Are you an active yogi craving a deeper connection to the ancient forests and deep river canyons of the Sequoias? Then this 6-day adventure to Sequoia and Kings Canyon national park is perfect for you! You’ll spend your mornings meditating with breathtaking mountain sunrises and expansive yoga practices to ease into your active day immersed in nature. You’ll marvel at the massive trees and thundering waterfalls as you trek quiet and beautiful paths through high mountains and deep canyons in one of the most unique and awe-inspiring places in the world. Join us as we explore mysterious caves and expansive views high atop granite cliffs, breathing in nature and letting go of everything else, finding peace and being fully present each step of the way.
Imagine strolling through groves of trees so massive your comprehension gives way to a sense of awe. The ground is soft, cushioned by decades of needles and leaves piling up to decay. You hear the winds whispering high above as you gaze to the tops of soaring trees reaching high into the sky to dance in the breeze. Birds add their song to the symphony of the forest as your thoughts begin to slow. You feel calm, with each breath of air filled with the sweet scent of the forest your body begins to relax taking in the healing power of the mountains and letting go of everything else.
All at once you feel at home, recognizing that you belong here, understanding the trees and the mountains standing guard to protect you. There is nothing in this place that you can change or fix, nothing for you to do except to just be. You hear your voice adding to the chorus of nature and the creatures of the forest seem to welcome it, they welcome you, this is your home too.
A sweet smile crosses your face as you begin to let go of everything you left behind and allow yourself to feel the warm embrace of this moment, in this place where nothing else matters and everything is moving in perfect harmony with the earth.
Welcome to the BIG trees…
…Welcome to Sequoia…
Welcome home!
Are you ready to let go of stress and find healing in the mountains?
Of course you are!
On this adventure you will be far away from the stress and worry of daily living. With no cell signal and no place to be, you quickly lose the need to look at your watch and relax into the steady pace of mother nature. All of the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest flow effortlessly through your body as the mountains stand guard high making you feel small and protected. You will leave this place feeling calm, relaxed, and rejuvenated ready to bring a steady pace to daily life.
Can you imagine a place where you can stop fixing and start living?
That sounds magical!
On this retreat, through the practice of forest bathing, you will engage with mother nature using all your senses. You will develop a deeper understanding of the earth, and you will begin to feel a home sitting with nature; without any desire to change a thing. You will begin to recognize the incomprehensible power and vastness of nature and understand that you belong there, and nature belongs in you.
You will come away with a deep sense of gratitude for the planet we call home and a deeper understanding of your true self which is vast and strong like the earth.
Show Me The Itinerary!
Day 1 Arrive at Sequoia Highland Camp
As you arrive to Sequoia Highland Camp you will feel the peaceful seclusion of your home away from home nestled in the Sierras. Your leaders will be there to greet you and show you to your cabin to settle in. In the evening you will enjoy a gentle yoga practice to stretch out from the trip before heading to the dining room where our chef has prepared a mouthwatering dinner for our opening meal. We will have a relaxing evening getting to know each other and going over the itinerary for the week.
Day 2 Grants Grove
You’ll rise early to head into Kings Canyon for our first sunrise meditation. We will return to our base for an invigorating yoga practice and amazing breakfast to start the day. Following breakfast, you grab your gear, and we head back into the park to explore. On this day we will enjoy our first forest bathing practice to set the tone for our journey among the trees. Today we explore the trails around Grant’s Grove and enjoy lunch around the curios “big stump” which is at once interesting and somewhat typical of mankind’s sometimes callous approach to nature.
We will return to Highland for our afternoon yoga practice and a relaxing dinner. Following dinner, we will enjoy another wonderful sunset and time to visit and journal before turning in for the night.
Day 3 End of the Road
You’ll rise early to enjoy a wonderful sunrise and yoga practice. After breakfast we will pack our lunches and plenty of snacks to head for the ‘end of the road’. Our journey on this day takes us deep into Kings Canyon where you will experience thundering waterfalls as we hike the canyon floor gazing up at walls rising thousands of feet overhead. We will enjoy our lunch and relax by the river responsible for carving out these canyons.
