We stayed at Postcard Cabins Skagit Valley (Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy) in mid-November, in one of the bunk cabins that sleeps four. The cabins sit at 21802 State Route 9, Mount Vernon, WA 98274, on 70 acres of protected wetlands south of town, near Lake McMurray — not in downtown Mount Vernon.
It’s a real tiny cabin: warm lights, wood walls, and a private fire pit right outside the door. It is also tighter than the photos suggest. If you’re driving down from Vancouver with kids, that’s the trade-off to know about before you book.
Quick facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Where | 21802 WA-9, Mount Vernon, WA 98274 |
| Check-in / check-out | 4:00 pm / 11:00 am |
| Cabin types | One queen with a full-height ceiling, or queen bunks that sleep 4 (lower ceiling on top) |
| Drive from Vancouver | About 1.5 hours from Vancouver (our drive), plus any border wait |
| On-site food | None. Bring groceries. Closest major supermarket we can confirm is Haggen in Mount Vernon, about a 20-minute drive |
| Fire-pit kit | $45 USD, charged separately. Multiple bags of firewood and a fire starter. Staff refilled the weather-sealed kit in the morning |
| Pets | Dogs only, max 2. $50 USD per stay. A pet kit with a bowl and towels is supplied; bring food and a bed |
| Cribs / high chairs | Not provided, and there isn’t really room for them |
| Front desk | None. Doors are code-locked; your passcode is texted to you at 3:00 pm on arrival day |
Rates change by date and cabin type, so we’re not putting a nightly price here. Check Marriott’s property page when you book. The destination fee amount for this outpost wasn’t confirmed on an official booking screen, so we haven’t listed a dollar figure for that either.
Getting there from Vancouver
It took us about 1.5 hours from Vancouver (our drive), plus any border wait.
The usual route is Highway 99 south to the Peace Arch or Pacific Highway crossing at Blaine, then I-5 south toward Mount Vernon, then local roads and SR 9 south to the cabins. The last stretch is several miles south of downtown, on quieter country roads.
Try to arrive in daylight. The property itself says roads can be rural with limited lighting, cell service can be spotty, and the on-site roads are gravel. In November, official check-in starts at 4:00 pm, which is already close to dusk. We arrived at night in the rain, and it worked — but we’d leave earlier next time and give ourselves a morning or early-afternoon cushion, plus any border wait.
Each cabin has one dedicated parking space. RVs, trailers, and ATVs aren’t allowed.
Arrival: no front desk
Check-in is fully contactless. Cabin doors are code-locked, and the passcode is texted to the mobile number on the reservation at 3:00 pm on arrival day, along with your cabin name and the outpost map. GPS gets you to the main entrance; then you follow the map and the signs to your cabin and enter the code on the keypad.
There’s 24/7 support by text or the landline inside the cabin if something goes wrong. At checkout, you gather your things, turn off the lights, and press the lock button.
Our cabin was named Josephina. A handwritten welcome card was waiting inside.
It’s very small and cozy
The word to use is cozy, and also tight.
There’s no real entryway. You open the door and you’re already in the kitchenette, standing in a space about 3 feet by 3 feet. The washroom door is to the right and the dining table is to the left. If one person is cooking and another is trying to get to the washroom or go outside, it feels tight. That’s not a complaint so much as a heads-up: a family of four will be stepping around each other in that little spot.
There are two cabin configurations:
- One bed with a full-height ceiling — more headroom, sleeps fewer people.
- Bunk beds that sleep 4 — this is the one we stayed in. The top has a lower ceiling. Scooting out to the washroom in the middle of the night, I bumped my head.
The lights are warm, and the inside looks almost picture-perfect — wood walls, a tidy little kitchen, white bedding. Just don’t expect hotel-room circulation, or space for a crib. The property does not provide cribs, pack-and-plays, or high chairs, and extra or rollaway beds aren’t available. If you’re travelling with a baby, plan to bring your own sleep setup, and know it’s a squeeze.
The kitchenette, and what’s actually in the cabinet
The kitchenette has a two-burner stovetop, a kettle, pots and pans, dishes, and a small bar fridge. The fridge is tight, but it held about two days’ worth of food for us. There is no microwave, no oven, and no freezer. Indoor pots and pans are for the stovetop only, not the fire pit.
Everything in the kitchen cabinet was free to use. In ours we found:
- 4 pour-over coffees
- 4 tea bags
- 4 hot chocolate mixes
- but only 2 bottles of water and 2 instant oatmeals
For a family of four, bring extra water and breakfast. There’s a snack bundle too (ours had popcorn sitting next to the water), and a s’mores kit — more on that with the fire pit.
Because there’s no restaurant, café, or shared indoor space on site, plan meals ahead and shop on the way in. Haggen at 2601 E Division St, Mount Vernon, is the closest full-service supermarket we can confirm, about 10 miles / 20 minutes from the cabins (store locator). A cooler is useful, since the fridge is small and there’s no ice or freezer.
The phone lockbox
Each cabin has a wooden cellphone lockbox on the counter, with a note that says, “For a true escape, forget your phone inside.” You don’t have to use it, but it’s a nice nudge if you want the kids — and yourself — off screens for the evening. There’s also a landline in the cabin if you need to reach support or 911.
The fire pit is the highlight
This is the reason to stay.
