The Borefüge Yurts

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When I first heard about Borefüge… I was mostly just shocked that I hadn’t heard about them earlier! They have three of the cutest yurts I’ve ever seen, nestled in the hills just forty-five minutes from Ottawa.

Borefüge offered to host us this year for our daughter’s 2^nd birthday and it was the best little getaway we could have had. It was the perfect “glamping” experience, and an amazing way for us to celebrate two years together!

The yurt was beautiful, comfortable, and we had a great time. The yurts are available for rent year round, and dogs are allowed too!

Below, I’ll tell you all about our experience staying there so you can plan for yours.

COVID Considerations

Before I delve into what our stay was like, I’ll be honest and say that we were on the fence about going, since this trip definitely falls under the category of non-essential travel. But after talking with the owners, we felt confident that we wouldn’t be putting ourselves or anyone else at risk by visiting the yurt. The way Borefüge operates, you don’t have to “check-in” with anyone. They just leave the door unlocked for you, and send you a message ahead of time so you have all the information you need to find your yurt.

We had decided ahead of time that we were going to plan so we wouldn’t have to stop anywhere on the Quebec side. We brought absolutely everything we needed, including filling up with gas before we left.

So the whole time we were on our getaway, we literally didn’t have to see another person, and we never went anywhere besides our cozy little yurt. That helped us feel confident that we wouldn’t be putting anyone at risk just to celebrate our daughter’s birthday- and I encourage anyone thinking of going to consider how best you can do it safely too.

“Our” Yurt

We stayed in the Belvédère Yurt, aptly named because it had the most STUNNING view from the front porch of the yurt. On the first evening we were there, we sat out with glasses of wine (and milk!) and just enjoyed the view.

Inside the yurt was just as lovely. There was a full sized dining table, a couch, and the cutest little kitchen on the main floor. Above us was a loft, where we all slept for the two nights we were there. The yurt had electricity for lighting (not all yurts do!) and one outlet in the kitchen (that we mostly used to charge our phones).

Outside was a nice big fire pit with two benches, and a hiking trail that started right at our door!

There was also the outhouse. Less exciting, but very necessary.

*Click here to book the Yourte du Belvédère.*

Getting There

The Borefüge yurts are at 509 Chemin de la Mine, L’Ange-Gardien, QC. The newest yurt, their “Yourte de la Mine,” is on the southeast side of the road. It’s the easiest to get to as it’s only about 50 metres from the parking lot to the yurt, on a flat path.

*Click here to book the Yourte de la Mine.*

The yurt we stayed at shared a parking lot with the Yourte du Rocher, a little further down the road on the northwest side. In order to get to the yurt, we had to walk uphill for about 150 metres. And it was steep! In the winter, I would highly recommend snowshoes or microspikes to help you along. We actually brought along hiking poles and were happy to have them as well. The Yourte du Rocher is slightly closer to the parking lot, so a bit easier to get to.

*Click here to book the Yourte du Rocher.*

Signs at the parking lot made it very clear which direction we had to head in. We were glad that we had packed light (kind of!) and didn’t have to make too many trips back and forth.

Think About Packing:

GOOD footwear, for whatever weather conditions you’ll be going in.
Hiking poles.
As light as possible so you don’t have to lug a bunch of stuff up the hill!

Eating and Cleaning Up

The kitchen at the Belvédère Yurt had absolutely everything we needed, from bowls and plates to pots and pans, wine glasses to a pasta strainer, and everything in between. There was olive oil, salt, and pepper as well.

There was the cutest little propane stove (and oven) that we used to cook all our meals on. And working it was easy because Borefüge had a visitor’s guide with all the instructions we needed!

There’s no cooler provided at the yurt, so you have to bring your own. We froze a few bottles of water ahead of time to help keep all our food cold.

For these types of trips, I usually cook our meals ahead of time so that we just have to reheat them once were there. When traveling with a toddler, convenience is key!

We also brought along her Phil&Ted’s high chair. I swear I bring this thing anywhere I can. It’s just so much more civilized to eat without a squirming toddler on your lap.

There was a small sink in the kitchen that we used to clean up. The water to the sink isn’t heated, but we soon got smart and put a pot of water on top of the woodstove to warm it up for doing dishes. The water also isn’t drinkable, so it’s important to bring enough of your own that you can drink!

Think About Packing:

Drinking water.
A lighter (to light the propane stove).
A cooler with ice.
A high chair.

Sleeping

Sleeping at the Belvédère Yurt without a toddler would be no problem at all. There were two twin size mattresses up in the loft, and the futon on the main floor could also sleep two people if needed. Borefüge provides pillows but not linens, so you have to bring your own sheets or sleeping bags and pillowcases.

At the top of the yurt is a see through dome, meaning you wake up each morning to a beautiful view of the sky.

