What was originally just one cabin built on stilts along the Caddo River around 2010 as an example for potential investors of what could be done to provide a unique rental experience for visitors has grown to about two dozen rental properties today.

Owners along what is now known as Caddo River Row in Glenwood say the cabins, which range in size from one bedroom to six bedrooms, have been booked most weekends lately. The ones that sit atop stilts or elevated decks are in an area that is prone to periodic flooding.

Most of the cabins are located in a gated area, which has led to many local residents not realizing the cabins are there. Visitors book their stays through online platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Many take extended weekends, checking in on Thursdays, then checking out on Tuesdays, sometimes providing a midweek break for owners to clean up. 

Some owners of the cabins live in Glenwood while others are investors from within the region, says Lisa Simpson of Texarkana, Ark., who has been organizing marketing efforts among the property owners. She and her husband own two rental properties in Glenwood and one in Kirby. Most of the other owners are also from Texarkana or nearby Shreveport, she said, while another is from California.

“A bunch of us in our little extended friend group found these properties and then bought probably 10 or more,” Simpson said. “The first one that was a rental was built in 2015, the second one was in 2019, and then after that, it just exploded.”

After opening her first cabin for rent, Simpson said she was surprised by the number of visitors coming up for weekend getaways from Louisiana.

“So I finally started asking the guests and they were like, this is the first clean water [for recreation] that you can get to. So I was just shocked that they knew about little Glenwood, Arkansas,” Simpson said.

The Caddo River features clear, cool, spring-fed water that flows from the Ouachita Mountains. Many visitors come for kayaking and canoeing in the river which is generally shallow. Many of the cabins provide direct river access for floating, swimming and fishing.

The cabins feature scenic views, with some providing fire pits and hot tubs. 

Simpson said this has been the best March for bookings so far compared to previous years. That bodes well for the rest of the year, she says, with bookings typically very strong from Spring Break, which was this past week, through Labor Day. 

“We’re kind of in a niche area in Glenwood along the Caddo River,” Simpson said. “We’ve looked at investments everywhere, even other countries, and this is just where we like to be. We like the numbers, we like the guests.”

99% of the guests are very respectful to the properties and people in the area, she said, making it a beneficial relationship.

With a large range in the sizes of the cabins, the cost to rent them also varies widely. Some of the smaller cabins with two bedrooms start at $150 a night, while larger ones with six bedrooms can cost about $800 a night.

Glenwood Mayor Billy Plyler says the growth in the number of the cabins is helping to expand the area’s tourism economy. 

“Those Airbnbs do a very good job in the town. That’s kind of a totally silent sleeper — nobody sees. People come in and rent a cabin and spend money here. And you know, that changes out every weekend,” Plyler said. “That’s a big business for us. And it’s not just those, we’ve got several cabins up and down the river.”

Based on her experiences, Simpson says she and her husband are making an addition to expand the size of one of their cabins. She has also taken the lead in working with other owners to promote the properties.

“We think everybody knows about this because it’s booked every weekend, but there are just so many people that don’t know about it,” Simpson said.