Entire cabin

Great Bear Yurt - Off-Grid, Backcountry Experience - Between GNP & Bob Marshall

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your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Great Bear Yurt - Off-Grid, Backcountry Experience - Between GNP & Bob Marshall

Private kitchen
Interior
Exterior
2 bedrooms, bed sheets
Living area

Reviews

10 out of 10

Exceptional

Entire cabin

2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendly
    Pet-friendly

Explore the area

Map
Essex, MT
  • Walton Ranger Station
    3 min drive
  • Silver Staircase Falls
    11 min drive
  • Glacier National Park
    27 min drive
  • Kalispell, MT (FCA-Glacier Park Intl.)
    61 min drive

Room options

Similar properties

About the area

Essex

In Essex .You'll find Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and Walton Ranger Station within 3 miles (5 km) of this cabin. Silver Staircase Falls is within 12 miles (20 km) and Glacier Anglers is within 25 miles (40 km).

What's nearby

  • Walton Ranger Station - 3 min drive - 3.5 km
  • Silver Staircase Falls - 11 min drive - 15.6 km
  • Glacier National Park - 27 min drive - 42.0 km
  • Apgar Visitor Center - 31 min drive - 45.0 km
  • Lake McDonald - 34 min drive - 46.1 km

Getting around

  • Essex Station - 5 min drive
  • Glacier Park Intl. Airport (FCA) - 61 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Izaak Walton Inn Restaurant - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Dining Car Restaurant - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Healthy Haven Cafe - ‬6 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire cabin to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Great Bear Yurt - Off-Grid, Backcountry Experience - Between GNP & Bob Marshall

Offering the finest backcountry yurt rental for the Great Bear Wilderness and Southern Glacier National Park! Located near Essex, Montana, The Great Bear Yurt is situated for year round adventures. Tour world-class backcountry skiing, explore the 30 kilometers of groomed cross country ski trails, fish and float the Middle Fork of the flathead river, or simply find yourself surrounded by wilderness in an easy-access backcountry setting. Your next adventure awaits you at The Great Bear Yurt.

The Yurt:
Cozy up next to the wood burning stove after a day of cross country skiing or refuel with a wonderful meal from your fully stocked kitchen when your done hiking Glacier National Park. The yurt provides cozy and comfortable amenities in an "easy-access, backcountry setting."
Here is what you can expect from Great Bear Yurt
- Off-Grid Experience - the yurt uses a 12volt battery system charged by solar and/or a generator. There is NO Wi-Fi and NO Cell Service.
- Water Supplied - though the yurt does not have running water, 5 gallon jugs of potable water are provided.
- Fully Stocked Kitchen - Pots, pans, utensils, dishes and basic cooking equipment are all provided and can be used on the propane stove and oven.
- Wood Burning Stove - An efficient KUMA stove with up to 8 hours of burn time. All fire starter, kindling and split firewood are provided. As well as detailed instruction on how to use a wood stove.
- The yurt uses a wonderful outhouse that is a 40 foot walk away. The outhouse is well-kept, rarely smells and is perfect for an off-grid setting!
- Comfortable Beds - The yurt is outfitted with 1 King mattress and 3 Queen mattresses.
- Dog Friendly - We love dogs! There is a large kennel provided and should be used when needed. Please clean up after your dog!
- A Communal Living Space - Yurts are meant to be used by groups and families! The living room, kitchen and bar area are all a part of the main living space. Play games, read books or make a meal together - but most importantly, connect with the people around you!

The Property:
The Yurt is situated on 5 acres bordering Flathead National Forest and BNSF railway near train community of Essex, Montana. To the north, you will see the peaks of Southern Glacier National Park. Rampage Mountain, Scalplock Mountain and Running Rabbit are all visible from the property. To the south, Flathead National Forest gives way to the Great Bear Wilderness and easy access to Essex Creek, Marion Lake, Dickey Creek and Paola Ridge.

**From Mid-April to November guests are able to DRIVE vehicles directly to the yurt. The driveway has plenty of space for large vehicles and trailers.
**From December to March, Great Bear Yurt transforms in to a SKI IN/OUT paradise. From the Dickey Creek Parking area, it is an easy 400 yard ski or snowshoe down a groomed trail to the yurt.

