Yurt Snowshoe
Mount Rainier AreaBest Dec–Mar
The longest and most remote overnight in the MTTA hut system, reaching a secluded yurt through 10 kilometers of winter forest.
About This Trail
The MTTA Yurt sits deeper in the backcountry than any other shelter in the Mount Tahoma Trails system. At 20 kilometers round trip with 530 meters of gain, this route demands commitment. Most parties treat it as an overnight, snowshoeing or skiing in with loaded packs to spend a night by the wood stove.
The route follows forest roads and singletrack through dense timber, crossing a footbridge and passing junctions for Snow Bowl and High Hut along the way. The terrain stays moderate compared to High Hut, spreading its elevation gain over a much longer distance. Navigation matters here: the MTTA trail system uses markers that can be hard to spot in fresh snow, and the distance makes a wrong turn costly.
The yurt comes stocked with a wood stove, oven, stovetop, cooking utensils, bunk beds with mattresses, and an outdoor pit toilet. Reservations through MTTA are required for overnights (7 PM to 7 AM). From the yurt, a 3.8-mile round trip day hike to Griffin Mountain offers excellent Rainier views for those with energy to spare. The access road to the sno-park can ice over badly, and trip reports consistently warn to carry tire chains regardless of conditions.
Astronomy
Trail Conditions
“Road was pretty good - clear to the Lower Parking Lot, and a small amount of snow to the Upper Parking Lot.”
Last report: Feb 22, 2026
Scorecard
Safety & Considerations
Today's Hazard
- Strong sun — sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses recommended
Persistent Hazards
- Icy access road to sno-park
- Long distance makes navigation errors costly
- Winter travel in remote forest requires preparation
Getting There
Lower sno-park is 5 miles up DNR Road 1 from SR 706 near Ashford. Upper lot is 1 mile farther but icy road conditions frequently force parking at the lower lot. Carry tire chains. Sno-Parks Permit required Nov-Apr, Discover Pass May-Oct.
From Elbe, take SR 706 east about 8 miles toward Ashford. Turn onto the road just before the Baptist Church to access DNR Road 1. Follow sno-park signs for 6 miles to the upper lot. From the lower lot, hike 2 miles uphill to a junction, bear left on Lower Yurt Trail through forest and footbridge for 1.6 miles, then right for 1.5 miles, left on a forest road for 0.8 miles past the Snow Bowl/High Hut junction, then right 0.3 miles to the yurt.
Start early for a day trip, though most parties plan an overnight. For overnight trips, allow 3-5 hours for the approach with loaded packs to arrive with daylight remaining.
Recent Reports
Magical overnight adventure to the MTTA Yurt! Road was pretty good - clear to the Lower Parking Lot, and a small amount of snow to the Upper Parking Lot.
We visited the Yurt for our one-night reservation this past Saturday. Rain gear including rain pants, rain jackets, and backpack covers was definitely essential, as it was steadily raining for the entire hike.
A quick get-away before the busy holidays. So wonderful to have a cozy and warm place to stay overnight with a very scenic XC trail system.
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