Sample yurts close to home

Posted by Bill on Wednesday, February 24, 2010   |   1 Comment

As we learned in a previous post, yurts are adaptations of the ancient shelters invented by Asian nomads. The earliest yurts made use of sapling roof struts gathered into a central ring.

The lower ends of the roof members were tied to circular lattice walls and covered with felted mats fashioned from sheep’s wool. The result was a simple and efficient shelter that was lightweight and portable.

Westernized yurts are tent-like, but they are far stronger and have greater weather resistance than tents. Modern yurts are round and have wooden frames (radial rafters, lattice walls, a compression ring and a framed door).

Yurts are usually built on wooden platforms of post-and-beam construction. They have minimal impact on the environment and can be removed without damage to their surroundings. Simple and flexible, yurts range from basic shelters to fancier accommodations complete with electricity and plumbing.

Advantages to yurts

These advantages and many others make yurts ideal camping shelters, and a growing number of state, provincial and national parks are embracing yurts as inexpensive and easy-to-build structures for public camping.

More rustic than cabins but more convenient and comfortable than tents, the yurt is proving to be an ideal solution for the camping public.Yurts are still not mainstream with campers and travelers, but there are lots of them out there – and they’re very popular.

In fact, campground operators report that they go quickly and are often reserved months in advance. Little wonder. With a yurt, you can get up off the ground, and you may even have a small deck—not to mention screens and window covers, a lockable door and probably electricity.

Yurts around the country

What’s not to like? Oregon was the first state to offer yurts for park campers in the mid 90s. Washington state soon followed, and today they can be found in nearly half our states.

In the Midwest, you can find yurts in Iowa , Michigan , Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. In fact, in some places, unique “resorts” have been built around yurts.

If you’re really into exotic and geography is no barrier, the Hoopoe Yurt Hotel in Cortes de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain might be just your ticket. The hotel is set among olive groves and an oak forest and overlooks mountain scenery. There’s a swimming pool, and the yurts have private baths.

Closer to home is the Mary Rose Herb Farm & Retreat in Bristow, IN. Here you’ll find two yurts equipped with central heating and A/C, double beds with linens and quilts, refrigerators, microwaves, nearby showers/restrooms—and much more.

Salt Creek Retreats in the Hocking Hills region of southeastern Ohio offers 16-foot diameter yurts with bunk beds, a futon, hardwood floors and a sun dome. The units are insulated and use a propane heater during the winter.

A little further south is the Ocoee Yurt Company in Ducktown, TN. Set in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, this yurt retreat puts you close to white water rafting, biking and hiking. Yurts come with a Queen-size beds, futon, refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker.

Photo courtesy of Yurts of America

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