Yurt camping is easy, affordable and fun for families — even in the winter!
If you ever wanted to try camping, but felt overwhelmed by all the details, knowledge or gear needed, booking a yurt is an ideal gateway. It’s also an easy way to introduce younger ones to camping without the cold, wet or uncomfortable parts — yes, even in winter.
Parents will appreciate how easy it is. Just show up, unlock the door, and boom — you’re ready to start having fun. Forget having to pitch a tent or set up camp; yurts skip the hard work and let your family go straight to the good stuff, like sitting by a fire or riding your bikes on the nearby trails.
And yurts are ideal for Oregon winters. Dark, cold and wet don’t stand a chance against a cozy, fortress-like yurt. The solid, circular structure feels super safe and warm, and creates a special, communal vibe. There are no separate rooms, so you’re all in one space together. This makes it a great spot for family time — playing board games, reading books, or just hanging out and talking. But fear not, yurts still have plenty of room for everyone to spread out, so you won’t feel like you’re on top of each other. Added bonus? All the yurts in the state park system come with cool bunk beds, which are an instant hit with kids.
How to Book a Yurt
The go-to option for renting a yurt for the family is stateparks.oregon.gov. It has a great system for reserving yurts and has the consistency of offering the exact same space and amenities at each location, making arrival day reliable. Their regular yurts, ranging from $42 to $62 plus lodging tax, have heat and electricity, a small porch, a table with two chairs, a futon double bed, and a bunk bed featuring a double underneath and a twin on top. Outside, they have a picnic table and a firepit, plus access to a water spigot and a bathhouse.
When booking at the state parks website, be sure to click ‘more options’ on the state site to check the box ‘pets allowed’ should you want to bring your pet with you. All sites have pet-friendly options. Some yurts and cabins are ‘deluxe’ which means for $81 to $99 plus lodging tax, you get the basics plus a private bathroom, shower, and a kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave.
Planning in advance is your friend for the coastal spots, with new reservations becoming available six months to the date, at 6 am. If there are certain camp sites you really like and want for a certain time of year, mark your calendar six months ahead of time to book it. Don’t despair if there’s nothing open when you want it. Pro tip: Set up alerts to let you know when something opens up, which happens consistently enough to make the effort worthwhile. Another solid second option is Hip Camp, with pricier private yurts, which can offer more privacy, greater space, and more availability when you want it.
What to Pack
You will need to pack bedding — so pillows and sleeping bags, or sheets and blankets. For anyone who has ever had to leave the warmth of the tent to boil water for coffee when it’s cold and rainy — you’ll appreciate this pro tip. Bring an electric kettle to boil water! It’s a real bonus to stay warm and cozy in your pajamas, sipping your morning tea or coffee, and eating instant oatmeal.
While you’re not allowed to cook inside your yurt, most places have outdoor grills and firepits to use. So, bring that s’mores kit! Reading lights are also a good idea, as you might want to stay up a little bit later than the kids. State parks are often full of exploration opportunities, so bikes and scooters are always a big yes.
Where to Go Yurt Camping
Beverly Beach
For a classic Oregon experience, head to the coast in the winter and discover the weather might actually be warmer there than in the city. Enjoy the benefits of this mild microclimate where nearby coastal cliffs offer a protective buffer from strong winds. This shelter leads to more sunshine, lighter breezes, and a milder overall temperature (40 to 50˚ F) compared to more exposed areas of the Oregon Coast. Although don’t be fooled; it is still wet and rainy. Not to worry — a few steps from the ocean will find you in the forest-sheltered campground. Beverly Beach is full of giant trees, plus gems like the ancient spruce tree stump that is over 4,100 years old and visible at the mouth of Spencer Creek. If you follow the brook and walk under the bridge, you’ll arrive at the beach which is undeniably beautiful.
Don’t Miss
The Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area is so close, it’s impossible not to spot the turn off on your drive to the yurts. A stop-and-gaze geographic attraction, visit the overlook during high tide to witness the swirling cauldron of water and waves in the natural rock formation. However, if it’s low tide or the tide is going out, you can head down a lot of stairs and check out the tide pools. For those that wish to be a bit more stationary, after getting your fill of dramatic views of nearby surfers from above, drive down the old, single-lane Otter Crest Loop for some additional scenic views.
