Try winter camping in a yurt
Published on: 11/05/06
Winter is on its way, but that doesn't mean the camping trips have to end — if you switch from a tent to a yurt.
A yurt is a circular tentlike structure with a wood frame, a fabric cover that won't collapse under snow and a door.
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Pacific Yurts (Yurts.com) has a list of state and private parks -- from New York to California and Canada to Mexico -- where you can rent a yurt.
There are yurts aplenty for rent, and you can use the Internet to plan your outing.
If you're new to the idea, a good place to get some background information is Pacific Yurts at Yurts.com, an Oregon yurt-making company. Pacific Yurts doesn't offer yurt camping trips, but it has a good overview of yurt history and construction. Once you're on the home page, click on How Are Yurts Used and then Yurt Vacations for a huge list of state and private parks — including some in Mexico and points south — that offer yurt rentals.
Another good place for background information is coloradoyurt.reachlocal.net, Colorado Yurt Co.
Once you've found out a few things about yurts, check out the Web site for Idaho State University's outdoor adventure center at www.isu.edu/outdoor. Click on Rentals and then click on Yurts and Cabins in the listing on the left-hand side. The site lists yurts and carries some useful safety tips for campers who are heading into the mountains in winter.
There are yurts to be found in the eastern United States — the Ocoee Yurt Co. in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee has yurts for rent with all the modern conveniences — including air conditioning. They're at www.ocoeeyurts.com. There are also yurts for rent at a farm in Huntington, Vt., accessible by hiking, skiing or snowmobile. You can find out more at www.earthfoot.org/places/usvt02.htm.
But most of the big yurt country is west of the Mississippi. Washington and Idaho State parks have yurts for rent at several parks — some with electricity and heat. Go to www.parks.wa.gov and click on Rental Places to get to the yurt listings; www.idahoparks.org will get you to the Idaho State Parks Web site, where you'll click on Lodging and then Park Yurts or Backcountry Yurts to get a description of the state's offerings on the Idaho City Area trail system, about an hour away from Boise. Those yurts require a mile or two of hiking but come with cooking facilities and utensils.
— Anne Wallace Allen, Associated Press
