8 // Star Publications // Outdoor Adventures - February 8, 2022
Yurts, year-round … for you? BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER
Visitors have been flocking to yurts yearround at Minnesota’s state parks. Yurts, round tents traditionally covered in skins or felts and used by nomadic groups, have become a unique, popular destination for Minnesotans looking for a rustic getaway. “It offers a really comfortable, cozy place to stay as you participate
in your recreation activities,” said Jamie McBride, policy and operations specialist with the state park and recreation areas within the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The state parks system offers two yurts at Afton State Park, three at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area and two at Glendalough State Park. Yurts are popping
up at various recreational areas and rental property sites throughout the state. Some, like the state parks, are set up for basic camping while others are set up for “glamping,” or fancy camping, while still others, like the one at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center near Spicer, are great for providing a staging area or home base for outdoor recreational activities. At the state parks, the yurts range in size from 16-20 feet in diameter
and accommodate three to seven people, respectively. The yurts in the state parks are appropriate for year-round camping. They are finished with wood floors and wood stoves and offer basic furnishings including bunks and a futon/bunk bed. They are also equipped with a table, two chairs, two benches, a glider chair and a side table. These yurts have windows that open and a skylight in the domed roof. While at least one yurt in each park is ADA accessible, there are a number of ways for campers to reach them, including hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing and biking. These yurts don’t have electricity or indoor plumbing but are often located near primitive toilets. Cooking is done outside at a fire ring and they typically have a food storage locker to protect food from critters.
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Cuyuna Country State Park offers three yurts for rent year-round. These yurts provide a cozy place to call home for the night while exploring the park during the day.
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Yurts page 9
(Above) A family enjoys a picnic near the yurt they’re staying in at Glendalough State Park. The yurts have space for sleeping and relaxing but all food prep and cooking is done outside. (Below) A small portico covers the entrance to this yurt at Glendalough State Park.
