Adventurers looking for a unique lodging experience can turn to Niobrara State Park. Two new yurts recently became available for year-round reservations.
The yurts, the first in the state park system, offer a distinctive take on overnight accommodations, combining the circular design and construction style of a traditional yurt with the modern comforts of a cabin. Each yurt sleeps up to seven people with three queen beds and one twin bed. They are heated and air conditioned.
One of the yurts' most unique features is an upper-level viewing dome, where guests can relax and gaze at the night sky from inside the yurt. This loft-style space offers a memorable setting for stargazing and taking in the peaceful surroundings of the park.
Each yurt also features a furnished living area, bathroom with shower and a fully equipped kitchen with a refrigerator and freezer, stove and oven, microwave, coffee pot and toaster. Bedding, towels, cookware and other kitchen essentials are provided. Outside, guests can enjoy a picnic table and grill.
Traditionally, yurts were circular domed tents of skins or felt stretched over a collapsible lattice framework and used as dwellings by peoples of inner Asia for thousands of years. Modern yurts may be permanently built on a wooden or concrete platform and be constructed with modern materials.
To reserve one of the yurts, which are located just west of the Buffalo Cookout Pavilion, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov.