County opens Yurt Village at River Meadows Park
Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon and other community leaders celebrated the opening of the new Yurt Village at River Meadows County Park on March 25.
River Meadows, located 4 miles northeast of Arlington on the Stillaguamish River off Jordan Road, has been a county park since 1972 and is built on what was originally two homesteads. The new Yurt Village, modeled after the popular Yurt Village at Kayak Point, contains six yurts erected on the orchard portion of a homestead known as the McCaulley homestead. Some of the fruit trees (apples, plums, cherries) growing between the yurts date back to at least the 1930’s’ and remnants of the original fencing still exist.
Yurt camping offers new opportunities for family recreation, a type of convenience camping where campers bring their own bedding and food. Three yurts are 20 feet in diameter and three are 16 feet in diameter. They can accommodate from 4 to 8 people. Because constituents expressed an interest in a “luxury unit,” one yurt with a deck accommodates up to 4 is equipped with fine linens and additional furnishings.
The village was funded with CIDI (Community Infrastructure Development Initiative), park mitigation and REET funds. Contractor is Advanced Construction from Mukilteo. Parks Department completed the landscaping. Revenues raised by camping help the Park Department meet its goal of sustainability
“In this time of economic downturn and many families living in apartments or in houses on very small lots, public parks are needed now more than ever, ” Reardon said. “This park and others like it will continue to be assets to communities throughout Snohomish County.”
Six pieces of art are included in this park project as part of the county’s ordinance requiring that 1 percent of total bid costs be contributed to the arts. Glen Andersen created ten 12” mini-yurt replicas, that are covered in colorful tile mosaics that uniquely identify each campsite for visitors and renters. The sculptured yurt markers incorporate a number and distinctive color palette that act as a way-finder. Each marker is posted at the entry of the campsite and includes a kaleidoscope to view the surroundings of the park.
For more information on this park or others within the county parks’ system, go to www.snocoparks.org or call 425-388-6600.