When you get away from the chair lifts, resort towns and highways, the Rocky Mountains in winter are quiet and stunning.
And cold. Very, very cold. Only the hardiest skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers dare tent camp in this frigid landscape. But what’s a skier to do if they’ve spent all day riding untracked powder and want to get right back at it the next day?
The 10th Mountain Division hut system is a popular option for powder hounds looking to stay close to untracked stashes in the backcountry. Its “huts” range in opulence from restored historic cabins to modern chalets. Some even have saunas. However, reservations for this winter opened a year ago, so nearly all of the weekend stays are booked, although some weekdays remain open. (For weekday stays and more information, see huts.org.)
Fortunately, Colorado also has a plethora of backcountry yurts, which generally are a bit more rustic than the hut system’s cabins, but are often cheaper and much easier to reserve. They are also a great option for folks who don’t book their weekend trips a year in advance.
Essentially wood-framed domed tents, yurts date back to nomadic cultures of central Asia, popular because they are quick to set up and take down. In the last few decades, as the popularity of backcountry skiing has skyrocketed, yurts have evolved into a comfortable way to go winter camping and skiing in Colorado. Reservable yurts around the state sit on wooden platforms and come equipped with wood stoves, basic kitchens and bunk beds.
The yurt experience
It’s an amazing feeling when you round that last corner on the trail and the yurt comes into view.
You’ve been grunting your way up through the snow on skis, splitboard or snowshoes, appreciating anew how much more strenuous wilderness travel is in winter than in summer. You’ve been sweating and now you’re starting to feel the cold. Maybe the water in your pack has frozen. The shadows are getting long.
The humble yurt might not look like much from the outside, but your cozy stay is about to begin.
Your group walks inside and everyone happily drops their backpacks to the floor. Someone starts a fire. Others start filling buckets with snow – your only water source in this landscape. You pull out cups for hot cocoa or tea. Maybe someone starts prepping a meal in the simple kitchen.
The more energetic among your group might decide it’s time to hunt some fresh powder before dusk. Many yurts have excellent backcountry skiing on the hills and ridges above them. Others in your group may be content to sit on the wooden platform and enjoy the view.
As the sun sets and the temperature outside plummets, you chop wood and stoke the fire that will be your only source of heat. Dinner likely will be a communal affair. Afterward, you might play one of the board or card games that you’ll find in many yurts. Or maybe your group will pour some hot beverages and talk about the day’s skiing or your plans for the next day.
Most yurts sleep four to six people, which makes it easy to divide costs and chores. Your biggest decision may be who claims the top bunks.
As your friends or family members drift off to sleep one by one, the last one standing gets the fire roaring. Whenever someone gets up to use the outdoor latrine, they add more wood to keep the fire going. It can be so cozy inside that you forget about the freezing weather beyond the canvas walls.
Yurt stays are an intimate camping experience, with sleeping, eating and lounging in one small space, so be sure you like the people in your getaway group.
This is your guide to winter trips to some of the best-known yurts in Colorado. These yurts include kitchenettes equipped with basic cooking and dining gear, and beds with basic bedding. Yurts on this list that are equipped with a propane stove or refrigerator also are stocked with propane. Guests are expected to replenish chopped wood that is used to heat the yurt. Be sure to leave the yurt ready for its next visitors.
Other yurts are available to rent around the state, including at a half-dozen state parks.
Jon Wilson Yurt
This yurt near Lake City is the easiest to reach on this list and makes a great first trip or a first time out with the kids. As you step onto the path off Colorado 149 it’s initially a steep climb, but the trail to the yurt soon levels out for a relatively easy approach. There’s no avalanche danger here. Opportunities abound for exploring the area or just sitting on the porch taking in the dramatic views of the San Juan Mountains.
This is one of the few yurts around the state that allows dogs. While the kitchen setup and bunks are rudimentary, this yurt features large windows for comfy gazing into the forest.
The hike: 1.25 miles with 200 feet of elevation gain
Capacity: 8
Cost: $130/night weekdays, $150 weekends
Details: hinsdalehauteroute.com
Leadville Backcountry Yurts
These two yurts sit above timberline near the namesake city, offering dramatic views of the Mosquito Range from their porches. And if the view isn’t enough, you’ll find endless skiing in the treeless tundra. A short hike up the nearby ridge reveals the panorama of the Collegiate Peaks and Arkansas River Valley.
