Please arrive between 2:30-4:30 p.m. to check in and get settled. Check in at the Dining Hall, where you will also receive work meditation assignments. Please arrive no later than 4:30 p.m. If you arrive earlier than 2:30 p.m., you may walk around the land to orient yourself. Dinner is served on opening day. Explore our beautiful campus.

Please arrive no later than 4:30 p.m.

Late arrivals are not allowed without prior approval from the teachers. If you are unexpectedly delayed past 4:30 p.m. please call the retreat office at 415.488.0164 ext. 262 and leave a message letting us know to hold your space. If possible, also email [email protected] before 4:30 p.m. After 4:30 p.m. if retreat staff have not heard from you they will assume you are a 'no show' and release your spot in the retreat.

Our security gate is closed each night between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. If a late arrival has been approved and you anticipate arriving after 10:00 p.m., contact the registrars or retreat staff prior to arrival to receive the 4-digit gate code.

The retreat ends by 11:00 a.m. on closing day. Breakfast is served on the closing day, but not lunch.

Early departures from the retreat are not allowed without approval from the teachers. If your plans have changed since you registered, please contact the registrars immediately.

Current (effective April 2, 2024) - For Residential Retreats

• COVID Vaccination(s): Not required; but strongly encouraged.

• Masking: Not required; optional. Anyone who exhibits cold symptoms (such as coughing or sneezing) is strongly encouraged to use a mask in public spaces. Masking is welcome in all spaces. Please bring your own supply.

• Negative COVID Test Result: Proof of negative COVID test (a photo or actual test) on opening day is required. Test should be taken prior to your arrival on campus. For retreats 7 nights or longer, all practitioners are asked to bring a COVID test kit with them, as a second test will be conducted mid-retreat. If you do not bring your own test, we will ask for a $10 donation to help cover the cost. Retreats 6 nights or less will not have a second test.

Effective Starting October 1, 2024 - For Residential Retreats

• COVID Vaccination(s): Not required; but strongly encouraged.
• Masking: Not required; optional. Anyone who exhibits cold symptoms (such as coughing or sneezing) is strongly encouraged to use a mask in public spaces. Masking is welcome in all spaces. Please bring your own supply.
• Negative COVID Test Result: Proof not required; self-testing strongly encouraged. While we no longer require proof of a negative test result for retreat entry and no longer test mid-retreat (for 7-night or longer retreats), in support of our culture of non-harming, self-testing is strongly encouraged prior to arrival on opening-day, especially if symptomatic.

Our decision to let go of testing is in alignment with other retreat centers and in consideration of CDC guidance which states that testing is appropriate when individuals show symptoms of COVID. Our symptoms-based approach aligns care and protection strategies for COVID with those of the flu, RSV and other illness. The hope is to move towards a culture of self-monitoring. COVID tests will still be available if an individual has symptoms and anyone testing positive must exit the retreat. We will continue to monitor conditions as they change, and will adapt our policies as necessary. We are keeping our "Additional Safety Protocols" in place - READ farther below.

Current (effective April 2, 2024) - For Non-residential Programs (in our Community Meditation Center)

• Vaccination(s): Not required; but strongly encouraged.

• Masking: Optional for all participants, staff, and teachers, attending a non-residential program. If you choose to mask, any masking type will be allowed. Please bring your own supply of masks.

• Negative COVID Test Result: Not required; same-day COVID testing strongly encouraged.

View all COVID Safety Protocols

As part of registration, you will complete an online practitioner questionnaire. In this required form you’ll submit a photo of yourself and answer questions about your meditation practice and psychological health. This form is confidential and will be disposed of after the retreat.

If you are not paid in full, please be sure that your full balance is paid before the start of the retreat by contacting the registration department. If we have a credit card on file for you, we are happy to charge the remaining balance for you. Payment plans are not available following a retreat.

For Online Programs: Drop-ins, Daylongs, Multi-day Programs (1-3 days), Family Programs/Series, & CEC fees

• No Refunds
• If you cancel by midnight, the day prior to program start (Pacific Time), you will receive an "open credit" for another program or may offer your fee as a donation to Spirit Rock.
• No open credit is offered for cancelations on the day of the program or beyond

To receive an open credit or donate your fees, please email us by the deadline above so we have a record of your cancellation. Open credits must be used within one year of their date of issue.

To use a personal credit, email [email protected] at least two business days prior to the event.

For Online Multi-day Retreats (4+ days) with or without CEC Fees

• $100 fee on or before 2 days prior to program start (Pacific Time)
• No refund if cancelation is less than 2 days prior to program start

Residential Retreats:

Standard Cancellation Fees

• On or before 8 weeks prior to the retreat: $100
• 4-8 weeks before the retreat: $175
• 2-4 weeks before the retreat: $300
• No refunds as of 2 weeks before the retreat

Scholarship Rates and Commuter Cancellation Fees

• On or before 8 weeks prior to the retreat: $75
• 4-8 weeks before the retreat: $100
• 2-4 weeks before the retreat: $200
• No refunds as of 2 weeks before the retreat

* Fees may be reduced for serious illness, including COVID, or family emergency. Contact the Registration Department if needed.

Airport information and driving directions at Plan Your Visit.

