Yurt Camping for Beginners in Gatineau Park- Yurting?

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We were incredibly lucky this Valentine’s Day- the Taylor Yurt in Gatineau Park was available for rent!

There are four yurts in Gatineau Park. The Wanakiwin Yurt and Woodsia Yurt are in the Lac Philippe sector of the park, while the Ohomisi and Taylor Yurts are (you guessed it) on Taylor Lake. These yurts are booked up ALL THE TIME. Seriously, when I was looking online, Valentine’s Day was the only night available. Um, we’ll take it.

We have been wanting to get into winter camping, and trying out a yurt seemed like a great way to start. It gave us the opportunity to test out some of our new gear, practice pulling a sled, and just ease into the whole winter camping thing in a way that was pretty comfy. You can actually pay to have your water and baggage dropped off for you (by calling 819-827-2020 at least 48 hours ahead of your reservation), but what’s the fun in that?

Despite our hopes for winter camping, we had exceptionally warm weather. Like didn’t get colder than -5°C weather. So while I hope this trip report is helpful for you, keep in mind it will probably (definitely) be colder if you end up going in the winter months.

Reserving and Checking In

We reserved the yurt online, on the Gatineau Park reservation website. Almost immediately after, they sent us a confirmation email. That email was also our valid camping permit, so we made sure to print it and have it with us.

In the email, they also provided the address of where we would park and check-in, as well as check-in times.

Before setting out, we were supposed to register at the aid station. It was just west of p19, where we were going to be parked overnight. You can use these coordinates to get there: 45.624584, -76.010285.

The email said that check-in started at 2 p.m. and staff were only on site from 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. We got there right at 2 p.m. and went into the aid station. There was a lovely young guy there that gave us a big copy of the winter trails, and told us that staff were actually there all day. Had we known that, we probably would have gotten started earlier and planned to be to the yurt by 2 p.m.

We made sure (even though we had called to confirm earlier) that it would be okay for us to snowshoe the last little bit to the Taylor Yurt, because trail 55 is technically only for cross-country skiing. The staff said that would be fine.

We didn’t have to provide any additional info at this point (or even ID), because they had a list of the reservations. We just had to tell them the name the reservation was under.

Before parking we stopped at the trailhead for Trail 74 (which we’ve hiked before), because despite having paid to rent the yurt, we still had to pay a fee to access the trails. The staff said that it was half price though, so that was nice. We dropped our change into the box and took our trail passes.

The Taylor Yurt

We had a really easy snowshoe in, and then we were there! On the way, we passed the Ohomisi Yurt, which looked absolutely stunning, nestled among the trees.

The Taylor Yurt was located right beside trail 55, which is a cross-country ski trail in the winter, and a campground road in the summer. It looked lovely with its backdrop of naked winter trees, and was right across from the absolutely beautiful Taylor Lake Peninsula.

We headed out to the peninsula to take in the views before doing anything. The Taylor Lake area was proving to be stunning in the winter, and we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

The Ohomisi yurt was only 700 metres away from the Taylor Yurt. But, the way the two were set up, it didn’t feel like we had neighbours at all.

Home Sweet Yurt

Next, we of course had to set about exploring the yurt. We walked past the woodshed that was just outside (covered, with a ton of wood, and an axe available), and up onto the deck. Immediately to our right was a propane BBQ with a little shelter over it! Gatineau Park’s website had mentioned this would be available, but we just hadn’t been sure if it would actually be a good option for cooking (what if it was freezing and windy? What if they forgot to refill the propane?). Looking at the set up though, it was clear that BBQing would have been a GREAT option, in just about any weather.

There was also a full sized picnic table on the deck, a few steps from the front door.

The Yurt had been left unlocked, with the keys inside, and so we strolled right in. At first glance, the impression that the Taylor Yurt gave was “minimalist cozy.” The structure itself was a big circle, built on top of a wooden platform. There was roughly 20 x 20 feet of living space inside the yurt. The floors were finished with laminate. There was a front and back door, as well as two big windows facing out towards Taylor Lake. Both windows had exterior covers that could be dropped down to provide a little more privacy.

Getting Organized

We set about lighting a fire in the wood stove. It was made really easy by the leftover newspaper and kindling that was already inside the yurt. There was also a ton of dry firewood that had been stacked beside the stove. Roughing it, we were not.

While the fire was being lit, I gave the yurt a good sweeping, and dusted off the table, benches, and counter top. There was more dirt on the floor and dust on the table than I would have liked, but I suppose that’s what you get with a wood burning stove, and different people in and out constantly.

We unpacked our things and got organized just before the sun started to set. With the two doors, the big windows, and the huge skylight, the yurt felt super bright and airy. The skylight can be opened if it gets too hot, and there’s bug netting for the summer months. Brilliant.

Dinner Time

We had brought our own little cookstove and some dehydrated meals, because we wanted to test it out. Plus, we hadn’t been totally sure what the cooking situation would be at the Taylor Yurt. There was so much there to work with though!

To the back of the yurt was a stainless steel counter top, overtop of cabinets and storage, designed to be the kitchen space. There were a couple of pots, a frying pan, a tea kettle and a coffee percolator. There were also cutting boards, and various kitchen utensils, like forks, a knife, a ladle…It was a bit of a mixed bag. There was even a pasta strainer. I think it had been left behind by someone- I doubt all the yurts are equipped with one.

There was definitely enough space to prepare a meal to take out to the BBQ. Or, with the fire burning away in the woodstove, it would have been really easy to put a pot on top of the stove and reheat something made ahead of time.

There was even a refrigerator in the yurt, although it only runs in the summer months. For the winter, a cooler was provided that you could leave outside if you wanted to.

