Have you ever wondered what it's like to sleep beneath the stars in a teepee? Teepees, or tipis, once made ideal homes for native Oregonian nomadic hunters due to their ease of transport and assembly. Made from sewn hide stretched over wooden poles, these simple structures represent a way of life that is deeply connected to the rhythms of the natural world.
While teepees are no longer used as mainstream dwellings for the native groups that once relied on their mobile advantages, teepee-dwelling is still kept as a tradition in many parts of the state. For some, year-round teepee-dwelling has become an alternative lifestyle. If you're interested in experiencing what it is like to sleep or even live in a teepee, many exciting options are available.
Eastern Oregon's State Park Teepees
Clyde Holliday and Lake Owyhee, operated by the state parks system, offer campers the option of renting teepee replicas in the late spring through the fall. While diverging a bit from the "authentic" teepee experience, these dwellings come equipped with the comforts of electricity and light, a picnic table, and futon mattresses. A single teepee can sleep up to 12 people, depending on the size.
How About Some Paintball With Your Teepee?
Scotts Mills in Marion County is home to Camp Dakota, a family-oriented site which offers teepee camping as one of its many recreational activities. The teepees, which sleep four people, are available year-round and have fire pits inside. Some of Camp Dakota's other recreational activities include paintballing, gold panning, RC racing, treasure hunting, and a disc golf course.
An Oregonian Renaissance Fair
Want to couple your teepee experience with all the excitement and variety of a fair? The Oregon County Fair, which happens each July in Veneta, is an earthy and spiritual celebration that features local craftsmanship and cuisine, educational and art performances, and more. The Darling Reunion Campground, which is walking distance from the fair, offers fairgoers the chance to rent a teepee and spend the night beneath the stars in a beautiful, wooded meadow.
Slot Machines and Teepees
The Warm Springs reservation community is made up of a nation of three tribes---the Warm Springs, the Wasco, and the Paiute tribes. A place with a thriving mix of indigenous and modern culture, Warm Springs is home to the Kah Nee Ta Resort and Casino, which offers guests the chance to camp in teepee replicas located in a campsite on the resort grounds.
Living Rogue
Perhaps the most authentic and unique of the teepee-dwelling experiences in Oregon can be found with the creators of the Rogue Dwellings website, a family of "tent makers and space creators" and their occasional nomadic community of friends and co-dwellers. They live year round, full time in their self-made teepees. For adventurous souls looking for more than a "camping" experience, considering a teepee life out in the open might be a very exciting---and certainly life-altering---option.
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