Explore thousands of acres of the Bayfield County Forest and enjoy endless miles of exceptionally maintained non-motorized recreational trails. The yurt has direct access to CAMBA mountain bike trails and Mt. Ashwabay ski trails. The landscape is also spectacular. Take in the panoramic views of Lake Superior and the Onion River valley. This is a rustic, minimally maintained yurt set in the middle of the county forest, so come prepared to relax, unwind and explore the wonders of the north woods.
The space
Our yurts are 20 feet in diameter and insulated for year round use, complete with woodstove. The yurt comes equipped with 2 bunk beds; a full mattress on the bottom and a twin mattress on top and sleeps up to 6 people. A custom made table, along with six chairs is also located inside the yurt.
Outside the yurt there is a bear proof box to store all your food, a large deck, picnic table, fire ring with grill grate and an outhouse. This is bear country, please use the box to store all food and never leave food inside the yurt.
A rundown of the basics:
Accessibility: Access to the yurt is NON-MOTORIZED only. The yurt is accessible by foot, snowshoe, ski, or bike. No motorized vehicles, of any kind, are allowed. The hike in is about 0.8 miles, up hill nearly the entire way. There are steep stretches, so please take your time and plan accordingly. It may be helpful to pull a sled or wagon (not provided) depending on the amount of gear you are bringing.
Accommodations: Sleeps up to 6 people. There are no pillows or linens provided. No additional overnight guests.
Bathrooms: There is a pit toilet/outhouse, which is available year-round. No indoor plumbing or access to water.
Water: There is no running water or direct access to water at the yurt. Public water is available in the cities of Bayfield and Washburn
Cooking: Please use outdoor fire pit with grill grate for all cooking. Cooking inside the yurt is only permitted during the winter months. Use extreme caution when cooking inside the yurt.
Electricity: No access to power.
Heat: Yurts have a wood stove for heat. Split firewood is provided for use in the woodstove only. Matches, lighters or other ignition sources are not provided, please plan accordingly.
Firewood: Firewood for the indoor woodstove is stored under a large covered lean-to. Dead and down wood can be collected from the surrounding forest for use in the outdoor fire ring. A bow saw and axe are provided for harvesting wood.
Pets: No pets allowed within the yurt or on the premises. No exceptions.
Trash: There is no onsite dumpster for trash. The trash receptacle available to you is on the northeast side of the Bayfield County Courthouse at 117 East 5th Street, Washburn, WI 54891. A sign is posted on the dumpster.
Smoking: No smoking inside the yurt. If you do smoke outside, please discard butts appropriately.
Guest access
Parking will be at the designated lot off Whiting Road, approximately 2.3 miles miles west of Highway 13.
The yurt is located approximately 0.6 miles north of the parking area. Access to the yurt is uphill nearly the entire way, including fairly steep stretches.
There are two yurts in this general location. This yurt is Evergreen because of it's green color. The other yurt is Terra Cotta because it is red in color. Please follow the signs to the correct yurt.
During the non-snow season, you can hike or bike to the yurt. The yurt provides direct access to miles of hiking and CAMBA mountain bike trails.
During the snow covered season, access to the yurt will be via snowshoes or cross country skis. If using snowshoes, please walk on the extreme edge of the trail to avoid damaging the groomed ski trails.
You will have direct access to miles of groomed skate and classic cross country ski trails, as well as designated snowshoe trails. Access to all of these trails is included as part of your stay. Please bring your confirmation email, as that will serve as your trail pass.
There may be winter fat biking opportunities as well. Please inquire if looking to access the yurt with fat bikes.
Trail maps and information regarding other local attractions will be located in the yurt. Please leave all brochures in the yurt for the next guests. You can also pick up maps at the local Chambers.
Be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at you. In the summer, that's heat, rain, bugs, etc. Even the occasional really cold summer night. In the winter, that's heavy snow, wind and extreme cold. Please review the weather reports before you come and plan accordingly.
Other things to note
Leave No Trace camping principles are strictly implied. You must pack out what you pack in.
This is bear country. All cooking must be done outside whenever possible and all food must be stored outside in the bear proof metal box.
The yurt is located in the middle of the forest. Although, the yurt is pretty tight, we do have the occasional mouse get in. Please let us know if you see signs of mice. The sooner we know about it, the sooner we can address it.
Noise: This yurt is located on the same hill as Big Top Chautauqua (about one mile away). On show nights, there is a strong probability that you will hear music coming from the big tent. The season generally begins around the middle of June and ends the middle of September, mostly on Thursday's through Sunday's, and primarily in the evening. Some shows are louder than others. If you feel hearing music from Big Top might detract from your stay, please check their event schedule prior to making a reservation and plan accordingly.
Cell phone coverage is good at the yurt site, but not totally reliable. Please plan accordingly.