Outside the door you get a private fire pit with a grill grate, a picnic table, and Adirondack chairs. Our four-person bunk cabin had four chairs; the two-person cabins get only two chairs by the fire pit. The ground around the campsite is laid with gravel, so you don’t track mud and dirt into the cabin, which helps a lot with kids on a wet November day. Quiet hours start at 10:00 pm, and campfires need to be attended and fully out by then.
The fire-pit kit was $45 USD, charged on its own — it is not the destination fee. It came with multiple bags of firewood and a fire starter, stored in a weather-sealed “Campfire Kit” box. Staff came in the morning and refilled it.
We also had a s’mores kit. There were two boxes labelled “S’mores for Two,” which was enough for four.
We arrived at night in the rain. The rain on the cabin made a soft white noise, and it was very soothing for sleeping. By morning the rain had stopped and everything was a bit moist, but we still got a fire going.
If you’re bringing a dog
Dogs are welcome; other pets are not. The fee is $50 USD per stay (not per night), for up to two dogs. A pet kit is supplied with a bowl and towels, so you just need to bring food and a bed. Official house rules also say dogs should be leashed outdoors and shouldn’t be left unattended in the cabin.
Nearby with kids
Inside the cabin area there are foot-traffic-only trails, no cars, that are good for an easy walk with the kids. The in-cabin map marks an upper trail of about 0.15 miles out and back, a lower trail of about 0.35 miles, and a waterfall.
If you want a kid stop in town, these are the closest ones we can confirm:
- Little Mountain Park, 3000 Little Mountain Rd, Mount Vernon — about 8 miles / 17 minutes. The property recommends it for views of Puget Sound and the Olympics. There’s a 1/4-mile stroller-friendly nature trail, and the park road is open daily 10:00 am to dusk, year-round. Source: Mount Vernon Parks Foundation.
- Children’s Museum of Skagit County, 432 Fashion Way, Burlington (south end of The Shops at Burlington, near Costco) — about 16 miles / 28 minutes. Self-guided for kids about ages 1–12; adult supervision required. Hours include Monday–Saturday from 10 am (Sunday noon–4). Admission: under 12 months free; children 12 months+ and adults $10.75 USD; military and seniors 65+ $9.75. Source: skagitchildrensmuseum.org/visit.
- Haggen, as noted above, for groceries on the way in.
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is an April trip, not a November one. If you’re coming back in spring, check tulipfestival.org.
Is it for your family?
| Best fit | Families who want a simple, cozy overnight in the woods, can live in a very small cabin, and will actually use the fire pit. Works for a couple, or for a family of four in the bunk cabin if everyone is fine with the tiny kitchenette space by the door and the lower bunk ceiling. |
| Not a good fit when | You need space to spread out; someone tall will be getting up in the night in the bunk cabin (the top ceiling is low — I bumped my head); you have an infant and need a crib or high chair; you want a restaurant, a front desk, or daily housekeeping; or you don’t want to cook in a tiny kitchenette. |
| Time | About 1.5 hours from Vancouver (our drive), plus any border wait. Check-in 4:00 pm, check-out 11:00 am. In November, leave with a morning or early-afternoon cushion so you’re not arriving in the dark. |
| Cost | Nightly rate and the destination fee vary, and we haven’t published unconfirmed amounts. Confirmed extras from our stay: fire-pit kit $45 USD, charged separately; pet fee $50 USD per stay if you bring a dog. Groceries are extra (no on-site food). Children’s Museum admission is $10.75 USD if you add that stop. |
| Booking | Book on Marriott.com or the Marriott Bonvoy app. Check-in is contactless. Cancellation rules depend on the rate you book; a minimum stay isn’t stated on the official pages we checked. |
| Arrival | Doors are code-locked; the passcode is texted at 3:00 pm on arrival day, with your cabin name and map. One parking space per cabin. Download directions before you lose cell service, and try to arrive in daylight. Gravel on site, with a short flight of steps up to the door. |
| Facilities | Private bathroom with a hot shower, kitchenette (two-burner stove, kettle, pots, small bar fridge; no microwave, oven, or freezer), linens and towels, fire pit, picnic table, chairs, landline, and a phone lockbox. No cribs, high chairs, or rollaways. No restaurant or shared indoor space. |
| Access | Very compact. The door opens straight into the kitchenette, a space about 3 by 3 feet, with the washroom door beside it. The bunk cabin has a lower ceiling over the top bunk. The official pages did not confirm accessible-cabin inventory at this outpost, so we aren’t calling it accessible. Surfaces outside are gravel, and you climb steps into the cabin. |
| Plan B | If the cabin feels too small once you’re there, use it as a sleep-and-fire-pit base and spend the day in town: the Children’s Museum of Skagit County in Burlington, or Little Mountain Park for a short walk and a view. If rain keeps you in, bring books and games — weather cancellations aren’t offered. If you already know you want more space or a full kitchen, a regular hotel or rental in Mount Vernon or Burlington will be easier. |
What to pack
- Extra water and breakfast (only two waters and two oatmeals were in the cabin)
- Groceries for the stay, plus a cooler
- Rain gear and warm layers (November was wet, and the fire pit is still the main event)
- Soft bags if you can — storage is limited
- Books, a deck of cards, or a small game for a rainy evening
- Your own crib or pack-and-play if you need one, knowing floor space is tight
- If you’re bringing a dog: food and a bed (bowl and towels are supplied)
- Downloaded maps or directions, in case cell service drops on the way in
Book and official info
Postcard Cabins Skagit Valley on Marriott · Plan your stay · Rooms and cabin details · Postcard Cabins