South Beach
This seaside campground is all about the broad swath of sandy beach that stretches uninterrupted for miles. With no forest for protection, the yurts are exposed and open to the elements, often why you’re more likely to get a reservation here than at Beverly Beach. But don’t let that put you off. If it’s too windy for disc golf or a bike ride on the paved Jetty Trail, head to nearby Newport for some clam chowder at Mo’s Seafood & Chowder, a local institution, and a tour of the small-but-mighty Oregon Coast Aquarium, with its seabird aviary with tufted puffins, interactive touch pool, and the iconic Passages of the Deep shark tunnel.
Don’t Miss
The nearby Yaquina Head Lighthouse (pictured above) is worth the $7 car entrance fee although actual lighthouse tours are intermittent. The tallest lighthouse in Oregon and pretty as a postcard, it’s also an Outstanding Natural Area (federal designation, not just our emphasis) with incredible views, tide pools, and stunning, natural beauty. An interpretive center can help you identify exactly what you’re looking at in the tidepools. Go here when the tide is out, not just to enjoy the tidepools teaming with anemones, urchins, mussels, barnacles, starfish and more, but also because you’ll be more likely to spot seals off Cobble Beach and Quarry Cove.
Champoeg
An often-overlooked local gem, this site doesn’t have any epic vistas or special activities that make it extraordinary, yet it checks all the boxes of a fun trip: lots of space, a playground, great biking for the kids to explore, a disc golf course, a visitor’s center that shares the area’s history, a dock, and some small walking paths. The cabins are located in the shaded woods at one end of the campground, and the yurts are in a half circle around an open field on the other end of the campground. Pro tip: You can often book a spot last-minute!
Don’t Miss
The nearby Wings and Waves waterpark is pretty epic and can be a fun adventure if you’re looking for something to do beyond the campground. And the nearby Remy Wines is a perennial favorite offering wine tasting in a kid- and queer-friendly setting.
Fort Stevens
Fort Stevens is a popular spot with a long list of options and activities, including ranger talks. And it’s one the nation’s largest public campgrounds with 4,300 acres featuring 15 miles of multi-use trails through the dunes and coastal forest. This is the spot to cruise around, so don’t forget your bikes.
The former military installation used to guard the mouth of the Columbia River and now offers endless hide-and-seek opportunities. Free to the public to explore, these buildings were constructed during the Civil War and remained active through World War II. There’s also a disc golf course, Coffenbury Lake, the Peter Iredale shipwreck, and beachcombing (also keep an eye out for seals).
Don’t Miss
The 6-ish mile South Jetty on the Columbia River is a great place to explore, especially as it recently underwent a $172 million rehabilitation (including the addition of 32,000 boulders)! This is a notorious stretch where 2 million gallons of river water churns into the Pacific Ocean every single second — just looking at it from afar is a thrill. Watching the boats bob the waves makes it easy to understand why it’s known as one of the most dangerous ports of entry in the entire world. You can walk along this gravel path, but be mindful during high tides and bad weather.
Silver Falls
Yes, this is a yurt article. But this spot is so great, we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention it. Cabins have the exact same amenities as the yurts, but within a wooden square instead of a canvas circle. Silver Falls is an absolutely magical location with more stunning waterfalls in a single location than some people see in their entire lives. Don’t miss the Trail of Ten Falls that wends its way past ten different waterfalls. A few dry up in summer, so if you hit them in the wet winter, you’ll see them all at their most impressive. At 7.2 miles, it might be a bit much for some families, so split it into two separate hikes to see the highlights. One great hike is an easy 2.6-mile loop that connects Canyon Trail, North Falls Viewpoint, and North Falls Loop, which takes you to two waterfalls you can walk behind. A second simpler hike is the 1.6-mile South Falls Loop Hike that includes 93-foot Lower South Falls and the 177-foot South Falls, both of which you can also walk behind.
Don’t Miss
The falls of course! You don’t even need to leave the park. Each of the two hikes listed feature the mesmerizing experience of walking behind not one, but two waterfalls where you can experience the waterfall with nearly all your senses: the thundering roar of the water, the damp, earthy smell, the ice-cold spray. And if you want to head into town to see some stunning holiday lights and shop for holiday gifts, hit up the Silverton Christmas Market at the Oregon Garden Resort, which runs most nights from November 21 to December 31.
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