Arizona Winter Yurt Adventure
Planning
The Arizona Nordic Village offers rentals so you can experience the peaceful "backcountry" via crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, or fat-tire biking as a fun daytime activity.
If you're interested in staying in a dwelling like a yurt or cabin overnight, you'll need to make a reservation. We enjoyed our stay at the Columbine Yurt which is one of 2 larger "backcountry" yurts the Arizona Nordic Village has to offer. They also have 3 smaller "backcountry" yurts as well as 3 "frontcountry" yurts and 4 small cabins near their welcome center/main lodge.
You'll also need to decide how you want to get to your "backcountry" yurt - via crosscountry skis or by snowshoeing. Depending on which yurt you reserve you'll be trekking anywhere from 1-3 miles from the main lodge. You'll also be able to rent any sleds you might need to lug your gear, food, and drink back to your temporary home.
Yurt Life
What's Included:
• Heating provided by a wood-burning stove
• Free Firewood for stoves/campfires (Only November 15 - April 15) Expect to pay around $10 per crate in the warmer months
• A battery-operated lantern
• Sleeping pads, a table, folding chairs
• Enough room to fit 6-8 people in the larger yurts - ours had a twin futon, bunk bed, and 2 additional pads.
• Snow shovel + small broom to sweep up snow you might track inside
• You can opt to have a snowmobile shuttle the bulk of your gear if needed
What's Not Included:
• Electricity/Outlets - bring rechargeable battery packs if needed
• Running water - be prepared to pack in your own supply. The main lodge has showers and access to hot/cold water if needed.
• Bed linens - pack in your own sleeping bag, pillow, etc.
• Food or Snack - plan on packing your own meals + utensils. The main lodge has some snacks and drinks available for purchase.
• Extra lighting/candles - having your own headlamps and other battery-powered lighting is ideal
• Games! We brought some cards and played by the glow of the stove and our headlamps
• Cell servive is pretty spotty in the "backcountry" so switch your device to airplane mode to save battery and enjoy your disconnected adventure!
• Trash cans - be mindful of packing out all your food waste/wrappings to throw away back at the lodge
There are portable restrooms at the yurts, while the closest restrooms with running water are ~1-3 miles away at the lodge.
Photo via Arizona Nordic Village Website
My Experience
We drove up to Flagstaff from Phoenix which is about 145 miles (~2.5 hours). Yurt check-in is between 1pm - 3pm so if you get to town early you can stock up on groceries, hit up a local restaurant/brewery, or drive down Route 66 and check out downtown Flagstaff.
Flagstaff Recommendations
Check-In and More
Once you get to Arizona Nordic Village you'll bundle up and head inside the main lodge to check in. They give you a map and overview of what to expect and then you'll head out to their gear yurt to get fitted for some snowshoes. They also have bathrooms and some warm drinks available. We locked up the car and packed up anything we needed for our stay in the "backcountry" yurt.
After about an hour or two of trekking through the beautiful fresh snowy landscape we finally found our Yurt - Columbine. We immediately got to work lighting the fire in the wood stove to heat up the structure. While not the most glamorous of camp setups, we found there to be plenty of room for the 4 of us and cooked up some chili, enjoyed a charcuterie spread, and boiled water for tea. The evening was spent huddled near the stove playing cards until we were ready to get tucked into our sleeping bags.
Due to the chilling weather we had to get up a few times to tend the fire, but overall had a great experience. The scenery was lovely, serene, and festive - we rented the yurt on December 22nd.
More Information
Spending a night or two in a yurt is an amazing experience! The Arizona Nordic Village offers rentals year-round if the snowy season isn't for you. Enjoy a nice hike to your yurt and picnic outside instead of cuddling around the wood-burning stove.
In the winter it's often below freezing or flurrying when you're venturing up to Flagstaff so be cautious on the roads and always let someone know where you'll be going before you loose cell signal.
Packing List
Here's what I packed for 1 night in the yurt:
• Patagonia Cap Air Baselayer Top
• Patagonia Silent Down Jacket
• Patagonia Pack Out Tights
• Patagonia Cap Cool Merino Wool Tee
• Patagonia Off Country Turtleneck Sweater
• Generic Waterproof/Ski Pants
• Lace up Weatherproof Boots
• 2 Pairs Wool Socks and 1 Wool Beanie
• 1 Bandana and Sunglasses
• 1 Pair of Gloves
• 2 Pairs of Branwyn Merino Underwear
• 1 Headlamp
• 1 Pocketknife
• 1 Pack of Cards
• 64oz of Water in Water Bottles + Beer
• Misc. Food, Snacks, Tea, Instant Coffee
• Reusable Sporks, Bowls, & Cups
The home for unique & authentic travel