This is one of the more difficult locations on this list to reach, so be sure to get an early start. These yurts feature propane cook stoves.
The hike: 5.5 miles with 1,200 feet of elevation gain (keep in mind that Leadville is at 10,158 feet elevation)
Capacity: 5
Cost: $115 a night
Details: leadvillebackcountry.com
Old Baldy Yurt
It’s a short but steep ski-in to this yurt near the town of Meeker on the edge of the Flat Tops Wilderness. It’s part of a collection of cabins known as Ute Lodge, though it’s far enough away from the other accommodations that you’ll feel alone. The interior resembles a cabin and the yurt features a sizable wooden deck, perfect for those bluebird afternoons.
Dogs are allowed at this yurt for $10 a night.
The hike: 2 miles with 800 feet of elevation gain
Capacity: 7
Cost: $150/night, two night minimum (for 2 people, each additional person costs $8-$15)
Details: utelodge.com/colorado-lodging/colorado-yurt
Phoenix Ridge Yurt
This yurt in southern Colorado is perched on a 1,000-foot cliff overlooking the old mining district in Creede. Creede was the last great Colorado boom town, its ruin brought on by the silver panic of 1893. The remote La Garita Mountains fill the skyline.
A large deck welcomes you to pull up a seat and sip a coffee while you enjoy the view. Inside you’ll find pine floors and both a propane refrigerator and a stove.
The hike: 1-4 miles, depending on how far the snow plows have reached, with some steep sections. The yurt‘s hosts recommend that all guests prepare to hike the entire 4 miles.
Capacity: 4
Cost: About $180
Details: phoenixridgeyurts.com
Southwest Nordic Center
The Taos-based Southwest Nordic Center operates four yurts on Cumbres and La Manga passes in extreme southern Colorado. Like the name implies, these are great for cross-country skiers as the approaches are mostly on snow-covered roads and are rarely steep.
The Neff Mountain Yurt is popular with alpine skiers. It’s 2.75 miles to the yurt, and the ridge above the yurt offers excellent skiing and sledding.
If you’re looking to do a yurt-to-yurt loop trip, check out the Flat Mountain and Trujillo Meadows yurts. It’s 4 miles from your car to the first yurt, 4 miles between the two yurts, and 4 miles out to your car again, mostly on gentle roads.
The Grouse Creek Yurt is the most difficult to reach of the group – 4 miles and 1,000 feet of elevation gain – but you’ll be rewarded with long views of the San Luis Valley from the porch.
The Hike: 2.75 miles or more
Capacity: Six
Cost: $100/night weekdays, $145 weekends
Details: southwestnordiccenter.com
Tennessee Pass Yurts
Staying at one of these two yurts operated by the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center is a luxury experience compared to stays at other yurts on this list. Staff members will haul your gear on the short hike to the yurt and they’ll even treat you to a four-course meal at the nearby cookhouse, if you choose. Don’t feel like getting chilled by the walk to the cookhouse? You can order room service.
The views of Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, Colorado’s two-highest peaks, are sublime. And, rare for a yurt in winter, there’s even drinking water.
The hike: 1.3 miles
Capacity: 6
Cost: $300/night
Details: tennesseepass.com/sleep-yurts
Wolf Creek Backcountry
Wolf Creek Ski Area is known for getting the most snow in Colorado, and at the Pass Creek Yurt you’ll have it all to yourself. You’ll start your trek to the yurt in the ski area’s parking lot and pass the chair lifts before entering a serene wilderness. This yurt is popular among alpine skiers because of the abundant snowfall and generally avalanche-safe terrain above. Still, groups planning extensive skiing around the area are highly encouraged to complete avalanche safety courses and carry and know how to use appropriate gear.
The hike: 3 miles, 200 feet of elevation gain
Capacity: 6
Cost: $277/night
Details: wolfcreekbackcountry.com
What to bring on a winter yurt trip
- Cross-country or alpine touring skis and climbing skins, a splitboard or snowshoes
- First-aid kit
- Sleeping bag (some yurts provide a pillow)
- Flashlight/headlamp
- Warm winter-weather clothing
- Water filter
- Lighter or matches
- Map and compass
What not to bring
- Your dog, unless the yurt owner states otherwise. Nobody wants to find dog feces in the snow they’re melting for water.