As we begin our journey back from the End of the Road, we stop at Boyden Cave for our private tour of this awe inspiring cavern filled with beautiful cave formations.
As evening comes upon us, you’ll hike Hotel Creek where we will enjoy a perfect mountain sunset overlooking the canyon. After a long and perfect day spent in nature we had back to Highland for Pizza Night!
The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of our bodies, making them glide and sing.
― John Muir
Day 4 Sequoia
On this day we rise early to explore the Sequoia side of the park. You’ll start your day with an iconic sunrise meditation and the famous Moro Rock and enjoy breakfast on the trail nearby. After breakfast we continue to the famous General Sherman tree where we catch our trailhead to hike deep into the groves and lush meadows of the giant trees. You’ll enjoy the solitude of this more remote area among the trees where wildlife abounds foraging along the creeks and meadows. Keep your eyes open because its common to even spot bears in this area.
We will enjoy another meditative forest bathing practice along the way as we breathe in the healing scent of the forest. We will have lunch before returning past some of the other famous and less visited trees along this route including other worldly sights of living trees hollowed out by fire.
We begin our journey back to Highland with a stop to hike Sunset Trail and enjoy a beautiful sunset picnic specially prepared by our chef. Arriving back in camp for a grounding yoga practice before bed, your heart will be filled as you contemplate the astounding experiences of the day.
Day 5 Big Baldy and Buck Rock Lookout Tower
On this day you enjoy a leisurely morning at Highland with our sunrise meditation and yoga practices. After breakfast we will pack up our lunches and head back to Kings Canyon to experience the ridgelines high above the canyon floor. As you gaze down into the familiar canyon floor below, your mind can’t seem to wrap around the magnitude of this place. The awesome size and power of nature. We will hike to the top of Big Baldy where we will enjoy panoramic views of this vast space for lunch.
As we venture back toward Highland, we stop to hike up to Buck Rock Lookout Tower. Perched high on a rock formation at 8500 feet of elevation, this historic fire lookout has panoramic views across the Sierras and the central valley! It was built in 1921 as one of just a few lookouts where rangers actually lived in the lookout during fire season. This one has been preserved and reopened as a staffed lookout in 2000, one of only a couple left in the US.
After enjoying the view from the tower, we hike down to the rock formation where we will enjoy our last glorious sunset in the park.
We return to Highland in the evening to relax before our sumptuous closing dinner. After dinner we will gather for our closing circle to reflect on our week and share our experiences.
Day 6 ‘til we meet again!
You won’t want to miss one last sunrise on our final day and our final yoga practice. On this morning, we take time to pack and enjoy breakfast before we begin the journey home. We will drive through the park one last time as we enter the Kings Canyon side for a stop to get our blood pumping on the Don Cecil trail. After a short but beautiful hike we will say goodbye and head out of the park enjoying amazing views as we exit on the Three Rivers side of the park. Whether you want to stop and grab a sandwich for the road or just head on through, Three Rivers is a quaint little town nestled at the Sequoia entrance to the park along a beautiful river.
The union of nature and soul removes the veil of ignorance that covers our intelligence.
-BKS Iyengar
Where will we stay?
With 120 acres of trail filled forest, ponds, and meadows the Sequoia Highland Camp will provide a tranquil hub for your adventure near the entrance to Kings Canyon. At 5,000 feet, you will experience incredible sunrise and sunset views, with the mountains on one side overlooking a picturesque valley on the other.
Your home away from home features well-appointed cabins with lux private queen bedrooms, kitchens, and a shared bath. You’ll love feeling so secluded in your cabin and yet close to the restaurant building, rec room, yoga room and other amenities. It will be your perfect start to each day and an even better place to relax from an exciting day of adventure.
For this adventure, single occupancy will be one person in a private bedroom and double occupancy will be two people sharing a private bedroom. Each room has one queen sized bed. We are not offering roommate match requests for this trip due to the nature of the double occupancy shared bed requirement. Cabin common areas are coed. If you are bringing a friend or family member and wish to have separate bedrooms we will do our best to accommodate you in the same cabin.
Tell me about the food!
