your answers to the questions above, you might already have a pretty good idea of the type of lodging you’re interested in for your visit to Brown County. I’ll cover each of them in more if you continue to scroll, or you can jump directly to:

Cabins, Apartments, and Houses on Airbnb & Vrbo

As I already discussed above, there relatively strict rules around what houses and locations can be “approved tourist rentals” in Brown County. But even with those restrictions, there are still hundreds of cabins, houses, apartments and other types of lodging in Nashville and Brown County, IN that available to rent on sites like Airbnb, Vrbo, and other booking platforms.

Finding the Perfect Airbnb

In order to see the widest variety of cabins and lodging available to rent, I’d recommend starting your search on a site like Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com. Even the largest rental management companies here cross-post their listings on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, along with the many independent operators and smaller management companies with properties in Brown County.

As you’re browsing the available listings, pay attention to whether the listing name or description mentions a specific property name or rental management company (like the Brown County Barn Burner, Hills O’ Brown Vacation Rentals, etc). If it does, you can search for that name or property to see if it’s listed on other booking sites - or if there’s a direct booking option - to make sure you get the best price possible.

By starting your search on the large booking platforms, and then doing a separate search for the property name, you’ll give yourself the best chance possible to find a property that works well for you and your group.

Options for Completing Your Reservation

Once you choose a property to book, you have a few different options and considerations for completing your booking:

  • Use a major booking platform, like Airbnb or Vrbo

    • PROS: These platforms provide standard coverage and support for you as the guest if there are any issues with your reservation. If you travel routinely, you can easily reference all of your upcoming trips in one place.

    • CONS: All of these platforms charge the guest (and the host) a booking service fee for every reservation. The exact amount varies from platform to platform but is typically a flat percentage, regardless of the total cost of the reservation, and can be as high as 14% in the case of Airbnb. Depending on the size of your reservation, this can easily be $100s, if not $1,000+, extra added on to your total cost. That’s a lot of money!

  • Book directly through the property website (if available - this will not be an option for many smaller, solo properties)

    • PROS: Typically fewer additional fees so you can save money on the total cost of your reservation. The host may be able to facilitate “non-standard” bookings more easily through their own platform (like waiving the minimum night stay, etc).

    • CONS: You are trusting that the host and listing are legit and you are bound by their payment and cancellation policies, which are probably different from the standard options on Airbnb or Vrbo. So make sure you answer these questions before you decide to book directly with anyone:

      • Is the property legitimate? Does it have a solid base of positive reviews, whether on Airbnb or Vrbo, Google, or Facebook?

      • Are the payment and cancellation policies for the direct booking acceptable to you?

Bed & Breakfasts

For the most part, Bed & Breakfasts are regulated similarly to approved tourist rentals in Brown County, and can be found using the same search methods that I outlined above.

Hotels & Motels

There is only one “chain” hotel that I’m aware of in the county (Quality Inn), and all the other hotels and motels are small and independently-owned. You should start with a broad-based search, like I outlined above for Airbnb properties, using platforms like Expedia, Booking.com, or Hotels.com. But before you complete your reservation, I’d still recommend comparing prices and policies between the large booking platforms and the hotel’s website. You can often save money by booking directly with the hotel or motel through their website.

For the most part, hotels and motels are concentrated in and around the town of Nashville, but there are some exceptions to that. Again, I’d recommend doing a broad based search to start using the booking platforms linked above, but if you’re interested in direct links to some of the hotels and motels in Brown County, here they are:

NOTE: While I know the owners of many of these hotels, I haven’t personally stayed in any of them. Inclusion on this list does not represent my endorsement - check out their websites and reviews before you book.

Campgrounds

The wooded hills and natural beauty of Brown County makes it an amazing place to camp! There are quite a few campgrounds throughout the county to choose from, but the one that will work best for you will mostly depend on the type of camping you’re interested in (RV, tent, primitive, etc). Here are direct links to some of the campgrounds in Brown County, with notes about what they offer:

NOTE: While I know the owners of some of these campgrounds, I haven’t personally stayed at most of them. Inclusion on this list does not represent my endorsement - make sure the site layouts and amenities will work for you before you book.

Glamping & Tiny Homes

Glamping and tiny home style lodging is becoming more popular in Brown County, but there aren’t a ton of choices yet. To find all your options, check sites like Airbnb and Hipcamp, or head straight to these sites:

  • eXplore Brown County (map) - retro campers, plus tents and RV sites; on-site zip lining, ATV tours, and other adventure activities; located 8.5 miles southeast of Nashville on Valley Branch Rd

  • Getaway Brown County (map) - tiny home style cabins; located 16 miles southeast of Nashville

  • Harmony Tree Resorts (map) - glamping tents, geo domes, and hotel-style rooms; hosts events and music festivals and has the Sycamore Saloon restaurant on-site; located 5 miles southeast of Nashville

NOTE: While I know the owners of some of these businesses, I haven’t personally stayed at any of them. Inclusion on this list does not represent my endorsement - check out their websites and reviews before you book.

Book Your Stay in Nashville & Brown County, Indiana Today!

With so many options for shopping, restaurants, and other things to do Brown County, IN is the perfect place to plan your next getaway. And now that you’ve got the rundown of all the different options for places to stay, I hope it’s easier than ever to find and book the perfect lodging for your visit.

I’d love to know in the comments where you think you’ll choose to stay…a cabin or bed & breakfast? Hotel or motel? Campground or glamping tent? Let me know!

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Kara Hammes
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