Mueller State Park’s new BC Yurt 1 is already booked through its scheduled Oct. 11 closing date, giving Colorado visitors a limited first look at a lodging option that requires reaching the site without a vehicle. The yurt opened earlier in September near the historic Cheesman Ranch area in the park’s northwest corner, according to The Denver Gazette.
A small overnight site in a large park
The yurt sleeps up to five people and is reached by a roughly 2-mile hike or bike ride, or by a route of about 4 miles for horseback visitors. It has bunk beds, a futon and an extra twin mattress, but guests must bring their own bedding. The Gazette reported that Mueller manager Brian Kerrigan described the site as an off-grid stay with some modern conveniences.
That setting is part of the point: Mueller covers more than 5,117 acres and includes spring-fed meadows, forests and Pikes Peak granite formations, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The park’s backcountry lodging is therefore not simply a cabin placed beside a parking area; reaching it is part of the overnight experience.
What the yurt provides—and what it does not
Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists solar-powered lighting, USB charging outlets, propane heat, an outdoor propane stove, a picnic table and a nearby backcountry toilet among the yurt’s amenities. Potable water and cooking supplies are provided, while visitors are expected to follow a pack-it-in, pack-it-out approach. Cooking and smoking are prohibited inside, and campfires are not allowed at the site, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Dogs are another important planning consideration. Leashed pets may use Mueller’s developed campgrounds and paved roadways, but Colorado Parks and Wildlife prohibits dogs on the park’s hiking trails and in its backcountry areas; that means dogs cannot accompany guests to the yurt. Visitors should also account for the agency’s general rule that state-park yurts and huts require a minimum two-night stay, as stated on Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s yurt information page.
The site’s history predates the new lodging
The yurt’s location sits within a landscape shaped by ranching, preservation and earlier settlement. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says W.E. Mueller began acquiring local ranches in the 1950s to create Mueller Ranch, and the family designated the property as a game preserve in the 1980s. The agency also records that the surrounding area drew prospectors and settlers during the Pikes Peak gold rush in the late 1850s and the Cripple Creek gold rush in the 1890s.
Those historical layers help explain why the yurt is near the Cheesman Ranch grounds, but they do not establish how demand for backcountry lodging will develop. Mueller plans to evaluate the facility’s use and maintenance needs before deciding whether it can operate farther into winter. The Gazette reported that the yurt is expected to reopen in May, though future winter use remains under consideration.
Planning the next available stay
The reported nightly rate is $90, and visitors must also pay the park’s entrance fee. Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists daily entrance fees of $10 to $11 and the annual Keep Colorado Wild Pass at $29; current fee information is available through the agency’s camping information. Because the debut season is already full, prospective guests will need to watch for the next reservation window rather than assume that a walk-up site will be available.
For now, BC Yurt 1 is best understood as a deliberately limited backcountry option: more protected and equipped than a tent, but still dependent on human-powered access, advance planning and visitors’ willingness to carry supplies and waste along the trail.
