America’s No. 1 home

A whimsical treehouse in Broken Bow captures YouTube fame and the title of America’s No. 1 Airbnb.

In the piney woods of Broken Bow, Sara and David Clampitt built a trio of whimsical rentals. The Clampitts designed each of their rentals as a one-of-a-kind place to stay and make special memories. But they never expected one of them, a three-story treehouse called Treetopia, would be named the “top Airbnb in America” by one of YouTube’s most prolific creators.

“I kind of refuse to grow up,” David admits. “I’ve been building treehouses since I was ten. We wanted to not just build a treehouse, but to go crazy doing things we couldn’t find anywhere else. We like to come up with these wild ideas and make them real so other people can have fun too.”

Sara didn’t need convincing. She grew up spending her days reading books in her favorite tree, so the idea of a treehouse rental was right up her alley. Together, they founded Okie Dokey Cabins & Castles and now own three unique rental spaces, all of which are served by Choctaw Electric Cooperative. Treetopia, their smallest rental, caught the attention of YouTuber Ryan Trahan, who filmed his stay at the property for his nearly 22 million subscribers. Treetopia is a three-story treehouse, complete with a suspension bridge, bark-lined walls, a hot tub, a waterfall, a big slide and much more.

“The treehouse was so much fun to create and design and build. It’s super quirky, and we love incorporating unique things that we find,” Sara said. “Seeing it on YouTube and reading comments from people who love how unique it is has been really rewarding.”

The video was a part of Trahan’s 50 states in 50 days project to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Along with his wife, Haley Pham, Trahan sought out the most unique Airbnb in each state and aimed to find the coolest house in the country. Oklahoma and Treetopia were featured on day 10 and held the No. 1 spot through the remaining 40 days.

Choctaw Electric Cooperative CEO Kooney Duncan and his familiy joined in on the fun. His kids are big fans of the Trahans and their family cheered on the Clampitts every step of the way.

“The experience was so wholesome,” Duncan says. “It was such a positive experience. We gathered with other families to watch the award presented, and it’s an exciting thing for our area.

“Treetopia is magical,” Trahan says in his video. “It feels like we’re at Disney World, but even better. I cannot believe the amount of creativity and love that has been poured into this Airbnb.”

In his video, which now has more than 45 million views, Trahan highlights the sheer sense of wonder that Treetopia brought out in them. He describes it as stepping into a childhood fantasy. When they saw the suspension bridge, Pham said it felt like a scene from the movie “Jumanji.”

“Treetopia is like a childhood dream I didn’t even know I had,” Pham said.

The experience was surreal for the Clampitts. They didn’t even know about the video until someone sent them a congratulatory message. But soon after that, watching the series became a morning ritual, and it was filled with suspense about what rank their Airbnb would ultimately receive. Trahan’s project took him across the country to stay at many unique rental properties.

“I kept thinking, ‘OK, that’s it. They’re going to beat us,’” David says. “There were so many cool places that now we want to visit as well, but we kept staying on top of the list. It was really cool.”

Since the video featuring Treetopia was posted, calls and bookings surged. David said one family sent them a LEGO model of their treehouse. Another family created a song about the rental property. And one grandpa had his grandkids create a presentation on why they should stay at Treetopia that was so convincing, he had no other choice but to book a stay. People from all around the country and even England and Australia have since made the trip to experience Treetopia for themselves.

“It’s been so rewarding,” Sara says. “We poured a lot of heart into building it. To see people connect with it in such a creative way means the world.”

Trahan delivered a “#1 Home in America” trophy to the Clampitts in person. The couple is waiting for the right gap between bookings to mount it behind glass inside the treehouse. But beyond the trophy and recognition, the Clampitts say one of the most meaningful parts of the experience was the fundraising. Trahan’s series ultimately raised $11.6 million for St. Jude’s.

“It’s an organization that’s very dear to our hearts already, so the fact that we were able to even be a small part of the fundraising and project was a full circle moment and very heartwarming,” Sara says.

The Clampitts are still surprised, still grateful and fielding messages from guests counting down the days until their stay at America’s coolest Airbnb.

“We’re just so honored. And it feels great that we’re getting people to come to Oklahoma,” Sara says. “The Okie pride is going strong.”

Watch the episode:

From watching a movie under the stars in the outdoor theater to taking a thrilling ride down the three-story, stainless steel slide to the lower deck, the Clampitts invite you to experience a fairytale behind the pines. Click above to view the Oklahoma episode from YouTuber Ryan Trahan