How to Choose a Yurt Site: Sun, Drainage, Access and Snow
Where you put your yurt shapes almost everything about living in it: how warm it is in winter, how dry it stays in spring, how long the fabric lasts, how easy it is to bring in supplies and how good the view is from your bed. Taking time to choose the right site is one of the best investments you can make. This guide walks through what to look for and what to avoid.
1. Start with the Rules
Before you fall in love with a spot, make sure you can build there. Setbacks from property lines, roads, wells, septic systems and water bodies can rule out parts of your land. Shoreland and wetland rules may apply near lakes, streams and wet areas. Call your town early; our New Hampshire permit and zoning guide lists the questions to ask.
2. Level Ground and a Solid Base
A yurt needs a level platform. The flatter the site, the simpler and less expensive the platform will be. A gentle slope is manageable with taller footings on the downhill side, but steep slopes add cost and complexity. Avoid filled ground and very soft soils if possible, and remember that for year-round use in New England, footings need to reach below the frost line. Read how to build a yurt platform for details.
3. Drainage Comes First
Water is the enemy of any building, and a yurt is no exception. Look for a spot that sheds water naturally rather than collecting it. Avoid low areas, the bottom of slopes and places where snowmelt runs in spring. Visit the site during a heavy rain or in mud season if you can, and watch where the water goes. A raised platform with good airflow underneath helps, and you can improve drainage with grading or a gravel bed under the platform, but it is easier to start with a dry site.
4. Sun and Shade
Sun affects both comfort and the life of your yurt cover. Too much shade can leave a yurt damp and slow to dry after rain, which encourages mildew and moss. Too much direct sun overheats the yurt in summer and wears the fabric faster through UV exposure. In New England, the ideal is often good morning and winter sun with some afternoon shade in summer, which deciduous trees provide naturally: they shade the yurt in summer and let the sun through when their leaves fall. Think about where the sun rises and sets in each season, and how the dome and windows will catch the light.
5. Trees: Friends and Hazards
Trees give shade, shelter from wind and a beautiful setting, but they also drop branches, sap, leaves and needles on the roof. Keep the yurt clear of overhanging limbs, and have any dead or leaning trees within falling distance assessed and removed before you build. Leave enough space between the yurt and nearby trees for air to circulate and for maintenance. Our maintenance guide explains how tree debris affects the fabric.
6. Wind and Exposure
The round shape of a yurt handles wind well, but exposed hilltops, open fields and lakeshores see stronger winds than sheltered woodland. On exposed sites, consider the snow and wind kit, which adds ring brackets and perimeter supports, and use the landscape – a stand of trees, a hill or a building – as a windbreak on the side of the prevailing winter wind.
7. Snow
Plan for where snow will go. Snow slides off a yurt roof and piles up around the wall, so leave room around the yurt and avoid placing it where drifts naturally form. Keep paths, firewood storage and the door on sides where snow will not bury them. If you live in a heavy-snow area, read living in a yurt in winter and consider the snow and wind kit.
8. Access for Delivery and Daily Life
Your yurt, platform materials, stove and furniture all need to reach the site. Check that a truck or trailer can get close enough, or plan how you will carry components the last stretch. Then think about everyday life: carrying groceries and firewood, plowing or shoveling in winter, emergency access and parking for guests if you plan to rent the yurt.
9. Utilities
Distance matters when it comes to power lines, water and septic. Every extra foot of trench adds cost. If you plan to connect to the grid, ask your utility about the route and cost. If you plan to go off-grid, look for a sunny clearing for solar panels and a reliable water source. Our guide to off-grid yurt living covers the options.
10. Views, Privacy and Orientation
Finally, the fun part. Stand where the door will be and imagine walking out each morning. Lie down where the bed will be and look up. Many owners face the door south or east for light and warmth, and place the windows toward the best views. Think about privacy from roads and neighbors, and about noise from traffic or nearby activities.
Mark It Out Before You Commit
Once you have a favorite spot, mark the circle of your yurt on the ground with stakes and string, along with the door location and any deck. Leave it for a few days. Walk the path from your car, check the sun at different times of day and look at the view from the door. It is much easier to move a few stakes than a finished platform.
Site Selection Checklist
- Building allowed here under local rules and setbacks
- Level or gently sloping ground with solid soil
- Dry in heavy rain and mud season
- Balanced sun and shade, with winter sun
- No overhanging limbs or hazard trees
- Shelter from prevailing winter winds, or a snow and wind kit planned
- Room for snow to slide and pile safely
- Access for delivery, supplies and emergencies
- Reasonable route for utilities or a good spot for solar
- A view and orientation you will love
Conclusion
The best yurt site is legal, dry, level enough, balanced between sun and shade, sheltered from the worst wind and snow, easy to reach and beautiful to wake up in. Walk your land in different seasons and weather if you can, and use the checklist above to compare spots. Once you have chosen, download the platform plans and pick the yurt model that fits your site.
Plan Your Yurt with White Mountain Yurts
Every White Mountain Yurt is hand-built in New Hampshire. Compare our 16' to 30' yurt models, see the standard and optional features, or price your yurt in the online calculators.