New tiny home resort in Idaho City offers ‘camping with all the luxuries’

Campfires, starry night skies and a quiet getaway in the great outdoors. No, you’re not camping. You’re in a tiny home resort.

The new Smokejumper Tiny Home Resort in Idaho City combines the “latest in tiny homes” with the history and outdoor activities of one of the state’s oldest towns.

The concept for the resort is “tiny luxury,” which brings modern features to the homes to create a minimalist space.

One of the luxury features is smart glass. With the flip of a switch, guests can turn clear windows to frost, eliminating the need for blinds.

“The minimalist concept really does kind of let you focus on more important things in life, versus a 4,000-square-foot house that you think is so great, and then you realize you never go in your living room or dining room,” said Tim Hurlbut, co-owner of Smokejumper Tiny Home Resort.

It all started with a vacation home in Oregon, which Hurlbut and his girlfriend, Lynn Wong, decided to turn into a vacation rental through Airbnb after realizing how little time they spent there.

“That was super successful,” Hurlbut said. “So then we bought a couple more properties … we’ve had four properties on the Oregon Coast that have been extremely successful.”

What brought the couple to Idaho? An overland RV.

When the RV, an EarthRoamer the couple was hoping to buy, ended up costing nearly $700,000, Lynn objected.

“My girlfriend was just not down for it at all,” Hurlbut said. “She was like, ‘This is the biggest waste of money … please just look at real estate for the same price before we actually buy this EarthRoamer.’ I didn’t actually think we’d find anything, so I said yes.”

Lucky for them, the owner of a mobile home park in Idaho City was looking to sell.

“We absolutely fell in love with the town of Idaho City,” Hurlbut said. “We know that it’s only 45 minutes from Boise, so [we thought], ‘Let’s give it a run.’”

Wong worked on the floor plans and designed the interior of the homes. Hurlbut worked with construction company Drop Structures to build the homes. Each tiny home has 240 square feet and cost about $75,000 to build.

Hurlbut and Wong have spent the last year in Idaho and live in one of the seven tiny homes. Now that the resort is completed, they’ll be moving out.

“We’re retired, so we just kind of float around through Oregon, California or Idaho, but we’ve spent I’ve spent last year [here] every day,” Hurlbut said.

The resort opened in July.

Each tiny home can accommodate up to four guests on its king-size bed and convertible sofa. The only rooms are the main room and a full bathroom, with the king bed atop the bathroom. Additional amenities include a kitchenette, a full bathroom, a desk and a 5G router. The resort offers two electric vehicle charging hookups for guests with electric cars who wish to explore without “range anxiety.”

An old building that once housed smokejumpers on the property was turned into a community hub where guests can hang out, do laundry and enjoy the resort’s coffee bar.

“We’ve made these very productive for people that want to work remotely,” Hurlbut said.

Guests can stay in one of seven tiny homes for $149 per night.

“It’s like camping with all the luxuries,” Hurlbut said.