Your fellow practitioners are traveling from near and far and may need help getting to and/or from the retreat. Consider offering a ride to, from, or both ways. Our rideshare board can be used to coordinate rides or to share an airport shuttle to the retreat. We do not monitor this board. It is the responsibility of the practitioners to coordinate between themselves via this platform. Your generosity is appreciated.

Community Rideshare Bulletin Board [pending rebuild].

If you need to be reached in an emergency during the retreat, the retreat staff office number is 415.488.0164 ext. 262.

Staff are available at this number from 8:00am - 5:00pm PT daily. Calls made after 5:00pm will be routed through an afterhours reception desk. Please leave a message and know that it will take some time to get a message to you. Please let people know this number should be used only in case of emergencies.

• A variety of loose, comfortable, casual, layered clothing; and ask that you not wear anything with obvious logos or slogans.

• Outdoor walking shoes (and hiking shoes if you intend to hike)

• Slip-on shoes and indoor slippers if you need them. No outdoor shoes are allowed in the retreat hall or residence halls

• Hat and scent-free sunscreen in the spring and summer, rain gear in the late fall and winter for outdoor walking

• Flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries (our campus is quite dark at night!)

• Wristwatch, if you intend to hike (we have only a few loaner wristwatches)

• Earplugs, if you’re a light sleeper (we have some for purchase)

• Shawl or lap blanket (for use during meditation practice)

• Checkbook, cash, or credit card, for dāna contributions

• Water bottle. Filtered water is available onsite in several places. We have water bottles available for purchase.

• Optional: Sleeping bag or your own personal linens. Linens (towels and bed sheets), blankets, and a pillow are provided. You do not need to reserve these ahead of time. Linens are available in self-serve linen closets in each dorm on the 2nd Floor.

• Optional: Sitting cushion(s) or bench. If you have special sitting supports or you require a large number of pillows, consider bringing your own supply so there are enough cushions for everyone. The meditation hall has zafus (round sitting cushions), zabutons (floor mats), and chairs available.

• Optional: Personal scent-free soaps, if you prefer. We provide fragrance-free shampoo, conditioner, and body soap in each shower of the dorms.

• For yoga retreats only: If you have specific blocks, straps, or other yoga equipment that you need, you may want to bring them along. We have a good supply, but not enough for everyone on a dedicated yoga retreat.

• All technology besides phones, including computers, tablets, and other devices

• Silence all notifications on smartphones and watches if you bring them. We typically have a renunciation ceremony on the morning of the first full day of the retreat, where you can choose to relinquish your smartphones and watches for the duration of the retreat.

• Printed books, ebook readers, magazines

• Intoxicants: alcohol, chemical, and psychoactive/hallucinogenic plant-based drugs such as ayahuasca, psilocybin, and others. (But DO bring prescription medications and continue taking your prescribed medications through the retreat.)

• Scented personal hygiene products. (See Please Be Fragrance Free for more details.)

• Candles or incense

• Given the complexity and challenges that face our global sangha, please refrain from wearing attire that expresses a sociopolitical slogan or message.

• Clunky jewelry, which can be noisy in the retreat hall

If you leave anything behind, please email us at: [email protected]. We will keep items for 30 days before giving them to charity. Spirit Rock can ship items if needed. You will be responsible for all costs related to shipping your lost items.

To ensure that our retreat environment remains one of safety and refuge for those who come here, all retreat center dormitory rooms have locks. You may request a key at retreat check-in and keep it for the duration of your retreat. In addition, we have installed a gate at the main entrance near Sir Francis Drake Boulevard that will prevent automobile access to the land at night. The gate automatically opens from the inside, and emergency vehicles have full access at all times. The gate is closed from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.

If commuters are allowed on this retreat, and you are a commuter, you will be given the gate code so you can exit and enter as you need to daily. Lastly, please lock your car and leave valuables out of sight or bring them with you into the retreat center.

Spirit Rock is located in the coastal hills of northern California. The wooded campus includes separate buildings for dining, meeting, and sleeping. Spirit Rock has two-story residential buildings with single and double rooms. Go to Spirit Rock Accommodations to read more details about our residence rooms and dining hall.

There is a 6% slope from the dining room to the residence halls. Practitioners will need to navigate this steep incline several times throughout the day including for meals. This incline may be a challenge for some. In addition, all second floor residence dorms as well as our upper and lower walking halls in the upper meditation center require the use of stairs. If you have physical access needs that prevent you from climbing stairs, please contact us in advance, so we can assist you with your participation in the retreat. We do have four (4) scooters and one electric wheelchair with a joystick control for those in need.

Our center has some limitations, so if you are a person with a disability, we would greatly appreciate a conversation with you in advance of your arrival. This way, we can better understand what is needed to support you. We would like you to be able to participate in this retreat as fully as possible. If you need support and you haven’t yet let us know, please contact us at: [email protected], and either the Registrars or the Retreat Operations Manager will be in contact with you.

Most retreats allow a limited number of commuters—retreatants who stay off-site. Commuters are expected to attend the entire retreat and follow the daily schedule. While you will not have a room on campus, we will have a resting area with futons for folks to use. Commuters will be given the gate code so you can exit and enter as you need to daily. The gate is closed from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Lock your car and leave valuables out of sight or bring them with you into the retreat center.