Photography by Dan Tullos/Mountain Home
On Wednesday, August 14, Yonder Yurts owner Sarah Peterson was on her way to State Forest State Park to take care of last-minute details as the yurt rental business she runs with her husband prepares to welcome its first guests.
“We are now accepting reservations,” Peterson said. “Our website is live and the yurts are ready. We released reservations Monday for guest stays starting this Friday.”
Peterson and her husband, Cory, were named concessionaires for the yurt system 76 miles northwest of Steamboat Springs in January 2024. They were tasked with taking over from Never Summer Nordic Yurts, whose contract was terminated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in December 2022. At that time, the company was notified it had to remove all of its properties from the State Forest by June 30, 2023.
This spring, the Petersons, who call Steamboat Springs home, began the process of installing new yurts and getting the facility up and running as they look forward to offering guests seeking outdoor adventures a chance to stay in one of Colorado's most scenic areas.
“We’ve noticed that a lot of people who have started booking are from Fort Collins,” Peterson said. “But we think it’s also a nice, refreshing place for people from Steamboat Springs to experience.”
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 hoping to enjoy the area this summer, now is a good time to book for Clark Peak, Grass Creek and the North Fork Canadian. Currently, reservations can be made through Nov. 15 at Yonder-Yourts.comThose wishing to reserve a yurt for the winter season will have to wait until September.
“We’re going to release our winter reservations on September 15 for all reservations between November 15 and April,” Peterson said. “We wanted to release them in phases, so people have a chance to plan, but also to book. It’s very 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, which will also be available within the next month once they are completed. The Petersons will also manage the Noku and Agnes Creek cabins, which will be available once the state completes renovations.
“Everything came together exactly as we envisioned, and we’re very proud and we love the final product,” Peterson said. “The devil is in the details. We’re finalizing a lot of the details, and I’m going down there today to do the finishing touches on the three yurts that are opening this weekend. And then for the other yurts, we’re finalizing the decks, and we have a handicapped ramp that we’re putting in, and we have another outbuilding that needs to be finished. We’ll open those as soon as they’re finished.”
