Imagine: Waking up to a view of gently waving branches in the dome window right above your plush bed, freshly-brewed Keurig coffee taken on your private deck, and the sounds of birds chirping in rustling trees. You take a deep breath, hold it for a little longer than you would at home, and exhale audibly.
Ahhhh.
You’re camping! But it feels like you’re at a five-star hotel. Pretty idyllic, right?
Glamping is the best of both worlds. It’s a portmanteau word, “glamping” is, a blend of “glamorous” and “camping,” and also one of our favorite things in the world. Because why shouldn’t “glamorous” and “camping” go together? We’re in it for the forest bathing but with a heavy side of running water. At Lakedale, these things coexist beautifully.
Yurts In Washington
What started as an animal-skin-insulated domed dwelling by nomadic Mongolians has become one of the most luxurious camping-adjacent accommodations available. Yurts, which are not quite tents and not quite cabins, occupy an ideal sweet spot in the outdoor zeitgeist wherein travelers get to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and the luxuries of home.
Certainly, not all yurt experiences are glamorous. We’ve spent a few chilly nights in the State Park variety ourselves, but even on those nights when the wind whistled and the ocean waves roared outside of our yurt’s walls in those bare-bones beachside yurts, we knew we wanted to experience these flexible structures at home on the San Juan Islands.
Glamping in The San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands were made for glamping and there are a few great places to enjoy the finery of the outdoors comfortably. We like the cottages at Lopez Farm, the various cozy accommodations at Doe Bay Resort (they have “on” and “off-grid” yurts), and the cedar platform tents at Moran State Park.
You can certainly create your own glamping scenario at many campgrounds around the islands, but if you want something done-for-you, you’ve come to the right place.
Our San Juan Island Yurts
We’ve looked and haven’t found many other yurt options on San Juan Island, which makes our Yurt Village a unique experience on its own. What sets Lakedale’s Yurt Village apart are, well, several things:
- Our owners worked with local handcrafted outdoor accommodation builder, Rainier Outdoor, to design the whole Village
- Each yurt includes a personal deck with a BBQ and private hot tub
- King beds and sleeper sofas offer room to snooze for up to four people
- Smart TVs allow you to bring your favorite entertainment with you
- All seven yurts are heated with electric fireplaces and heating/AC units, boast overhead fans for weathering warm days, and are wired with electricity—this includes indoor plumbing and water!
- The Village is set apart from the rest of our 82-acre property. Guests walk their luggage in with wagons we provide. This reduces noise and adds to your R&R
- The yurts surround an art installation called Frozen Wind. Make sure you look up to take it in!
And this list barely scratches the surface, nor is it able to fully articulate the magic you’ll feel while inside your yurt. What we know for sure, though, is spending time with your favorite people in our yurts will be something you’ll be talking about for years to come.
Luxury Camping In Washington State
Guests in our yurts enjoy all the same fun at Lakedale as our other guests do: ample opportunities to get out on the lakes, shopping at The General Store during our busier season (May-October), cruiser bike access, boat rentals, and more. Truly, the opportunities for fun are endless—and if you choose to hole up in your yurt the whole time you’re with us, we fully support that, too! We built the Village in a way that you don’t ever have to leave it if you don’t want to.
This is luxury camping in Washington State at its finest. Don’t forget to pack your suit!
Glamping In Washington
We’re a pretty traveled crew ourselves, and what we built at Lakedale shows off the best of our adventures exploring the world. Selfishly, we built our Yurt Village in a way that we would want to enjoy, and we’re glad to see our guests have been, too. The Village completed construction and opened in 2018—since then, hundreds of couples, families, friends, and solo trekkers have made it their home base, and we’re looking forward to hosting many more of you in the future.
Also, since we have so much fun creating more spaces for you to play at Lakedale, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention our other glamping accommodations on the property, our Canvas Cabins and Cottages
If you’re towing your version of personal luxury behind you (self-contained—we love to see it), check out our newly upgraded RV sites. Spread the love and try them all out at some point. Each kind of accommodation brings with it its own special magic. We can’t wait to host you!