Our premium adventures are always all inclusive so you can enjoy your day without worrying about your meals. We curate dining experiences that always offer vegan and gluten free options, which is not easy in smaller adventure towns! But in this case, we have private access to a commercial kitchen and dining area and we are bringing a fantastic chef who will lovingly prepare some mouthwatering food. Most meals are created to be served with your choice of protein with options provided prior to the trip. Here is what to expect.
Breakfast
Breakfasts will be served buffet style with plenty of healthy options including fruit, oatmeal, granola, breakfast potatoes, tofu scramble or scrambled eggs, vegan bacon or sausage, and more. All proteins except for scrambled eggs are vegan on the breakfast bar.
Lunch
On our outdoor adventures you will enjoy sack lunches on the trails unless otherwise noted. Our chef and leaders will prepare everything you need to build your own lunch including a variety of sandwich or wrap toppings, salads, fruit and chips each adventure day. Or you may request a prepared sandwich or wrap with sides from our menu.
Dinner
Dinner is a time to relax and enjoy great conversation over a nice meal to finish the day. Each evening you will enjoy a wonderful meal lovingly prepared by our chef including specialty nights like our ‘picnic in the park’ and ever popular pizza night.
The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.
-Hubert H Humphrey
Snacks
Everyone likes to travel with some snacks. You will burn a lot of calories on an active adventure. We do not provide snacks for the trail as most yogis have clear preferences and will bring their own; however, we will offer fruit and snacks at the lodge that you may take as well.
Show me the leaders!
Kevin Montgomery
When we retreat, we offer ourselves the opportunity to press the pause button on life for a time and give ourselves some much needed selfcare. It’s hard to think of anything more relaxing and grounding than spending a few days in nature, practicing yoga and meditation with a group of fun and interesting people.
This adventure combines all of that with the astounding beauty and prehistoric feeling forests of Sequoia and Kings Canyon. We will be hiking, forest bathing and generally basking in the wonder of these magnificent national parks featuring canyons 2000 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon, trees that are the largest living organisms in the word, and truly majestic mountain sunsets.
I truly enjoy leading retreats, teaching yoga, and finding community with new people in new and always interesting places. I love to see the transformation that takes place between our opening dinners and our closing campfire, and the lasting memories that are created in between.
I am looking forward to sharing this adventure with you!
Kay Abdullah
Kay’s journey began when she experienced a low back injury leading her to try yoga for healing. Her first class slowly blossomed into a transformational experience, a thirst for knowledge and a focus on health and wellness through the vast practice of yoga.
Kay’s classes are fun and challenging as she weaves in her sense of humor to empower her students in an engaging and approachable way. She focuses on detailed alignment and breath to movement, bringing balance and inner peace to her students.
Kay is excited to combine the practice of yoga with the powerful and serene environment of the Sierra mountains to create an experience of being fully present and engaged in each moment along the way. As an avid traveler and experienced adventure leader, Kay looks forward to being your co-guide on this epic journey!
Chef Petra
To truly know a river, a mountain, or a canyon, one must be willing to lose themselves in its embrace.
-John Wesley Powell
Do you long to close your eyes and feel embraced in the arms the earth?
I need this so much!
Practicing yoga, meditation, and forest bathing you will feel relaxed and centered as you head out into the mountains each day. Spending hours in the mountains your mind begins to calm, you notice things you may have otherwise overlooked in the rush of life.
Each day you feel the warmth of the sun and the wind enveloping your body as your senses immerse in the subtle sounds and beautiful vistas of the canyons. You’ll find a peaceful, safe place where all of nature is there to welcome and support you. You’ll wish each moment to ever end!
Are you an active person looking to get out and explore remote places and make new friends?
Yes! That sounds amazing.
On this adventure you will leave behind the comforts of home, your busy schedule, demands to maintain your roles or status, and join a group of like-minded people to experience this journey without any preconceived notions. You are free to be just you, to experience each place and moment as it is, and to get to know your fellow travelers as just people coming together to explore. You’ll revel in childlike wonder as you discover new places for the first time and make new friends sharing only the common thread of adventure. You will come away with beautiful memories, deep gratitude for all the things we receive from our planet, and true lifelong friends with stories to share