For our anniversary trip last fall (before we got Matilda), we kept the same “outdoor” theme from our wedding and traveled up to Topton, North Carolina and stayed in a Yurt in the Nantahala National Forest. Couple of things you are probably wondering. What is a yurt and how did I find it?
According to Yurt.com, a yurt is the “traditional nomadic home of Mongolia and surrounding regions. Key factors in defining a yurt are that it is portable, circular, has an accordion lattice wall, a tension band, radial rafters leading up to a central compression ring and is covered in felt or fabric.”
I found our yurt perusing Home Away and when I saw something called a “Yurt” with “Glamping at it’s finest!” in the description. That’s me, I thought! I could totally be a glamper! Once I saw the pictures online I was blown away. Then I saw the price and compared to some other cabins I had been looking at this was a steal! At the time (October), in high peak leaves season, we paid $139 a night.
Getting there was an adventure and we partially planned it that way. We went by way of Highlands, NC where we stopped off there to do a little sightseeing. I totally recommend a stop in Highlands. We shopped, ate lunch, and hit up 2 waterfalls – Bridal Falls and Dry Falls. Then we drove and got groceries in Franklin. I recommend you get enough groceries for your entire stay because there is NOTHING and I mean NOTHING nearby the yurts. Your cell phone probably won’t work most of the time. It is truly remote. Anyway, the drive…it took over an hour and we went up some pretty huge mountains in the dark. I was very freaked about of driving off the side of a mountain but luckily Scott is a very capable driver.
Our yurt was awesome! It was a 2 bedroom, 1 bath and everything inside was high end. The bathroom was nicer than my one at home! Satellite TV, Wifi, high-end appliances, washer, and dryer….it was a stunner. The property it is on is beautiful too, it is nestled next to two very loud babbling brooks. It was like having a sound machine full blast all the time. You can tell the yurt was brand new and the landscaping was all very young. The deck surrounding the yurt was freshly built. The yurt had access to an outdoor grill, firepit, and hot tub. Yes, I said hot tub! Just writing this post makes me want to go back!
The next morning, I took a picture of the sign :
The property actually has 4 yurts on it (don’t worry, they all have their own hot tubs) which would be perfect for a family reunion or a trip with other families. If we do go back we’d probably actually bring the kids and the dogs with us. It’s really a place you can go and chill.
Here are a few photos of the yurt we stayed in:
What did we actually do at the yurt other than grill out and drink champagne in the hot tub? Our main source of entertainment while in the yurt was hiking.
Sights we saw and recommend:
Wesser Bald Fire Tower – part of the Appalachian Trail, this mile and a half hike takes you to a steel fire tower that looks sketchy but the views are unbelievable. The drive to the parking area was equally beautiful with big open fields with mountain backdrops and old barns.
Wayah Bald Lookout – A stone lookout tower also on the Appalachian Trail that overlooks a sea of burnt trees from the 2017 fires that overtook many of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina’s forests.
Lake Nantahala – a large lake where you can boat, fish, and swim. Or like we did, we just looked at it.
Wayah Rd – going Northwest from the yurt there are a ton of small cascading falls, mountains and beautiful foliage in the fall. This makes a great scenic drive.
We stayed in the area for 3 nights and loved every minute of it. We were sad to leave and I miss my yurt! I do want to give a big shout out to Kodiak Cakes. I’m not an affiliate, just a fan, and we made their high protein buttermilk flapjacks every morning! They were delicious!