What is a Yurt?

Becky WiseNantahala

“Yurt” is originally from a Turkic word referring to the imprint left in the ground by a moved yurt, and by extension, sometimes a person’s homeland.  The term came to be used in reference to the physical tent-like dwellings built by Turks, but only in other languages.  In modern Turkish the word “yurt” is used as the synonym of homeland or dormitory.

Wildwater’s Yurts are fashioned after Yurts that have been a distinctive feature of life in Central Asia for at least three thousand years.  The first written description of a yurt used as a dwelling was recorded by Herodotus, the ‘father of history’, who lived in Greece between 484 and 424 BC.  He described yurt-like tents as the dwelling place of the Scythians, a horse riding-nomadic nation who lived in the northern Black Sea and Central Asian region from around 600 BC to AD 300.
Wildwater Falling Waters Yurt interior3
Although the Yurts at Wildwater’s Falling Waters Resort are not portable, they are a tent-like structure and have a lot of the conveniences and comforts of home.  They each sleep up to 4 with a queen sized bed and a double futon and include a coffee maker, small refrigerator, heater, deck with chairs and table and a bathhouse with individual, 3 piece bathrooms.  Close by are charcoal grills, gathering places and fire pits as well as a playground.  Like camping but with extra amenities!