A resident of Indiana built a yurt near the Grand Canyon and rents it out to tourists: the business turned out to be very profitable

Louis Herron, a 31-year-old man, spent $15 installing an Airbnb yurt near the Grand Canyon — he's now making about $000 a year, reports CNBC.

Photo: IStock

In 2011, Louis Herron dropped out of Ball University, packed his backpack and moved west.

A restless adventurer, the Indianapolis native took a job washing dishes at a restaurant near Yosemite National Park. He also organized the rest of employees - led their trips. A couple of months later, Herron got a similar position in Glacier National Park and then settled in Flagstaff, Arizona, right behind the Grand Canyon.

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There, the guy spent $2400 on half a hectare of land, where he ended up placing two tiny houses, one of which is his Grand Canyon tourism business and his part-time job: a 5-meter yurt listed on Airbnb. He said he spent $2020 in August 15 building it and equipping it with amenities, including a composting toilet and a water pump sink.

According to the documents, Herron made $27 last year just from renting a yurt. According to him, it paid off in a year.

“I didn't really want to rent out the property because my idea was that it would be my quiet little island,” says Louis Herron. “But I needed an additional source of income without having to work from nine to five or drive somewhere to the office.”

Traffic has been solid over the past two years: according to the Airbnb website, the yurt is currently booked until mid-November. In any case, it's offline 365 days a year: Cleaning and maintaining the rental property after hours eats up 30 hours of Herron's schedule a week.

simple experience

The first time Herron stayed in a yurt at a ski resort near Flagstaff, he recognized the "unique energy" of the circular design. When he built his yurt, the guy made a hatch in the ceiling so that the tenants could see the stars.

Building the yurt required more manual labor than Herron expected. He bought materials from the website in 2020 for $8000, spent nine days and $4000 building a wooden platform for them. He then spent another $3000 to strengthen the structure: due to the strong gusts of wind in Flagstaff, Louis wanted his yurt to withstand winds up to 90 m/sec.

There is no running water in the yurt. Like the two Herron houses on the lot. Louis constantly monitors the water supply so that he and his guests can drink water, wash dishes, take a shower and use the toilet on site.
“It's not as difficult as it seems. You just have to think outside the box,” he says.

When Herron runs out of rainwater, he drives his truck 10km to a nearby public well and fills up a 200-gallon tank. It takes him almost a full day to bring the water back, but he says the supply is enough for him and his guests for four months.

“I could order delivery, but it costs twice as much and I really enjoy the process,” the landlord explains. “It gets a little meditative for me, and it definitely makes you respect and conserve water a lot more.”

A dream come true - under several conditions

The rent goes directly to Herron's small travel business, The Desert Hiking Company, where guests can book Grand Canyon hikes at discounted prices. The company makes up to $40 a year, but is heavily dependent on tipping customers, which the businessman says means the yurt is the perfect way to support his income and desert lifestyle.

“A dream come true: to take people on land, and then get up early with them, show them the canyon and take them on a hike,” says Herron. “To give them a holistic experience led by a local who is passionate about the area.”

That dream, Herron says, is still accompanied by a harsh reality: COVID-19 restrictions have made traffic in the park unpredictable, and almost every guest in the yurt needs to learn how to live offline.

“I would like to scale up, but I only want to develop this vision at a sustainable level,” he says. “I have neighbors who own four or five or six Airbnbs and I can see the stress it brings—and the quality of service starts to drop.”

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For Herron, scaling means installing plumbing, building more yurts, and buying more land. He says he finds this expansion process bittersweet.

“I'm a reserved, conservative person, and I like things to be simple, small and sustainable,” he explains. “When I have the opportunity, I will definitely benefit, and I would like to see more yurts here. It's just a matter of having the time and money to invest."

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