According to anthropologists, our distant ancestors were arboreal primates who came down from the trees millions of years ago when the climate changed. According to parents, our children are arboreal apes who will happily climb any convenient tree to regard us from on high. Some things never change. If you'd like to spend a few nights where predators can't find you, then TreeHouse Point should be your high hide of choice.

Granted, it's unreasonable to expect a 160-foot Sitka spruce to support the weight of a Holiday Inn, so it's unlikely you'll find treehouse lodgings with free HBO and a soaking tub. But, as Ewoks, Keebler elves, or the Swiss Family Robinson could tell you, arboreal living doesn't need to be primitive. We took advantage of a recent sunbreak to tour TreeHouse Point, a riverside bed and breakfast in Issaquah that compensates for its lack of Hiltonian amenities by offering an unparalleled view of sylvan nature. From the bluff, it's a quick and easy descent to the river's edge. Water tumbles merrily throughout the property, reflecting fragrant stands of cedar and spruce.

The main lodge features WiFi, comfortable bathrooms, a continental breakfast and a cozy fireside library. Follow the path toward a beautifully landscaped pond. Overlooking this calming scene is a refurbished common room used for yoga sessions, wedding receptions and other get-togethers. Now, like so many warbling community thespians before you, venture into the woods. Check out Trillium, a two-story treehouse with a wraparound view of the environment. Like the other five aerial escapes here, Trillium was designed and built by Pete Nelson, of "sister business" Nelson Treehouse and Supply, and his crew. Like the other guest rooms on this four-acre property, Trillium boasts electricity, heat, tasteful décor and an inviting, handmade bed. To say it's made for romance is putting it mildly. In fact, as our capable hostess Riley coyly explained, things can get "mushy" under the moonlight. Thus, overnight lodgings are closed to children under 13, though, they are welcome on midday tours.

Nelson, famous now as the star of Animal Planet's Treehouse Masters, has been building custom treehouses since the mid-1980s. His TreeHouse Point projects include Temple of the Blue Moon, a Hellenic cottage reached by means of a bouncy rope bridge; Bonbibi, with spiral staircase and elevated deck; and the stunning Burl honeymoon suite, which overlooks Raging River from a perch at the end of a 40-foot steel bridge. Unlike most treehouses, Burl includes a sink and enclosed, composting toilet. It's so well-constructed that when all its doors and windows are shut, even the white noise of cascading water outside becomes little more than a sigh. It boasts a jaunty crow's nest a hundred feet up the tree, but only three people have ever been allowed to sit up there. One, of course, was Nelson - but he didn't stay long. The fact is he isn't fond of heights.

TreeHouse Point, 6922 Preston-Fall City Rd. SE, Issaquah, $290-$390, 425.441.8087