Yurts at Allaire State Park 2014 | Wall Township/Farmingdale, New Jersey

 

Yurts At Allaire State Park

Traditional yurts used by nomads in Asia are usually made with felt or wool. Yurts have been adapted for camping in the United States.

According to National Geographic:

A yurt is a portable, circular dwelling made of a lattice of flexible poles and covered in felt or other fabric. They are a sturdy, reliable type of tent. Yurts have been the primary style of home in Central Asia, particularly Mongolia, for thousands of years. Yurts take between 30 minutes and 3 hours to set up or take down, and usually house between five and 15 people.

Only four campgrounds in New Jersey have yurts. Allaire State Park is one of them. 

These structures are made of high-tech materials. It is a circular tent built on a wood frame, featuring wood floors, a deck, and a Plexiglas skylight. 

Each yurt has a lockable wood door, window screens and flaps, and two double-deck bunks, which sleep up to four people. Cooking facilities, water, and restroom facilities are usually within walking distance. 

This makes it a more practical alternative to a regular tent, which must be set up and taken down each day, not to mention that it is far more comfortable to sleep on a real bed, and to move around more freely. 

The park also includes camping facilities, including yurts.

  

 UPDATE 2024:

In 2017, it was announced that the yurts would be removed from 5 state parks, including Allaire.

According to NJ.com:

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says they will remove circular tents available for rent in five state parks and replace them with small cabins.

According to officials, the yurts — large, cylindrical canvas tents with skylights and plenty of standing room — were too difficult to maintain and often prone to mold. Philly.com reports they will be replaced by cabins complete with bunks, windows and wood stove.

According to CBS News:

For those who want to upgrade their camping experience to the glam camping level, otherwise known as “glamping,” say goodbye to the yurt.

“A yurt is a circular tent that’s built on wooden frame and it has wood floors and a Plexiglas skylight,” explained Larry Hajna with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

He says the yurts are being replaced by small cabins.

“It’s all hard sided, these shelters have wood stoves in them, bunk beds, a kitchen table. So it has all the amenities and really a much cleaner visitation experience,” Hajna said.

Further Reading and Viewing

You can see the yurts in this video:

A yurt is a portable, circular dwelling made of a lattice of flexible wood and covered in felt

What Is A Yurt? History and Uses of Yurts

Yurt rentals going away at 5 N.J. state parks

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