Summer Activities
- Easy access to GNP - West Glacier Entrance is a 25 minute drive and Two Medicine, St. Mary and Many Glacier are a 60-90 minute drive.
- Hiking Trails - Explore the many hiking trails around Essex and the Flathead National Forest
- Middle Fork Flathead River - One of the most beautiful rivers you can see! The Essex boat launch and river access is 1 mile south and the Paola boat launch and river access is 5 miles north.
- Bike the trails around the yurt. There are 30km of ski trails that make for excellent bike trails in the summer months!
- Check out the Izaak Walton Inn - Just a mile hike/bike or quick drive to the Historic Izaak Walton Inn.
- Train watching - Essex was built as a train stop for the Burlington Northern Railway. Check out the trains from the walking bridge near the Izaak Walton or view them from the property. You can expect about 1 or 2 trains per hour.
- Do nothing! Take a load off and grab a great book! Disconnect for a while!

Winter Activities
- Cross Country Ski - Over 18 miles of groomed xc ski trails border the yurt. The Essex creek trail runs through the property creating unmatched access.
- Backcountry Ski - Providing access to Marion Lake, Marion Ridge, Dickey Creek, South Fork of Dickey Creek and Paola Ridge. Please understand that all of these areas are located in heavy avalanche terrain. Always have the property knowledge, skills and equipment before entering avalanche terrain.
- Snowshoe or Snowbike to Essex - Head to the Izaak Walton for a bite or a beverage from the bar. Its a one mile ski, hike or bike to the walking bridge at the Izaak Walton.
- Play outside - Essex is like a snow globe! SO MUCH snow falls in the winter! Make a snowman, go sledding or build a snow castle!
- Warm up and Relax - Listen to the sound of the crackling fire with a cup of hot cocoa! Get the fire roasting and warm up inside the yurt.






Property manager

Pete Byl

Property amenities

Bedrooms

  • 2 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathrooms

  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Comfort

  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • 2 total pets
  • Welcoming dogs only

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Designated smoking areas

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

  • Pets are welcome
  • Only dogs are allowed
  • Maximum 2 pets
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Note from host: Kids need to be 5 years or older to use the loft.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings, birthday parties and weddings) are allowed on site; maximum attendees: 8
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a private host, not a professional engaged in trade or business. Parties and events (including family gatherings, birthday parties and weddings) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 8.

Great Bear Yurt - Off-Grid, Backcountry Experience - Between GNP & Bob Marshall Reviews

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 7 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 7 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 7 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 7 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 7 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Andrew B B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Yurt stay
We really enjoyed our stay here. Everything was as promised and it was located nicely between East and West Glacier. The place was clean, the kitchen had all we needed to cook and eat. The trains can be noisy but once we fell asleep we slept pretty good.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Courtney G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Majestic Yurt!!
We stayed for 5 wonderful nights and enjoyed the yurt immensely. It was comfortable and cozy for our family of 5. The deck was our favorite for relaxing mornings and evenings. We stayed here to be close to GNP and all the amazing hikes, but we ended up feeling torn wanting to stay and relax at the property instead. The luxury latrine worked well and was honestly better than expected. The huckleberry picking was plentiful. The train horns were the only downfall, but we got used to them quickly. Pete was quick to respond to all of our queries. We were sad to leave and hope to return someday.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kerrie S.

Liked: Cleanliness
The perfect retreat
Our family loved our time at Great Bear Yurt. It is clear that Pete loves this place - he provided us with recommendations on what to do when we weren’t hiking in the park and even let us pick huckleberries on his property. The yurt was clean and beautiful and we wished we could have stayed much longer!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cassandra H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Exactly what we were looking for
What an absolute treasure of a place to stay! Beds were comfortable, which was great after our long hikes. We found a trailhead within just a few minutes of the yurt (Lake Marion), which had no other hikers on it. Our kids loved it, and we dreamt of building our own. If we are ever back in the area, we would certainly stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Josiah G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great Yurt!
We loved our stay here. Beautiful setting. Easy access to GNP East and West entrance. Would love to come back someday!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Duncan M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Exceeded expectations
The yurt was great, well-furnished, clear instructions for details like managing propane, good communication from Pete, etc. We had a fantastic trip and will be back!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024