How to Get a Glendalough Yurts Permit
Two canvas yurts with woodstoves on a motor-free lake, bookable in midwinter.
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Minnesota DNR: "Yurts are insulated round canvas structures with wood floors, woodstoves and basic furnishings, available year-round. The windows open, and there is a skylight in the domed roof." DNR puts Glendalough's two on the southeast side of Annie Battle Lake, and the reservation system names the facility "Remote Yurt Camp (Canoe-In)" — there is no road to them. (dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/camping/yurts.html, read 2026-08-10.)
Nearly everything in this catalogue is a tent pad. A yurt is a heated room at the end of the same kind of trip, and DNR keeps all of them open year-round — so a February booking here is a real option rather than an act of endurance.
The Experience
Round canvas, a wood floor, a skylight in the domed roof, and a stove someone else has already stacked wood for. Outside: a fire ring, a food locker and Annie Battle Lake with no outboards on it.
What to Expect
Two yurts, and DNR publishes both sizes: "One yurt at Glendalough State Park is 16 feet in diameter and sleeps three people. All the other yurts are 20 feet in diameter and sleep seven people." The reservation system lists them as Yurt (7 person) #Eagl and Yurt (3 person) #Osp.
$80 per site, per night, plus tax — DNR's published rate for every yurt in the system.
"Yurts do not have indoor plumbing. They are located near year-round primitive toilets."
"None of the yurts have electricity." Heat is a woodstove, and DNR provides the wood in winter.
"All yurts have a picnic table and fire ring with grill for outdoor cooking, and a locker for secure outdoor food storage."
"No cooking, candles, or other open flames are allowed inside the yurts."
One yurt at each yurt location is accessible.
DNR describes both yurts in one paragraph: "Two yurts on Annie Battle Lake are available year-round. Both yurts are cart-in, canoe-in, backpack or bicycle access only and are up to two miles from parking. Neither yurt is accessible by vehicle. The trail to the yurts is packed after snowfall, and sleds replace carts in the winter. (Call the park for disability accommodations or severe weather options.) Firewood for woodstove heat is provided at no charge in the winter. There is no electricity in either yurt. No pets, open flames or cooking are allowed inside yurts. Osprey accommodates three people, and Eagle can accommodate seven."
"Up to two miles from parking" is a bound, not a distance — DNR never says how far either yurt actually is, so no route distance appears on this page.
The reservation system caps a yurt stay at 7 nights. That is a booking restriction in the state's reservation system, not a DNR rule: DNR publishes no length-of-stay limit anywhere in its state park rules.
Water, and what it depends on. DNR: "Water is on in the campground until Sunday, October 4, 2026. Water is available year-round at the park office." The campground supply has a published end date on it; the office tap is the fallback, and the office is who to ring if water decides your plan.
Capacity is per yurt and DNR states it: Osprey three people, Eagle seven — which is the one place in this park where DNR's own number differs from the statewide six-per-site rule.
Sourcing note: the park-page sentences on this page were read on 2026-08-10 from Minnesota DNR's own live park-content endpoint. maps.dnr.state.mn.us refuses our requests outright, so that fetch went through a Wayback Save-Page-Now capture of the live DNR endpoint, with the Internet Archive acting only as transport. www.dnr.state.mn.us and files.dnr.state.mn.us were read directly.
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Permit Requirements
"Pets are not allowed inside yurts or other buildings, lodging facilities, or beach areas, and may not be left unattended outdoors or in vehicles."
"All yurts and other buildings are smoke free."
Campfires here run on a live burning restriction that moves with fire danger, so a fire ring at the site is not permission to use it. The authority is this park's own Camping & Lodging page, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/glendalough/camping.html — read it in the week you travel, not the week you book.
Read 2026-08-10, that page carried both halves of the restriction: "Campfires are not allowed in backcountry (hike-in/backpack and boat-in) campsites, even if there is a fire ring", and "Attended campfires are allowed in established fire rings in state park campgrounds, including drive-in, cart-in and walk-in campsites." Neither half names a canoe-in site. DNR's fee page groups "backpack and watercraft sites over a half mile from parking" as backcountry, while its Glendalough page calls these "Canoe-in Sites" that "can also be accessed by foot or bicycle" — so the two DNR wordings do not settle which side this falls on. We are not picking one: plan on the stricter reading and ask the park.
