Versatile yurts from this Jackson

Aug 10, 2023

GRASS LAKE, MI – A friend reached out to Steve Caro six years ago, saying he needed a yurt to stay in while recording a journey in the woods for a self-made documentary.

Seeing the cost of yurt kits that were coming from outside the Midwest and knowing of Caro's building experience, they decided to just build their own.

"We got some plans, we built the yurt and it was kind of cool," Caro, of Grass Lake, said.

Word of the yurt got out and people liking the idea reached out for yurts of their own. That hint of a promising market for what Caro calls "tents on steroids" prompted him and his wife Cindy to start the Great Lakes Yurt Co.

Today, the Caros are popular and thriving Michigan yurt kit manufacturers, with customers across the U.S.

A traditional yurt is a Mongolian tent originally used by nomads. The round structure was basically built of lattice walls, a roof and wool on the outside, making it easy for the nomads to break down and rebuild as they followed herds of reindeer, yak and sheep.

This concept was later brought to the U.S., but with a twist. While they look the same, the U.S. version of the yurt is a more permanent structure, with a stable foundation, more insulation and modern material, Caro said. While it can be picked up and moved, it's meant to be more permanent.

Building their yurt kits doesn't take long. Depending on the size, Caro can have one done in about a week, he said.

It all starts with raw wood -- in the Caros case Douglas fir.

"It's a strong wood, it has beautiful grain to it," Caro said.

The wood is turned into the shapes needed to build the structure. This includes rafters, lattice walls and the dome, which is the main center point of the yurt and brings in sunlight.

While this work is being done, Great Lakes Yurt Co. has a team in Jackson sewing the rest of the yurt's many layers. The interior layer is white, mold and mildew resistant and fire retardant. Then a double bubble reflective insulation is added. The exterior cover is made from polyester material that can come in 15 different colors.

Once this is complete, the kits are sent to the customers to construct their yurts in their desired location. Their yurt kit customers provide the flooring, or deck, and the door themselves, Caro said.

What people do with their yurt is up to them, Caro said. A big part of their business is summer camps, as the yurts can be constructed quickly and fit a large number of people. The Caros also have seen people use them as yoga and art studios, as hunting cabins or as an upgrade from a tent at campgrounds.

People can also live in the yurts permanently -- if they’re cut out for it, Caro said.

"They’re kind of unique and it's got a nice feel to them," he said.

Their success and the recent popularity of yurts granted the Caros an appearance on an episode of "Homestead Rescue" on the Discovery Channel. They donated a yurt to a family in need of a homestead, they said. The episode can be steamed on Discovery Go.

"There was lots of tears and it was great," Cindy Caro said.

The Caros have also have created six yurts for Chelsea's Grateful Crow restaurant, 420 N. Main St., so it could stay open for customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related: A Michigan-made yurt village can be found at this spot in Chelsea

Great Lakes Yurt Co. has kit options ranging from 16 feet to 30 feet and costing between $6,700 and $13,500 for the base kits.

More information on yurts and the Great Lakes Yurt Co. can be found on the company's website.