Unique Lodging:
Strawberry Park Hot Springs. Rustic, affordable and adventurous lodging options await in the heart of Steamboat’s mountains, including a train caboose, rustic cabins, covered wagons and tent sites. The popular renovated caboose features a gas fireplace, bathroom with shower, solar lights and full size futon. Overnight visitors enjoy full access to Strawberry Park Hot Springs. From $55 - $115 per night for two people.
OPUS Hut. The OPUS Hut is a completely self-sufficient and off-the-grid lodge situated in the San Juan Mountains east of Ophir Pass. The Hut comes equipped with solar-powered electricity and hot water, two wood burning stoves, indoor composting toilets and plumbing for those seeking a more luxurious backcountry experience. Spend the day swimming and fishing in alpine lakes or mountain biking in the summer, or cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter before retreating for the night. Lodging rates from $35 per person, per night.
Jellystone Teepee. Teepees are a Native American invention and tie into the era of America’s westward expansion. Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park-Resort at Larkspur gives visitors a chance to experience a sleeping structure entrenched in American lore and culture. Campers will find value in this authentic experience as they gaze skyward through teepee poles jutting into the night sky. From $61 per night, seasonal prices vary.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park. Just 30 minutes outside of Denver’s bustling city-center, visitors will find a tranquil setting among dense pine forests, snow-capped peaks and 36 miles of trails. Seven cabins and yurts are nestled in lush aspen groves and each accommodate up to six people. Bunk beds, heating, lighting and an outside campfire are provided. Yurts and cabins each cost $70 per night.
Cresto Ranch. Just 20 feet from the Dolores River, eight luxurious safari-style canvas tents are situated in an alpine clearing in the pristine West Fork Valley. Making its debut this summer, the intimate resort includes a main lodge – a restored 19th century farmhouse – with dining room, guest salon, and wraparound deck highlighting the spectacular views of the San Juan Mountains. Each tent features a gas stove, a spacious en-suite bathroom with a six-foot soaking tub, and private lounging porch. Rates start at $1,400 per night, beginning June 1.
State Forest State Park. Huts and yurts are available at State Forest State Park in Walden, Colorado’s moose capital. The park’s seven Siberian-inspired round tents provide secure shelter and come equipped with beds, a woodstove, lantern and cooking facilities. Seven yurts and two huts range from $60 – 110 per night.
Snow Mountain Ranch. Perfect for family camping trips, the yurt village at Snow Mountain Ranch offers 12 yurts that sleep up to six people with a tent pad outside for an additional two. Each yurt is dog friendly and has a picnic table, mini refrigerator, microwave and grill. The 5,100-acre property features plenty of activities to keep guests occupied during the day, including horseback riding, mountain biking, guided hikes, canoeing, and more. One yurt is wheelchair-accessible. Rates from $89 per night.
Colorado Hut Systems:
10th Mountain Division Hut Association. This not-for-profit organization manages a system of 34 backcountry huts connected by 350 miles of suggested routes throughout the White River, Arapaho and San Isabel National Forests at an elevation of 9,700 to 11,700 feet. The name honors the U.S. Army’s famed 10th Mountain Division, and many of the huts are named after individual soldiers. The huts play host to day-use and overnight hikers, bikers, snowshoers and cross-country skiers, who will find equipped kitchens, ovens and occasionally saunas. Reservations required; prices vary.
Grand Huts Association. The Grand Huts Association plans to link new and existing huts with a year-round backcountry trail system from Berthoud Pass to Grand Lake. The first project – The Broome Hut – and newest hut in Colorado opened for reservations on December 27, 2012. The Grand Huts Association has worked to create the most technologically-advanced hut in the state, with a solar power system, pellet stoves created from beetle kill trees, compost toilet system and rainwater collection for water consumption. Outdoor education is promoted through teaching safety, wise use and enjoyment of wilderness and national forest lands. Broome Hut rate is $35 per person, per night.
San Juan Hut System. For more than 20 years, the San Juan Hut System has offered the ultimate hut-to-hut skiing and biking experiences in southwestern Colorado. More than 60 miles of Nordic trails are accessible in the winter, and two 215-mile mountain bike routes entice summer visitors. Five huts can accommodate up to eight people and are available for $30 per person, per night.