Firewood for the fire ring can be bought at the park office, and only approved firewood may be brought in.
All campsites require a reservation. Minnesota DNR: "All campsites require a reservation. Please make a reservation online or call 866-857-2757."
Reservations open 120 days before arrival, and same-day bookings are allowed. On the day a date first becomes available, online reservations cannot be made before 8 a.m.
The reservation fee is $8.00 online and $10.00 by phone, non-refundable. There is no fee for a same-day booking.
Camping check-in is after 4 p.m. and checkout is by 4 p.m. If you have not checked in by 11 a.m. on the second day of the reservation, DNR may cancel it.
"A campsite's occupancy is limited to one camping group of six people or less, one camping shelter, and one vehicle." More than that needs the park manager's prior approval.
Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., and generators may not run in those hours.
Park hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 365 days a year, and "only campers with a reserved campsite are allowed in the park after 10 p.m."
Every vehicle entering a Minnesota state park must display a valid year-round or one-day state park vehicle permit.
Firewood transport is regulated. DNR allows wood bought at this park for use in this park, Minnesota Department of Agriculture certified firewood anywhere on DNR land, and an uncertified bundle only if it is not ash and was harvested in the county where you will burn it — "be sure to keep your receipt and the bundle label to show proof of purchase."
Firewood from home, pallet wood, and painted, stained or metal-bearing lumber are all prohibited, and "collection of firewood in state parks is not allowed."
Pets are welcome on a leash six feet or shorter, or in a portable enclosure, and must be personally attended at all times.
It is illegal to consume or display intoxicating liquors in Minnesota state parks.
Fireworks and metal detectors are not permitted.
Hammocks need trees at least 12 inches in diameter and straps at least an inch wide, one hammock per tree, hung over mowed and cleared ground.
You may pick edible fruits and mushrooms for personal consumption; picking wildflowers or other plants is not allowed.
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •Bedding — DNR furnishes bunks, not linens
- •A boat, if you are taking the reservation system's canoe-in access at its word
- •A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car
- •A camp stove, and a meal plan that works on it — Minnesota DNR closes fire rings at short notice, and its Tettegouche notice of 2026-08-10 read "Camp stoves are permitted for cooking."
Recommended Gear
- •A head torch: no electricity, and park hours end at 10 p.m.
- •Cooking kit for the outdoor fire ring, since open flames are banned inside
Hazards & Safety
DNR: "No pets, open flames or cooking are allowed inside yurts." There is no electricity in either one.
Winter access changes shape: "The trail to the yurts is packed after snowfall, and sleds replace carts in the winter."
DNR's visitor tips: "Zebra mussels are in park lakes." "Annie Battle Lake is a designated Heritage Fishery – no motors, special fishing regulations apply."
Best Time to Visit
DNR states these two are "available year-round" and provides firewood for the woodstoves at no charge in the winter, with a packed trail and sleds instead of carts — so winter is a designed-for booking rather than a gamble. For the rest of the year DNR's own advice on the park is "best times to visit are spring, fall and winter (avoid the summer bugs)."
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Glendalough Yurts permit?
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Glendalough Yurts permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Glendalough Yurts?
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DNR states these two are "available year-round" and provides firewood for the woodstoves at no charge in the winter, with a packed trail and sleds instead of carts — so winter is a designed-for booking rather than a gamble. For the rest of the year DNR's own advice on the park is "best times to visit are spring, fall and winter (avoid the summer bugs)."
What gear do I need for Glendalough Yurts?
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Essential gear includes: Bedding — DNR furnishes bunks, not linens, A boat, if you are taking the reservation system's canoe-in access at its word, A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car, A camp stove, and a meal plan that works on it — Minnesota DNR closes fire rings at short notice, and its Tettegouche notice of 2026-08-10 read "Camp stoves are permitted for cooking.".
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