Dan Tullos/Mountain Home Photography
On Wednesday, August 14, Sarah Peterson, owner of Yonder Yurts, was on her way to State Forest State Park to finalize details as the yurt rental business she runs with her husband prepares to welcome its first guests.
“We are now taking reservations,” Peterson said. “Our website is up and we have the yurts ready. We released reservations on Monday for guest stays starting this Friday.”
Peterson and her husband, Cory, were named concessionaires of the yurt system 76 miles northwest of Steamboat Springs in January 2024. They were hired to succeed Never Summer Nordic Yurts, whose contract was terminated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in December 2022. At that time, the company was notified that it must remove all of its property from the state forest state park by June 30, 2023.
This spring, the Petersons, whose home is in Steamboat Springs, began installing new yurts and preparing the grounds as they look forward to offering guests seeking outdoor adventure the opportunity to stay in one of Colorado’s most scenic areas.
“We’ve noticed that a lot of the people who have started booking are from Fort Collins,” Peterson said. “But we think this is a nice, refreshing place for people in Steamboat Springs to check out, too.”
Peterson said State Forest State Park, located between Steamboat Springs and Fort Collins, is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts from both communities. The park offers 71,000 acres of incredible outdoor recreation opportunities and is a popular spot for those who enjoy hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, skiing and snowshoeing.
Peterson said reservations are going fast, and for those looking to explore the area this summer, now is a good time to book for Clark Peak, Grass Creek and North Fork Canadian. Currently, reservations can be made through Nov. 15 on Yonder-Yurts.com.Anyone who wants to book a yurt for the winter season will have to wait until September.
“We’re releasing our winter reservations on Sept. 15 for all reservations made between Nov. 15 and April,” Peterson said. “We wanted to release them gradually so people have a chance to plan but also book. It’s so difficult to book that far in advance. We’re doing a similar process to many state parks.”
She said work is continuing on the Dancing Moose, Medicine Bow, Upper and Lower Montgomery yurts and will also be made available when they are completed over the next month. The Petersons will also manage the Noku and Agnes Creek cabins, which will be made available when renovations are completed by the state.
“Everything turned out exactly how we envisioned it and we’re super proud and love the final product,” Peterson said. “The devil is in the details. There are a lot of details we’re finalizing and I’m heading out there today to put the finishing touches on the three yurts that will open this weekend. And on the other yurts, we’re just finishing up the decks and we need to put in a handicap ramp and we still need to finish an outdoor restroom. We’ll open them as soon as they’re ready.”
