Yurts in Georgia: 6 of the best spots for yurt camping

You may love the idea of getting out in nature but dread the fight of setting up a tent.

Thinking about the creepy-crawlies, waking up with a sore back or anticipating a wet tent at the end of your outdoor excursion may just override your desire to get out in nature.

Yurts in Georgia have become a popular way to “glamp” (a mashup of glamour and camping) and experience the outdoors without giving up all your creature comforts. Yurts are basically round dwellings with cone-shaped roofs and amenities like real beds or bunk beds, locking doors, windows and electricity. Although they don’t have bathrooms and showers, these structures are often within easy walking distance of such amenities, and a water spigot is usually located outside.

If you’re ready to try spending the night in a yurt, the following are six of the best spots for yurts in Georgia.

Cloudland Canyon State Park

Located on the edge of Lookout Mountain, Cloudland Canyon is one of Georgia’s largest and most scenic parks. Ten yurts are available at the park — each with accommodations for a maximum of six people. Each yurt has ceiling fans, heat, decks and fire rings.

Rates are $100 daily, plus tax. Check the website for availability, and call for reservations.

Location: 122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road, Rising Fawn; Website: gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon; Contact: 800-864-7275.

Tugaloo State Park

Tugaloo is located on a peninsula and is home to Lake Hartwell. There are six yurts on the lake, and each has frame furniture that sleeps up to six people. Each is 20 feet in diameter and 12 feet high and features a pine floor with a skylight above, electricity, outdoor water, ceiling fan, heat, and doors that lock. A full-service comfort station is nearby and can be accessed via a paved, lit path.

Rates are $85 daily, plus tax. Check the website for availability, and call for reservations.

Location: 1763 Tugaloo State Park Road, Lavonia; Website: gastateparks.org/Tugaloo; Contact: 800-864-7275.

Fort Yargo State Park

Fort Yargo sits between Athens and Atlanta and has a lake with a beach for playing and swimming and plenty of other activities. Six yurts are available, and each sleeps up to six people. Fort Yargo yurts feature heat and electricity, ceiling fans, decks, fire rings and access to a comfort station. Rates are $85 daily, plus tax. Check the website for availability, and call for reservations.

Location: 210 South Broad St., Winder; Website: gastateparks.org/FortYargo; Contact: 800-864-7275.

Stone Mountain Park

Stone Mountain’s yurts are located in a lakeside wooded area, and each offers ceiling fans, skylights and doors that lock. Relax on decks overlooking the lake, or cook out on a charcoal grill. Each yurt sleeps up to five, and you’ll have electrical outlets, heating and air, Wi-Fi and close access to restrooms.

There’s a two-night reservation requirement for each yurt, and that requirement increases to three nights during major holidays. Rates start at $130 per night.

Location: 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain; Website: Stonemountainpark.com; Contact: 1-800-385-9807.

Pine Mountain RV Resort

Located three miles from Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain RV Resort has yurts located in a semi-private space that’s surrounded by trees. Several different sizes of yurts are available – a 16-foot yurt sleeps four, a 20-footer sleep six, and a 24-foot yurt sleeps eight. You’ll have climate controls, beds (with linens provided), wooden floors, windows and a skylight. Showers are within walking distance.

Use the website to choose from several different rate packages, including the best available, peace of mind and extended stay options. Rates fluctuate based on length of stay and resort occupancy.

Location: 8804 Hamilton Road, Pine Mountain; Website: rvcoutdoors.com; Contact: 706-663-4329.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

If you’re looking to stay close to the city, look no farther than Sweetwater Creek State Park’s wilderness tract with its rustic trail and stream and the ruins of a textile mill. Its 10 yurts sleep six and offer fire rings, access to electricity and water, and open porches to enjoy nature. The yurts, all with a 20-foot diameter and 12-foot height are situated together in a little village.

Rates are $95 daily, plus tax. Check the website for availability, and call for reservations.

Location: 1750 Mt Vernon Rd, Lithia Springs; Website: gastateparks.org/SweetwaterCreek; Contact: 800-864-7275.