Royal Gorge Rafting and Zip Line Tours is Colorado’s premier white-water rafting, zip line tour, and vacation rental company for individuals and families seeking a fun-filled and adventurous getaway! They are located in Cañon City, about an hour’s drive from Colorado Springs and two hours from Denver.
In addition to their rafting and zip line tours, they offer vacation rentals for families. These had always been large vacation homes that could sleep up to 20 people and cost $500 to $600 per night.
Having been in business for nearly two decades, Ty Seufer, owner of Royal Gorge Rafting and Zip Line Tours, realized that a 20-person vacation rental isn’t what most budget-conscious families with children are looking for. With this in mind, he decided to expand the options for accommodations by creating an immersive experience where guests can enjoy the best rafting trips and zip lining in Colorado and return to their private and well-appointed yurts to share memories new and old around a warm fire.
When it came time to purchase the yurts, Ty had many options. Instead of the more traditional wood-lattice yurts, Ty opted for the steel-framed yurt from WeatherPort® Shelter Systems.
[Related: VLOG Luxury Yurts at Royal Gorge Rafting]
Ty liked that WeatherPort had also been operating for decades in Colorado, but the decision to use WeatherPort yurts was based mainly on the ability to custom-design high-quality and colorful yurts that set the tone for a fun and lively time, could easily be outfitted to provide “glamour camping” or “glamping” accommodations, complemented their existing offerings, and charmingly fit in with the beautiful riverside setting.
According to Ty, the final decision came down to working with a friendly and supportive sales team: “Tyler was great to work with! We knew we would be taken care of.”
Royal Gorge Rafting ended up ordering six 20-foot WeatherPort yurts with two floors each.
Ty and the Royal Gorge Rafting and Zip Line Tours team picked the perfect location to create a riverside retreat with the WeatherPort yurts. Known as the Royal Gorge Adventure Beach Outpost, this eight-acre riverside property is situated near the US-50 Highway bridge that spans over the Arkansas River. The location is tucked into a corner of a meandering section of the river and backed with large rock formations, making it beautifully serene but still easy to access.
Rather than use elevated wood floors, Ty and the team poured concrete slabs that matched the footprints of the yurts. Once the concrete had cured, two WeatherPort building specialists guided Ty and his team in constructing the six new yurts over 16 days!
The team then outfitted the colorful riverside yurts with matching outdoor furniture, an outdoor kitchen and BBQ grills (complete with grill tools), a propane fire table, a Yeti™ cooler, a Keurig™ coffee machine, and two deluxe pillow top queen beds with matching linens, sheets, and pillows.
Each yurt is equipped with a wood entry door, sliding glass windows, a venting dome skylight that creates a bright and welcoming interior during the day, an insulation and liner package, and an infrared heater to quickly warm up the yurt to cozy temperatures on those chilly nights!
[Related: Royal Gorge Rafting and Zip Line Tours ]
What is it like to stay in one of the riverside yurts? According to Ty, “everyone who goes in [the yurts] is surprised by how nice they are!”
Ty went on to explain that people tend to choose the yurts for a more tranquil and rustic setting by the river and are pleasantly surprised by the luxury and charm. “People love them… They are designed for outdoor living. It’s really peaceful down by the river.”
After a full summer of yurt rentals, Royal Gorge Rafting and Zip Line Tours ordered three more WeatherPort yurts to expand their offerings!