With a toddler, or other young kids, sleeping might be a bit trickier. There’s no railing on the loft, so you would want to make sure your kids are old enough to move around safely up there. It’s about ten feet from the loft to the floor.

We’ve been lucky with our daughter so far, because even though she’s two, she hasn’t yet figured out that she can climb out of her crib- or in this case, her travel crib.

So we put her Phil&Ted’s travel crib up in the loft, right against the slope of the ceiling. We also brought along a sheet that we draped around the crib to essentially make her a little “room” in the loft. That way we could stay up and have a light on below her without her being too distracted to fall asleep. We used the beams in the ceiling to hang the sheet from and it worked perfectly.

There was a ladder from the main floor to the loft that our daughter got VERY good at climbing in the two days we were there- we just kept an eye on her at all times to make sure it was safe. Our daughter is also a pretty cautious kid, which works to our advantage in situations like this.

If I had a toddler who was well versed in getting out of their travel crib, or who co-slept, I don’t think I would be comfortable with them sleeping up in the loft. There was also the futon downstairs that could also be used to sleep on and would be a safer option for busy toddlers or young kids.

Think About Packing:

Sheets and a warm blanket or sleeping bags.
Warm PJs.

Hanging Out

Wanting to be extra cautious, we decided to stay on the property at Borefüge. Otherwise, we might have gone next door to tour the dog sled kennel (for an additional cost), or headed into town to eat at one of the restaurants.

There were two hiking trails through the woods around Borefüge, and we took full advantage of these. One started right at our door, and lead to a stunning lookout over the valley! This trail was just over 1.5 km each way, with terrain that alternated between flat and hilly, with a few steep spots. It was a great little hike, but could be challenging for beginners. I’d recommend good footwear, like boots, as well as hiking poles.

The second trail was a 600 metre loop, and started right at the parking lot of the Yourte de la Mine. This trail was easier to hike, and brought us down near a small creek with a pretty little waterfall.

We also put our fire pit to good use and had a fire. We made s’mores and had cupcakes by the fire, and our daughter loved it. Wood for the camp fire cost extra.

In the summer, a canoe is included in your rental and you can paddle on the nearby lake.

There’s no wifi and no screens in the yurt (although we did have reception on our phones). I always enjoy getaways where you’re basically forced to unplug. I find I can really settle in and relax on these types of getaways, and focus on spending time with my family.

Think About Packing:

Hiking boots and other hiking essentials, like poles.
Snacks for the fireside.

Staying Warm

All the Borefüge yurts are heated by a woodstove. The stove is incredibly easy to operate. And we were pleasantly surprised by how well our daughter listened to our directions to not go on the platform the stove sat on, and not to try and touch it.

The stoves do get very hot, so this is something for parents of young children to consider.

Any space that’s heated by a wood stove requires you to get up at least once during the night to stoke the fire. It’s usually a good idea to do it more than once, or it’ll be chilly in the morning when you get up.

Borefüge provided wood for the woodstove, but smaller pieces and kindling cost a few dollars extra. We didn’t think to bring a small hatchet to make kindling, but should have!

We brought slippers for our daughter as cabin floors can get very cold. Otherwise, we just brought along her fleece PJs (although I did pack a spare pair of PJs that could have gone underneath if needed), and two blankets for her to cuddle up under. She slept through the night both nights and was perfectly warm enough the whole time!

In the winter, I might bring her along a hat to wear at night, and some thicker blankets, or use the second set of PJs.

Think About Packing:

Slippers for little kids (Borefüge provides slippers for adults).
Warm clothing, and layers.
A small hatchet to chop kindling.

The Washroom

The washroom at Borefüge is outside- it’s basically a porta-potty, with toilet paper and hand sanitizer provided. Each yurt has it’s own washroom, and ours was just across the yard from the yurt. There’s a light outside the porta-potty that turns on when you get close enough at night, but we were still happy to have brought along a headlamp to wear for our trips out there after dark.

We packed our daughter’s potty so we wouldn’t have to get her dressed and take her out early in the morning or late at night. Highly recommend.

There is no shower in the yurt (although there is a mirror).

Think About Packing:

A headlamp.
A potty (if you’re bringing a toddler!)

Yurt Thoughts

We had a great time at Borefüge. And the yurts are so close to Ottawa that they’d be perfect for even just one night away. It was the perfect birthday celebration for us because we got to chill out and hike all in one spot. We definitely had the feeling of “getting away,” without actually having to go too far.

For anyone looking for a place to get away to, slow down at, and spend time with their loved ones, this is it. Although when we were there we noticed that one woman had rented the yurt down the road from us on her own- and I kind of thought that was a great idea too.

I hope this trip report has enough info to get you there too. Let me know in the comments, or share and tag a friend to start planning your next adventure!

*Our stay at Borefüge was gifted to us, but my opinions, as always, are my own. *