By:
Submission
Ridge is about five to six miles from the North Slope Road Trail Head, depending upon the route of travel. The yurt can be accessed by skiing, snowshoeing or snowmobiling. The East Fork Trail over Dead man’s Pass is a rugged, steep, challenge especially when pulling a gear laden sled. Another access route climbs up Sage Draw, past Lily Lake, through a dense part of the forest, and into a small mountain meadow. Just beyond the meadow, the trail narrows and is framed by overhanging trees. There is one last short, steep, slick section of trail that leads to the top of the ridge at 9,350 feet. The Ridge Yurt is sheltered in a natural bowl just below the ridge top. The mountain slope east of the Ridge Yurt, descending more than a thousand feet to the East Fork of the Bear River is a fine opportunity for backcountry turns. Be cognizant of snow conditions and watch for any signs of avalanches. Atop the ridge, the view to the southeast along the East Fork drainage terminates with a stunning image of Mount Beulah.
$75/night for groups.
Reservable year-round.
Snowmobiled to the top! Gorgeous in the winter! Wish I would have grabbed a few photos without people in it for you.
Beautiful yurt surrounded by epic mountains and amazing scenery...
Highly recommended
Yurt reservations are available through the Evanston Rec Center. The people in charge do a great job keeping the yurts stocked with wood, clean and usable year round. Please be respectful and clean up after yourself so everyone can continue to enjoy them.
I wish I could give this yurt experience a better review. The yurt itself is very secluded and would have been a serene stay in the middle of the woods. However, the road’s condition and lack of relevant information provided to us prior to booking the yurt is the reason for the low review.
FR 120 is an unmaintained road that takes you the last three miles from Hwy 150 to the yurt. While we drove very slowly, it was exceedingly rough and dangerous (even when dry) and full of large rocks that could bust tires at any moment. There’s no cell service out there and any flat tire would cost hundreds to get the vehicle towed out…luckily that didn’t happen to us. At the bare minimum, 4x4 is necessary, but I would only recommend using an ATV to get here. We almost made it to the yurt before we came up to a very steep portion. We walked the remainder of the road to the yurt before deciding that was impossible for our vehicle to get up and it just wasn’t worth the risk. We turned around and went home that night.
In addition, the lack of relevant information when booking this yurt needs improvement. The Evanston Rec Center does not provide sufficient information or photos on their website about the yurt or the road prior to booking. When I called to make a reservation, I was not provided any useful information until after I had paid for the stay (which they won’t refund if you need to cancel). The information that they did provide was relevant only to winter accommodations (it was highly detailed, but again, not relevant to summer stays). I wish we could’ve given this place 5 stars (we love to stay in remote places like this and were ready to do so!), but until more information is made readily available, it’s 1 star for me.
