We built the place we wanted to find.
Our Story
We built the place we wanted to find.
WildNest began with a simple question: what if a small stay could feel both adventurous and deeply restorative? We are Michele and Jess, co-founders who share a belief that thoughtful design, a strong sense of place, and genuine hospitality can change the way a trip feels.
Our first two cabins—The Bluebird and The Finch—were completed in 2025 beside a Smoky Mountain creek near Gatlinburg. They are intentionally light-filled, uncluttered, and connected to the outdoors: places for slow mornings, long conversations, fire-lit nights, and the kind of quiet that stays with you.
The WildNest Collective is growing, but the promise will remain the same: distinctive places that make it easier to step away from the noise and come back to yourself.
Before WildNest was a place, it was a partnership.
Michele and Jess worked together for more than two decades, building the trust to challenge one another, recognize the better idea, and keep moving when the path was not obvious. That shared history became the foundation for a hospitality brand shaped by both strategic rigor and a very human instinct: people need beautiful places where they can breathe.
What comes next
We are building WildNest for adventurous travelers who want more than somewhere to sleep. As the Collective grows beyond the Smokies, each location will be different—but every nest will remain personal, design-led, connected to nature, and deliberately small enough to feel special.
Michele & Jess
Co-founders, The WildNest Collective
Before WildNest was a place, it was a partnership. Michele and Jess worked together for more than two decades, building the trust to challenge one another, recognize the better idea, and keep moving when the path was not obvious. That shared history became the foundation for a hospitality brand shaped by both strategic rigor and a very human instinct: people need beautiful places where they can breathe.
We are building WildNest for adventurous travelers who want more than somewhere to sleep. As the Collective grows beyond the Smokies, each location will be different—but every nest will remain personal, design-led, connected to nature, and deliberately small enough to feel special.
Michele & Jess
Co-founders, The WildNest Collective
WildNest began with a simple question: what if a small stay could feel both adventurous and deeply restorative? We are Michele and Jess, co-founders who share a belief that thoughtful design, a strong sense of place, and genuine hospitality can change the way a trip feels.
Our first two cabins—The Bluebird and The Finch—were completed in 2025 beside a Smoky Mountain creek near Gatlinburg. They are intentionally light-filled, uncluttered, and connected to the outdoors: places for slow mornings, long conversations, fire-lit nights, and the kind of quiet that stays with you.
The WildNest Collective is growing, but the promise will remain the same: distinctive places that make it easier to step away from the noise and come back to yourself.
