Trip ideas for cabin, yurt and vacation home stays this fall and winter

As temperatures cool and skies grow dark, our cabins, yurts and vacation homes beckon. Bring on the cozy season!

Summer is officially over. Though we may still get larch marches under clear skies, Washingtonians know what comes next: rain, wet snow, dreary skies and 4 p.m. sunsets.

The good news

Late fall is the time for fuzzy blankets, fireplaces and comfort food. It’s a season to catch up on sleep, reading, shows and creativity – and catch up with non-outdoorsy loved ones.

There is no shame in slowing down – or wanting a roof over your head when it’s cold and dark out. In fact, we think we’ve got nature’s permission to rest between summer-fall FOMO and the hectic holidays. We’re all in for the cozy season!

The interior of a yurt with futon and bunk bed. — Picture yourself here. Our yurts are comfy, one-room structures perfect for friends gathering with games, movies and catching up.

Cabins, yurts, vacation homes

More than 30 Washington state parks offer roofed accommodations – cabins, yurts or vacation homes – perfect for family camp-ins, slumber parties and small retreats.

Yurts and cabins generally sleep five, and vacation homes, including lightkeeper’s residences, military officer’s homes, former Army hospitals and a lakeside cottage, sleep four to 12 people.

You’ll bring food, towels, linens and bedding for your cabin or yurt stay. We’ll take care of the setting when you book accommodations at WA state parks.

Two women, one in a State Parks uniform, sit under a covered porch in front of a wood cabin talking. — Even if you're on a solo trip, like this guest at Rasar State Park, you might still meet interesting people, including our friendly, helpful staff.

Here are seven year-round itineraries to help you plan your indoor/outdoor getaway:

1. North Cascades Foothills: Rasar State Park

Stay: Rasar cabins. Tucked in the forest, these cabins have hand-hewn ironwork, heat, outdoor grills and bathroom with shower.

Indoors: Visit nearby Concrete or Sedro-Woolley, or drive to Bellingham for museums, breweries, shops and waterfront dining. Retreat to your cabin for games, downloaded movies and S’mores cooked on your outdoor grill.

Outdoors: Look for bald eagles (especially November-February) on the Skagit River in the park.

A wood and stone shelter in golden light — If your cabin does not have cooking facilities, some parks have reservable or first-come, first-serve kitchen shelters, like this one at Rasar.

2. Puget Sound: Dash Point State Park

Stay: Dash Point cabins. Each cabin has heat and outdoor grill and is located near Puget Sound. Bathrooms are nearby.

Indoors: Drive 20 minutes to Tacoma for a day of culture. Visit T-Town’s art and history museums, Museum of Glass and LeMay Car Museum. Eat out, or bring in dinner, snacks and hot drinks to pair with games, movies, or a quiet evening reading.

Outdoors: Explore the beach, check out views of Vashon Island. Hurry back to your shelter when storms roll in.

A person in a tan sweater and dark pants stands outside a blue and white cabin under a covered porch. — Most cabins, like this at Twin Harbors, have covered porches where you can watch storms roll in but stay dry. Pro tip: pack your camp chairs!

3. Central Coast: Twin Harbors State Park

Stay: Yurts or cabins at Twin Harbors sit in a treed field near the Pacific Ocean. They have heat, outside grills and bathrooms nearby.

Indoors: Explore the coastal town of Westport, its lighthouse and Maritime Museum. Find a local seafood restaurant, get takeout, or fire up the outdoor grill and kick back in your comfy abode.

Outdoors: Try kite-flying or walk the driftwood-strewn beach. Watch storms roll in but be safe out there! Stay away from the waves and check forecasts for high winds and lightning.

An exterior view of two lighthouse keepers residences with white stucco and red roofs on a lawn — Cape Disappointment offers a unique overnight in one of its lighthouse keepers' residences near the North Head Lighthouse.

A kitchen with black and white checkered floor and tile in the lightkeeper's house at Cape Disappointment. — Most of our vacation homes, like the lightkeepers' residences at Cape Disappointment, have full kitchens along with bedding, towels and sundries. Photo by Tom Owen.

4. South Coast: Cape Disappointment State Park

Stay: Cape Disappointment’s lightkeepers’ residences. These historic homes sleep six each and have full amenities – your home away from home.

Indoors: Spend an evening in your cool digs, then spend the next morning at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Drive 15 minutes to Fort Columbia State Park (which also has vacation homes for rent), a preserved fort with batteries to be explored. (Bring flashlight and jacket).

Outdoors: Explore North Head Lighthouse near the residence – by day and at dusk, with dramatic views of the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean.

A white cabin nestled into a green forested wood. — If you want to get away from it all and hide in the forest, Camano Island is your ticket. These cabins are also close to the beach.

5. Camano Island: Camano Island State Park

Stay: Camano Island’s cabins. Nestled in the forest, but close to the beach, these cabins have heat, mini-fridge and microwave. Bathrooms are nearby.

Indoors and outdoors: Stroll a mile and do weekend brunch at the Cama Beach Café, the delicious farm-to-table eatery in the Cama Center at Cama Beach Historical State Park.

Wander down to the beach after brunch to the Center for Wooden Boats and Cama Beach cabins that comprise this historic fishing resort. Afterward, drive into downtown Camano for shops, wineries and breweries. A chill night in awaits at your cabin.

Schafer Cabin C1 Interior — Cabins are rustic, but have warm, inviting interiors.

6. Spokane: Riverside State Park

Stay: Riverside cabins. Located above the Bowl and Pitcher area, each house has heat, sink, microwave and a bathroom with shower.

Indoors: Relax in your cabin or claim a first-come-first-served kitchen shelter at Bowl and Pitcher. Head to downtown Spokane to see the site of the 1974 World’s Fair and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. Go shopping, have a meal out and make it a low-stress evening of friend and family fun in your cabin.

Outdoors: Explore Bowl and Pitcher’s iconic suspension bridge originally built by the CCC and the Spokane River’s Ice-Age flood carved formations. Hike or bike one of the many trails at Riverside.

stairs leading down to exhibits along wall - exhibits displayed openly, colorful, with educational information — Some parks with roofed accommodations also have interpretive centers nearby. The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center is adjacent to Seaquest State Park, where you can book a yurt.

7. Poulsbo area: Kitsap Memorial State Park

Stay: Kitsap Memorial’s cabins. Set on a large lawn with Hood Canal views, these cabins have electric heat and AC, a mini-fridge and a microwave. Restrooms are close by.

Indoors: Head south 20 minutes to the Norwegian town of Poulsbo, with its shops, art galleries, coffee houses and ice cream. Check out the interactive exhibits at the Poulsbo Marine Science Center. Snuggle up on the futon for an afternoon reading.

Outdoors: Walk along Hood Canal and search for tide pool life. Try clamming or oyster harvesting in season, with proper licenses.

A historically appointed bedroom in a vacation house at Fort Columbia State Park — A charming, historically appointed bedroom at Fort Columbia's largest vacation home, the Scarborough House. Photo by Tom Owen.

Would you rather plan your itinerary from scratch? No problem! Check our website for more parks with roofed accommodations. Reservations open nine months in advance, so book your getaway today!

Originally published October 02, 2025