Ways You Can Use Your Yurt

Because yurts are low cost, portable, versatile and adaptable to individual needs and tastes — and beautiful — you can use them for a wide variety of purposes. Rainier Yurts are especially easy to set up and once in place can be plumbed, wired, heated and easily ventilated or cooled (these options require licensed contractors and unfortunately are not provided by Rainier). Built to handle snow, rain, wind and sun, Rainier Yurts are ideal for year-round or periodic use.

"Yurts are fashionable," says Irene Rawlings, co-author of Portable Houses (Gibbs Smith Publisher). "They've sort of outgrown their hippie connotation and ended up being very much like second homes." New owners are using them as backcountry ski huts, guest cottages, home offices, yoga retreats and restaurants. They are found in back yards, on beaches, in ski resorts, summer camps and as nightly rentals in state parks.

A Rainier Yurt offers a variety of uses:

• Campground Rentals

• Guest Rentals

• Ski Resort Hut

• Camps

• Temporary Housing

• Fitness and Retreat Centers

• Seasonal Worker Housing

• Ecotourism

• Meeting Facility

• Office

• Spa Enclosure

• Meditation/Fitness Room

• Photography or Artist Studio

A Garden Yurt: The Ely Yurt

"After living in China for four years and spending some memorable times in yurts in Inner Mongolia and Tibet, My wife and I decided that upon our return to our home in Washington State that we would have a yurt in our garden. We studied yurts and sources for yurts. In February we contacted Rainier Yurts in Seattle.

It has been a wonderful experience working with Rainier Industries. We selected the sparrow model but wanted a traditional Mongolian design on the roof. We also wanted the sidewalls to be green and selected an insulation option.  Rainier Industries provided us with plans for the floor. We incorporated the yurt floor into an additional 16 foot square deck.  Within three weeks, our deck was finished and Rainier Industries had completed the yurt to our specifications.

We could not be more delighted with the results. The yurt has become the focal point of our garden, a favorite over night destination for grandchildren, a great entertaining location and a unique piece of garden art."

- Jim Ely, Washington

Year Round Residence

As seen in Mother Earth News, April-May 2004

"We built the first yurt to be constructed inside the city limits of beautiful Port Townsend, Wash. Our project is one-of-a-kind, and all who set foot inside are in awe. This yurt comes fully equipped with a loft, study, bedroom, custom-built kitchen, lovely flooring and an attached bathhouse. It is also the first yurt with actual glass windows instead of vinyl, which is the standard material for yurt windows. We paid great attention to using environmentally friendly products and designed this structure with simplicity and energy conservation in mind."

- Melissa Nagy, Port Townsend, WA

Vacation Home: The Davis Yurt

Robert and Gretchen Davis bought six acres of land at the end of a dirt road near where relatives were already building on Hood Canal, in Northwest Washington. "When we bought the land, we planned to build a cabin," explains Rob. "But as we started looking at the cost of doing that, we realized we'd have to choose between going to Hawaii for two months every year, and our log cabin, so we started to look around for some alternative solutions."

Rob is a retired engineer. He and Gretchen lived on Whidbey Island, WA full-time. As they looked around for a living space that would be a less expensive alternative to a cabin, they stumbled across Nesting Bird Yurts, then located in nearby Port Townsend, WA. After a more research, the Davises decided to put up a 21' yurt on their land.

As you can see, the Davises have a beautiful view of the water from their deck.

"This is the most economical vacation home anyone could imagine — and we live like royalty!"

Robert and Gretchen Davis, Hood Canal, WA