Camping in comfort

WRITTEN BY AISLINN SARNACKI

Round structures with ancient roots, yurts have popped up all around Maine over the past couple of decades — chiefly as rentals — and their popularity only seems to be growing. 

A combination of simplicity and comfort, these spacious shelters are something between a tent and house. For many people, they make outdoor experiences more accessible through comfort and convenience.

“When my oldest daughter was very little, I longed to go on camping trips but often felt limited by all of the complexities that came with camping with a little one,” said Kate Hodgkins, owner of Evergreen Yurts in Bar Harbor. “It gave me the idea that we should build a yurt on our land to enjoy.”

That idea grew into a business plan. Just last June, Kate and Josh Hodgkins opened a campground of eight yurts in a forest just outside downtown Bar Harbor.  Evergreen Yurts includes walking trails and canoes for guests to use on a nearby creek. The lodging experience is designed to help people enjoy their natural surroundings.

“I really love yurts because they are a unique way to sleep close to nature while still having all the comforts of home,” said Kate Hodgkins. “I have had the most rejuvenating experiences while staying in a yurt.” 

Yurts began as portable, nomadic dwellings in central Asia thousands of years ago, with frames of flexible wood and walls of wool felt or animal skins. Today, modern materials such as metal frames and canvas walls are often used in their construction, but the simple design remains the same.

“We love yurts because although they are considered tiny living, at 452 square feet, the high ceilings and lack of interior walls makes the small space feel much larger,” said Karen Sprague, who with her husband, Aaron Sprague, opened Acadia Yurts in 2015 in Southwest Harbor.

Many yurt designs include a window at the center of the roof. This lets in sunlight and presents an opportunity to stargaze from bed. In addition, the thin walls let in the sounds of the surrounding wilderness.

“You can stay warm in them, but at the same time, you can hear the rain and the wind, and when you wake up in the morning, you can hear the birds outside,” said Alex Poland, owner of Western Maine Yurts in Bethel, which opened in 2022 and comprises eight rental yurts and a central bathhouse.

This may come as a surprise. Western Maine Yurts, and many other rental yurts, are open for guests year round. They feature insulation and propane stoves.

“I think people are sometimes shocked at how warm they stay in the winter,” Poland said. “This winter we had temps that were 20-25 below [zero] at night, and with our heaters, it’s still 70 degrees inside the yurt.”

Yurts are a part of a larger trend called “glamping.” A word that first appeared in the UK in 2005 and was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016, “glamping” is a combination of the words “camping” and “glamor.” The concept combines the rustic feel of camping with luxuries like hot showers, flushing toilets, comfortable beds, kitchen appliances, and wifi.

According to Grand View Research, a San Francisco company that provides market intelligence studies, the global glamping market size was estimated at $3.45 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow more than 10% in the next five years.

“One demographic we find that loves glamping are mixed families where one person craves camping and the other craves a resort or hotel stay,” Karen Sprague said. “The family often compromises on our property because each person gets their needs met.”

While small luxuries are what make yurts so delightful, simplicity is still the order of the day. Yurts typically don’t feature electronics like televisions or stereos.

“It’s a place to escape the real world, check out into the woods, read a good book, make a puzzle, rest, and relax,” said Page Crowley of Maine Forest Yurts, which opened in 2013 and is located on Runaround Pond in Durham. 

Rental yurts can be found scattered throughout the state of Maine — both solo and bunched together in communities. And compared to other lodging options, they’re usually low cost. 

“We live in a world of always needing more, and I believe that’s exhausting,” said Crowley. “People appreciate being able to relax and enjoy less. Less stress, less stuff.”