Hipcamp: what it is and why you should check it out

yurt, glamping, virginia, hipcamp I’m a big believer in traveling to new places, and hoarding experiences instead of material objects.

Does this mean that I do nothing but travel?

Unfortunately, no.

But, it does mean that when given the chance I love a weekend getaway to somewhere new and magical.

One of my favorite ways to accomplish this on the fly utilizes a website called Hipcamp. Think of it as the Airbnb of camping, and a way to have access to campsites that would normally be largely unavailable to the public (that’s you).

yurt, yurt life, skylight, hipcamp, hipcamp location, virginia, floyd virginia, vegan travels, Marybeth Wells Virginia Photographer — I’m a sucker for a good skylight.

On the land of social media I get asked on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis how I find such cool spots to camp and hang out, and this blog, Hipcamp: what it is and why you should check it out, is the answer. I’ve linked my discount and signup code here, and below I’m going to show you the most recent place we stayed: a three-story mountain yurt in Virginia. If the word yurt is foreign to you, a traditional yurt is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The yurts that we know and love in North America are mostly adaptations of the original structures that have popped up as vacation homes and “glamping” locations (glamorous camping).

yurt, yurt life, glamping, camping, winter glamping, hipcamp, blue ridge yurts — Cozy, right?

Our gracious host, Erika, comes from a family of yurt lovers. When I say yurt lovers, I mean they own their own company.

yurt, yurt life, cozy yurt, hipcamp, hipcamp site, hipcamp discount, Marybeth Wells Travel and Interior Photographer Virginia

We arrived after dark and coming from an Airbnb where we celebrated a birthday elsewhere in Virginia the day before. The road to the yurt was ROUGH (if you decide to go here, definitely follow the written directions, not GPS), but it all worked out thanks to my well-equipped vehicle.

FJ cruiser, yurt life After a little wandering around between various yurts on the same road (I’m telling you, these people love yurts) I finally sent our host a message and asked which yurt was ours. She pointed us in the right direction and we quickly found our home for the night.

First thought: Holy Moly this is the fanciest yurt I’ve ever seen.

Second thought: oh wow it just keeps going.

yurt, yurt life, cozy yurt, hipcamp, hipcamp site, hipcamp discount, travel photographer — These stairs lead to the zipline. No big deal.

yurt, yurt life, cozy yurt, hipcamp, hipcamp site, hipcamp discount, Virginia Travel Photographer Marybeth Wells

yurt, yurt life, cozy yurt, hipcamp, hipcamp site, hipcamp discount, Marybeth Wells Virginia Travel Photographer

This was our first and definitely not our last stay here. It had all of the amenities of home and stayed cozy and warm all night.

If you’re interested, this is the direct listing. Just make sure you sign up with my discount link first to receive some $$ off your first stay with Hipcamp.

yurt, yurt life, cozy yurt, hipcamp, hipcamp site, hipcamp discount, — This is in the guest yurt that’s attached via breezeway to the main yurt. I’m telling you, it’s fancy af.

Have you ever stayed in a yurt? Tell me about it below!

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See you there 😉