CROSBY, Minn. — Minnesota officials are planning to offer yurts as new shelters for campers looking for a different state park experience.
The state Department of Natural Resources will open the shelters in September as part of a pilot program, the St. Cloud Times reports (http://on.sctimes.com/1t1G5xH ) reported. Three yurts at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area and two each at Glendalough and Afton state parks will be equipped with woodstoves for year-round use. The dwellings look like a cross between a tent and a tepee and have traditionally been used for shelter in places like Mongolia.
"There's a little sense of adventure, the sense that you're out a little bit farther than just any state park," said Peter Hark, the department's operations manager for parks and trails. "All three of these sites were picked because you can't just drive right to them."
Hark said visitors can hike, bike or paddle to the sites. Cuyuna will offer three 20-foot yurts next to Yawkey Mine Lake and a challenging mountain bike trail. Visitors at Glendalough can paddle up the yurts via Annie Battle Lake or take a new trail.
Although reservations aren't yet open, the department estimated the yurts will cost about $45 to $65, the same to rent as state park camper cabins. The department hopes the yurts will attract new groups to the outdoor areas.
The shelters, made by Colorado Yurt Co., cost $13,000 each for the structures themselves. The pilot program's total cost so far is nearly $570,000 with amenities, including vault toilets, cooking shelters and wells.
Each yurt will likely be named something reminiscent of the iron ore mining industry.
Hark said the department ultimately wants to create unforgettable experience for visitors that will keep them coming back.
