My wife and I enjoy the outdoors and exploring the many beautiful places to see in Oregon. As we get older, the thought of putting up a tent and setting up camp gets less enticing. Especially when the best campsites in popular locations need to be reserved many months in advance, not knowing what the weather will be like when the camping dates arrive. Sitting in a tent with the wind blowing or the rain falling isn't my idea of a weekend vacation.
The Oregon State Parks system has solved that concern by providing yurts at many of their parks, especially on the Oregon Coast.
What is a yurt? A traditional yurt is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by nomadic groups in Central Asia. Mongolians call it a ger. Yurts are popular structures for people who want to live off the grid. Pacific Yurts in Cottage Grove, Oregon provide the yurts that the Oregon State Parks uses.
Camping in an Oregon State Park Yurt
For less than $50 per night, we can sleep in a sturdy structure with electricity, heat, table, two chairs, futon with mattress pad, sturdy bed with pad, locking door, covered porch, nearby restrooms and showers, and a natural setting to enjoy. We just need to bring our bedding, food, and anything else we might want for a few days away from home.
This interior layout varies from park to park, but the contents are similar. Smaller parks provide you with a numeric code upon reservation so that you can open a lockbox with the entry key upon arrival. Larger parks (like Silver Falls) have you check in at the registration booth to pick up the key.
Yurts can offer an outdoor camping experience for the kids in addition to glamping (glamour camping) for the adults. This picture was taken at Sunset Bay State Park near Charleston, Oregon.
Living in a Yurt as Your Home
Don't think that yurts are just for camping or survivalists. A couple in the Portland, Oregon area built a lofted yurt to live in for just $63,000. Take a look at the pictures and you'll see that they're not exactly roughing it.
These articles offer different perspectives on yurt living full-time:
Modern Yurts Fit for Modern Living
I don't think that I could live in a yurt full-time, but for me it's a great place to escape to for a few days to enjoy Oregon's beauty and not have to live out of a tent or a stale hotel room.
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