Have you ever experienced staying in a Yurt? Do you even know what a Yurt is? Aaron and I found one in Arizona and we had to check it out to celebrate Aaron's birthday!
When Aaron mentioned doing a quick backpacking weekend adventure to sleep on a bare floor in an empty room in a Yurt I thought, why not.
We packed our backpacks with essentials for one night and drove up to the Arizona Nordic Village in Flagstaff, two hours away from home.
The Nordic Village is open all year. Sunshine or snow there are activities like hiking and snowshoeing as well as many animals to spot. If you aren't into hiking or just want to drive up and enjoy Flagstaff, front country Yurts and cabins are available a few steps away from the parking lot. If you're interested in a short one-mile hike you can book one of two large backcountry yurts. If you're looking for a longer hike, two small yurts are 1.6 miles away from the parking lot and the furthest one is 3 miles in. They also have campsites available.
Each Yurt looks the same and doesn't have any special amenities. This is not glamping, but it is totally a worthwhile experience. The best part of each Yurt is the wood-burning stove that heats up the small spaces. If you choose one of the further yurts, you should consider buying firewood during the reservation process. Aaron and I got two bundles and that was more than enough for the night.
Since a yurt has no electricity, no heat or water we had to make sure we came prepared. We were only there for one night and our packing list included:
Two gallons of water
Sleeping bags and pads
A headlamp and a couple of small lanterns, Yurts don't have
Cooking/eating supplies and utensils
Food and other beverages
Personal items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant ect.
Playing cards
Change of clothes
Although there are mattresses inside each Yurt, we felt more comfortable bringing our own sleeping pads mostly because we already know that we can sleep comfortably on what we own, and if it's not a bed, then our pads are perfect for us. There was also a grill available but we brought our small backpacking stove. The next morning we were woken up early by a bugling Elk. Because the Yurt we stayed in was considered backcountry, there are more chances at seeing and hearing wildlife. We enjoyed a beautiful morning outdoors, packed up and headed out for our car.
Whichever Yurt you choose to stay in, it will be a memorable experience for you and we recommend starting at the Nordic Village. It is a great place to practice backpacking without getting too far out or feeling overwhelmed.
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