MOUNTAINTOP WRITERS RETREATS

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* Plans for the next MountainTop Writers Retreat TBA. Keep checking back!

Retreat into a place of quiet and peace, amidst and above the trees, ancient mountains at your feet. Withdraw from the busy world and breathe deep of the wonder. Write. Write more.

Welcome! MountainTop Writers Retreats are weekend retreats offered seasonally, crafted to suit writers and creatives at varying stages in their careers and journeys. Hosted at Earthshine Lodge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, these retreats were created with one goal in mind: to give writers space and time in which to write. But perhaps more importantly: to offer the opportunity to create in a place of peace and seclusion—in a natural, awe-inspiring setting.

Retreats are hosted in the Lodge at Earthshine, a rustic-elegant mountain lodge available exclusively for MountainTop’s private retreat use. Each room in the Lodge has a queen bed, a loft with two twin beds, and a private, ensuite bathroom. Rooms are furnished with art, lighting, and linens from local artisans and manufacturers. Made to serve as an oasis for creatives, all rooms have private balconies offering gorgeous views of the Earthshine property.

Our Upcoming Retreats:

Fall MountainTop

* TBA

Participants must be 21 years old by the time of retreat.

Queen and Twin beds. Private or shared/double rooms.

No children or pets allowed.

Fall MountainTop Writers Retreat – open to all adult writers 

Details TBA

Your package will include 2 nights bed and continental breakfast in a private mountain lodge, 1 evening meal on-site (Saturday night), 2 boxed lunches delivered to your door (Saturday and Sunday), yoga by the Lodge fireplace, a guided hike, a guided creativity mediation, and access to coffee and tea at all hours.  At night there will be time around the fire, complete with grown-up S’Mores and wine. You’ll enjoy solitude and quiet, time to write, read, and relax, access to all communal areas of the Lodge (including lounging before two giant, stone-hearth fireplaces), and the ability to explore Earthshine’s 76 acres of meadow, forest, and trails.

In addition, your package includes one private, 20-minute mentoring and/or brainstorming session with Katherine, and a Saturday afternoon craft talk with a visiting author (author TBA).

How much?
Full price TBA
Early bird price: TBA

* For details about shared-room prices, see the registration page. 
* Does not include local accommodations, sales, and state sales tax.

Lodging is first come, first served.

Location
Earthshine Lodge
1600 Golden Road
Lake Toxaway, NC 28747

* Please note: the driveway from the Earthshine entrance up to the Lodge is about ½ mile of gravel drive.

Lodging
Retreats will be held at the main Lodge at Earthshine. Each lodge room includes a Queen bed, a loft with two twin beds, and a private, ensuite bathroom. All accommodation is single occupancy or shared with another attendee, because rooms should also be private, quiet places where attendees can retreat to write. Book the entire room for yourself or share with another writer.

Meals
Your package includes locally-sourced continental breakfasts, dinner on-site Saturday nights, and all-day access to coffee and tea. Boxed lunches will be delivered to your door on Saturday and Sunday. If you prefer to dine offsite, there are many great restaurants in the cool mountain town of Brevard! There are also several restaurant options in nearby Sapphire, Lake Toxaway, and Cashiers, N.C. (Just ask for our recommendations.)

In addition, retreat participants will have access to a microwave and communal fridge where they can store food and drinks to share. Groceries are available in Cashiers (30 minutes away) or Brevard (20 minutes away), with gas station/country store options 10 to 15 minutes away.

Itinerary (Tentative until dates are finalized)
More than anything else, we want this to be a true retreat. To that end, every item on the itinerary is optional:

Itinerary Details TBA

Again, though the above activities are included with your package, this itinerary is entirely optional. This is YOUR retreat. Do and make of it what you will. Write, read, hike, swing in a hammock, rock on a porch, drink coffee and tea, gather around the fire with a glass of wine, listen to the wind in the winter-bare trees, and gaze at frosty mountains to your heart’s content. Explore the area’s beautiful vistas and awesome little mountain towns. Or hunker down in your cozy private room for the entirety of the retreat and WRITE! It’s entirely up to you.

*Please be sure to explore all the tabs above, beneath this MountainTop Writers Retreat page, which include FAQ, photos, and more.  

REGISTRATION FOR FALL MOUNTAINTOP WRITERS RETREAT COMING SOON!

Earthshine Lodge in Lake Toxaway, N.C.

View from Earthshine Lodge in Lake Toxaway, N.C.