Camping in a yurt affords travelers vacation accommodations that are comfortable, convenient and affordable. Unlike tent camping, yurts have conveniences that make adventure travel lodging easy while maintaining the outdoor experience.
Why Camp in a Yurt?
The circular, Mongolian-style domed tent — called a yurt — allows campers to stay warm and dry, have many of the comforts of home and lodge economically. Rental yurts are about 20 feet in diameter, have hardwood lattice sidewalls, plywood floors, a clear Plexiglas skylight, a framed-in, lockable wooden door and screened windows with storm flaps.
Advantages of staying in a yurt rather than a tent are that the yurt is fully insulated and designed to withstand high winds, summer heat and snow loads. Its waterproof canvas cover keeps out rain and snow. Yurts offer pleasant, comfortable accommodations.
Yurts at Idaho State Parks
Harriman State Park, in the eastern corner of Idaho, is a 11,000-acre wildlife refuge in the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Two yurts are available year-round that sleep up to six people each in futon-style bunk beds. A wood stove, propane appliances for cooking and lighting, table and chairs provide comfort in the yurts. Fishing in Henry’s Fork of the Snake River and wildlife watching (from moose to swans) are featured at Harriman.
Lake Cascade State Park, in west central Idaho, offers boating, fishing, hiking, bird watching and swimming. A group yurt camp at the lake’s Osprey Point offers three secluded yurts that accommodate up to 30 people total year-round. The yurts have futon and bunk beds, tables and chairs, cooking tables, cook stove and lanterns.
Winchester Lake State Park, in the panhandle of North Idaho, is nestled in the woods at the base of the Craig Mountains. The small, quiet atmosphere of the lake is preserved, with only non-motorized boats allowed on the lake. Fishing, wildlife watching and visiting the nearby Wolf Education and Research Center are available. Three rental yurts offer year-round accommodations for up to five people each, with amenities from open grills to a microwave for cooking.
In the Idaho City area about one hour northeast of Boise, five back-country yurts are available for rent year-round from Idaho State Parks and Recreation. Each yurt sleeps up to six people in beds, with a kitchen area and wood stove. Hike, mountain bike and horseback ride in the summer. Snowshoeing, telemark and Nordic skiing are available in winter. Nearby Boise offers many lodging and dining opportunities as well as wineries to visit.
Yurts in North Idaho
In north central Idaho in Harpster near Grangeville, Harpster Riverside R.V. Park offers yurts for rent. This private R.V. campground on the south fork of the Clearwater River offers a mini mart, laundry, showers, modem hookups and a pavilion with water and electricity. Enjoy fishing, river rafting, hiking, biking and bird watching.
In north Idaho near the Coeur d’Alene National Forest and Cataldo, Peak Adventures offers backcountry yurt accommodations in winter. Overnight and multi-day yurt trips are featured with Peak Adventures’ snow-cat skiing and boarding in the backcountry. Appetizers, drinks and hearty meals are featured with accommodations at the large, insulated, mountain-top yurt. Nearby Coeur d’Alene offers a variety of lodging, dining and activities.
Central Idaho Yurt Rentals
Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall and Payette Lake in west central Idaho has backcountry skiing with yurt accommodations. Overnight snow-cat skiing adventures feature lodging in a large, mountain-top Pacific Yurt, including meals. Guides take skiers and snowboarders into the pristine powder of the Payette National Forest.
The Galena Lodge, near Ketchum and Sun Valley in south central Idaho, offers backcountry yurt rentals. Three yurts accommodate up to eight people, with bunk beds and futons. Wood stoves heat the yurts in winter. Propane cooking stoves, lanterns, kitchen and eating utensils, firewood, books and games are provided by the lodge. Skiing and boarding in Sun Valley offers some of the best in Idaho.
Sun Valley Trekking offers backcountry yurts in the mountains surrounding Sun Valley for hut-to-hut skiing adventures. Yurt accommodations for up to 16 people are heated by wood stoves and include bunks with mattresses, propane cooking stoves, kitchen and tableware, lanterns, saunas or hot tubs. One of the yurts is available in the summer, with hiking and mountain biking for nearby adventures.
Yurt rentals offer adventure travel accommodations that are affordable, comfortable and convenient. Staying in a yurt allows travelers to pack lighter, since yurts have many of the conveniences of home. Yurts are also more stable and spacious than tents. Aesthetically appealing and well-lit, yurts are an easy, economical alternative to tent or RV camping.
Oregon and Washington offer more yurt camping in the Pacific Northwest.
Susan Lynne Hamilton - Award-winning writer Susan Lynne Hamilton is the Topic Editor of Suite 101's Northwest U.S. travel section, showcasing its rich ...
