State park cabins, yurts perfect for winter camping

Published 11:04 am Thursday, January 30, 2025

If you’re getting the itch to go camping this winter, but don’t feel like braving the cold or rain, there is another way.

Oregon State Parks offers a variety of cabins and yurts that are perfect for winter camping, giving people the chance to overnight at these beautiful natural attractions with some basic creature comforts.

Found at 29 parks around the state, the indoor camping options come in two categories: rustic and deluxe. The main difference is that deluxe cabins and yurts have private bathrooms with showers, as well as kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves. The rustic options use shared campground bathroom facilities and have no options for cooking inside.

All state park cabins and yurts come with heating, lights, electric outlets and basic beds. Each sleeps between four to six people, depending on the setup. Rustic cabins and yurts cost between $42 to $61 per night, while deluxe accommodations run between $81 to $99 per night.

Unsurprisingly, these affordable, charming structures are sometimes very competitive. If you’re looking for a weekend in a yurt on the coast, you may already be out of luck. However, midweek campers and those willing to travel to more remote areas can often find availabilities throughout the season.

It’s also worth checking the state parks booking site for last-minute cancellations. Alternately, you can reserve a site up to six months in advance, with new reservations posted daily at 6 a.m.

Here’s where to find state park cabins in yurts across Oregon:

Oregon Coast

The Oregon Coast is home to more than half of the state parks that offer cabins and yurts. In total, 16 coastal parks offer indoor camping opportunities. These parks span the length of the coastline, from Astoria to Brookings.

• Fort Stevens State Park: deluxe cabins, yurts (temporarily closed).

• Nehalem Bay State Park: yurts (temporarily closed).

• Cape Lookout State Park: deluxe cabins, yurts.

• Devil’s Lake State Recreation Area: yurts.

• Beverly Beach State Park: yurts.

• South Beach State Park: yurts.

• Beachside State Recreation Site: yurts.

• Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park: yurts.

• Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park: yurts.

• Umpqua Lighthouse State Park: cabins, yurts, deluxe yurts.

• William M. Tugman State Park: yurts.

• Sunset Bay State Park: yurts.

• Bullards Beach State Park: yurts (temporarily closed).

• Cape Blanco State Park: cabins.

• Harris Beach State Park: yurts.

• Alfred A. Loeb State Park: cabins.

Willamette Valley

Home to most of Oregon’s population, the Willamette Valley is relatively devoid of cozy state park accommodations. There are some major exceptions: a trio of parks close to the Portland metropolitan area that are often utilized as close-in camping spots for those near the city. Also included here is Valley of the Rogue, found just outside the valley in southern Oregon.

• L.L. Stub Stewart Memorial State Park: cabins.

• Champoeg State Heritage Area: cabins, yurts.

• Silver Falls State Park: cabins.

• Valley of the Rogue State Park: yurts.

Central Oregon

Bend is the hub for most of these state park sites, where visitors to the region can find affordable lodging opportunities year-round. The parks also serve as gateways into the central Cascade Mountains or deeper into the desert of eastern Oregon. And if you like stargazing, both Cottonwood Canyon and Prineville Reservoir are great places to do it — both are officially designated Dark Sky Parks.

• Cottonwood Canyon State Park: cabins.

• Tumalo State Park: yurts.

• Prineville Reservoir State Park: deluxe cabins.

• LaPine State Park: cabins, deluxe cabins.

Eastern Oregon

Dozens of state park sites are dotted across the sweeping landscape of eastern Oregon, from the Wallowa Mountains down to the Great Basin. Of those, only a few offer indoor camping options, with several closed until after the start of spring — this landscape is a little less forgiving in the cold season.

• Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area: cabins.

• Wallowa Lake State Park: yurts.

• Unity Lake State State Recreation Site: cabins.

• Farewell Bend State Recreation Area: cabins.

• Lake Owyhee State Park: cabins.

Marketplace