We got our dinner ready outside on the picnic table, and then brought it in to settle in for the evening.

There was no running water in the yurt, so we were glad to not have any dishes to do.

Hanging Out- Light, Heat, and (no) Electricity

The sun sets early in winter months, so we had planned on not having too much light. It turns out that was a good call. There was one little solar powered light in the yurt, back near the kitchen. It gave off enough light that you could easily work in the kitchen under it. But, because the table was in the middle of the room, that little light didn’t get as far as we would have wanted it to.

We were pretty happy to have our Coleman lantern along to cast some light while we played cards, ate way too many snacks, and read throughout the evening.

We had set ourselves up at the table for the evening because it was right beside the fire. With the two benches that were at the table, and the two folding chairs that were also provided, you could pretty comfortably squeeze 6-8 people around the table.

It was so quiet, and SO peaceful throughout the evening. So peaceful, in fact, that the few times there was ice or snow slipping from the trees it scared the s@%t out of me when it hit the ground.

The woodstove may not have provided enough light on its own, but it certainly provided enough warmth. We had brought slippers and light sweaters and wore those inside, and never felt cold at all. I would be very interested to see how the stove would hold up in -20°C weather.

Originally, we had planned on having a fire in the fire pit just outside the yurt, but with the fire burning so beautifully inside, we decided not to.

The outhouse was about 100 feet from the yurt, and super well stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. We used the headlamps we had brought to make our way there and back.

There was no electricity in the yurt, so that means no charging devices unless you’ve planned ahead. We had, bringing one fully charged powerbank. Our lantern also doubles as a charger, and we used it in the morning to get one of our cell phones up to full battery.

Sleeping

There were two sets of bunk beds in the Taylor Yurt. Both had a rollaway bed underneath, so altogether there were six single mattresses in the yurt. The mattresses were pretty comfortable (not too hard, not too soft), and had a thick plastic surface. Some of them were LOUD when we were shifting around on them, and I’m not sure why some were and not the others. Bring earplugs if you’re a light sleeper.

We slept quite comfortably. Having looked at the weather ahead of time, we rolled the dice and brought our lightest sleeping bags. The bags we used were summertime sleeping bags, rated to only 7°C for their lowest advisable temperatures. We had brought an extra wool blanket, but found we didn’t need it (as long as someone got up and stoked the fire every few hours- thanks babe!).

The fire threw off a gentle glow, which I thought was lovely. But, if you’re someone who needs complete dark to sleep, it might take a little getting used to.

Outside, the wind blew pretty steadily throughout the night. We could hear it, but the walls of the yurt didn’t move an inch. We also never felt any drafts- this was a well-made yurt!

Safety

I was pretty impressed with the precautions taken inside this yurt. There was a working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector, as well as a fire extinguisher. There were also detailed instructions throughout the yurt on how to operate everything, including the wood stove.

In the Morning

We woke up the next morning when the sun started to rise. It was a rainy, foggy morning and the lake looked amazing, in a way that was completely different than the day before.

With big old rain drops coming down, we were happy to be inside our dry, cozy yurt, with the fire still going. We set the kettle on top of the stove and waited for it to boil for our granola, and spent our time wishing we hadn’t forgotten coffee.

After breakfast, we set about packing up to head back. “Check-out” time was 11 a.m. but the rain had let up and we headed out early while we had a break in the weather.

All in all, we loved staying at the Taylor Yurt, and would definitely do it again. It was a great way to start testing out some of our winter camping skills in a really safe and comfortable way. The yurts in Gatineau Park would also make a great crash pad if you wanted to take a few days and explore the cross-country ski trails throughout the park. For families who are really brave, I think this would be a neat way to go “winter camping” with kids (again, don’t forget the earplugs!). Nothing beats getting outdoors with the people you love, and if you’re lucky enough to get the opportunity to rent one next year, I say go for it!

What to Bring

We brought a TON of stuff (just over 40 pounds of stuff, not including what we wore in), so we provided a breakdown below to help you think through what you might need.

Gear We Brought (But Didn’t Need Because It Was Already There)

• Hatchet
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper

Gear We Brought (and Used)

• 55 litre backpack
• 45 litre backpack
• Pelican Nomad Ice Sled
• 2 x bungee cords
• Hiking boots
• Winter jackets
• Waterproof pants
• Wool socks
• Base layers
• Fleece sweaters
• Mitts
• Buffs
• Wool hats
• Sunglasses
• 2 x Hiking poles
• MSR Evo Snowshoes
• 2 x Chinook Superlite Mummy 45-Degree Synthetic Sleeping Bags
• Wool blanket
• 2 x Backpacking pillows
• 3 x dry bags (to organize gear and keep it dry inside packs)
• Coleman Rechargeable Lantern
• 6 litres of water
• MSR Windburner stove
• 2 x Dehydrated dinners
• Granola for breakfast
• Chocolate bars + candy
• 2 x mugs
• 2 x “Sporks”
• Extra base layers and socks (for inside)
• Slippers
• 2 x headlamps
• Map
• Cell phones
• Powerbank + charging cords
• Book + magazine
• Cards
• Toiletries (deodorant, contacts, toothbrush, etc.)
• Paper towel
• Plastic bags (for garbage)

Gear We Didn’t Use but Would Bring Again

• Crampons
• SOL 2-Person Emergency Bivvy
• First aid kit (with water purification tabs)
• Hand and foot warmers
• Fire starter kit (with lighter and paper) + matches
• Compass

Gear We Forgot

• Coffee
• Sled tarp (for rain, but also helps keep everything in place if the sled tips)
• Pack cover for one of the packs
• One extra drybag for coats, mittens, etc.

I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!