Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center (RMERC) is a home for meditation in nature, Ecodharma, and other spiritual practice. We are open to group retreats from communities, spiritual traditions, and practices that are contemplative in nature. The facility is available for residential and daylong retreat rentals.

The center was created through the generosity (‘dana’) of many people, and is a labor of love, not profit. In turn, we rent to groups that offer dana-based retreats, in which teachers, leaders, managers, and organizers are not paid, but only receive reimbursement for actual travel and retreat-related expenses; teachers and staff may accept dana from yogis. (If you want to use a retreat as a fundraiser, to pay teachers, or generate income, etc., please talk to us first.)

We are committed to providing an environment for inclusive low-cost retreats, and as such we make scholarship funds available to as many participants as possible.

We do not rent the facility for events that are recreational, celebration, or commercial, and we do not allow recorded or amplified music outdoors, pets of any kind (including service animals, as moose and bears become more dangerous in their presence), unaccompanied children under the age of 18, or recreational drugs including cannabis and alcohol. Please respect this.

Retreat Season

The center is available for retreats from late-April until mid-November. Residential retreats have a minimum length of three nights if including a Friday or Saturday night, or two nights for weekday retreats, and most retreats are 6 nights or less. 

Day-long retreats are generally scheduled between multi-day retreats, typically on a weekday. 

RMERC rentals include use of the land (180 acres), the lodge, camping areas, and optionally our retreat cabin. For multi-day retreats, we can host groups of up to 30 people sleeping in our lodge and surrounding campsite area, and up to 3 people sleeping in our retreat cabin. For day-long retreats, the capacity is 40 people. These numbers do not include our resident manager(s), who also live at the lodge.

The lodge has a meeting/meditation room, a dining area, and a commercial grade kitchen available for your use. The lodge can sleep up to 23 people in a combination of private and shared spaces, or 16 people if all sleeping spaces are private. We also offer two ‘glamping’ tents, 10 campsites, 2 RV sites, and a retreat cabin that can sleep up to 3 people. 

SEE PHOTOS OF THE LODGE AND RETREAT CABIN IN OUR PHOTO GALLERY

Retreat Cabin. The retreat cabin is located about 100 yards from the main lodge. It is a self-contained space, including kitchen, bathroom, a small bedroom with two twin beds, and living area with pullout couch/bed. The cabin is a good option for teachers and staff who wish a private space. 

Please note that if the cabin is not used for your retreat, the cabin may be rented for personal retreats, and on occasion used by RMERC staff, in which case the property is shared with retreat cabin occupants.

Fires, smoking, candles, or open flames of any kind, inside or outside, are strictly forbidden. Please do not play recorded music outside. No recreational drugs or alcohol are permitted.

Meditation Hall. Holds up to 30 people, zafus and zabutons (20-25), chairs (15), meditation gong (Tibetan bowl), PA system (with lithium batteries), dry erase board.

Kitchen. How you handle food, shopping, and cooking are up to you. You can bring your own cook(s) or you can contract with our resident manager to cook for your retreat. We ask that you adhere to best practices for hygiene in the kitchen. All utensils, cooking items, service items, and kitchen equipment must be cleaned after each meal, the kitchen completely cleaned at the end of your retreat, and anything broken must be replaced or repaired.

Linens. Two sheets, a pillowcase, pillow, two blankets, and a towel are supplied for each lodge guest, including glamping. Campers get a towel. Extra linens are available as needed. 

Lodging options at RMERC include: rooms in the lodge (16), glamping sites below the lodge deck (2), camping sites (approximately 12), RV parking sites (2), Retreat Cabin (2-3 persons). Details are below.

SEE LODGING OPTIONS AND PHOTOS HERE

Lodge: The lodge consists of 9 single rooms and 7 double rooms, located on three floor levels. Total occupancy of the lodge is 16 people if all rooms are used as singles to 23 people if all beds are utilized.

SEE A ROOM MAP OF THE LODGE

The first floor has a bathroom (w/o shower), one double room with 2 beds (Room 2), and a small office room available for teacher interviews or meetings (Room 1). 

The second floor has 6 doubles (Rooms 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29),  2 singles (Rooms 26, 27), and two bathrooms each with a shower. All of the doubles have two beds. One of the single rooms (Room 26)  has a full bed which could be used by a couple in a pinch (which would increase the lodge capacity to 24). The resident manager occupies Room 25.

The third floor has 7 single rooms (Rooms 31, 32, 33, 34, 2 ‘mini-singles’, and the ‘Hobbit Hut’). The ‘mini-singles’ are walled spaces that share an open ceiling with each other and the hallway. The ‘Hobbit’ hut is so-called because of the low threshold and ceiling, which requires stooping to enter and stand in. There is a single toilet on the third floor.

All rooms are provided with linens, blankets, and towels. HIPAA-compliant air filters are available in double rooms, and fans are available in summer.

Glamping: Two glamping tents are available, sheltered in a space beneath the lodge and with south-facing exposure to the sun. The tents are provided with cots, linens, blankets, towels, and space heaters.

Camping: Primitive campsites (10 max, unless lodge is not used) are located below the Lodge and along South St. Vrain Creek. Campers must stay on the lodge side of the creek. No camping is allowed in the meadow. There is also a small grassy spot next to the lodge right off the east facing deck where yogis can camp. Campsites can be anywhere in the grass between the deck and the shady trees, but not up in the trees. No campsite should be visible from the road. Most of the sites are a 5-10 minute walk from the Lodge and from parking. 

RV Camping: 3 RV camping sites are available (maximum occupancy, 2 persons/site). One site located adjacent to the lodge for RVs with a need for power. and two sites located on the road up to Glacier View Ranch (see details on the Retreat Lodging Information page).

Retreat Cabin: The retreat cabin has  a small bedroom with 2 single beds, a curtained sleeping area with a foam mattress, a kitchen, and a bathroom.  Because the bedroom is quite small, it is best for single occupancy or for couples. Linens, bedding, towels and meals at the lodge are provided as part of the group retreat. 

• If renting the cabin for your retreat, please do not plan on cooking meals in the cabin unless that is arranged with the resident managers.
• If not renting the cabin, please do not engage anyone who might be on self retreat in the cabin.

A cleaning and/or damage fee may be assessed if things are not found to be clean and in good order. Please let us know immediately if any damages occur during your visit.

The cabin must be completely cleaned by checkout time at 2 pm, using the checklist in the cabin, regardless of retreat ending time. All trash must be removed and either brought to the lodge or taken home.

RMERC offers two rental options: ‘Hosted’ and ‘Private’. 

For Hosted Rentals, RMERC provides registration services for your retreat and also assumes responsibility for numbers of participants (see details below). 

For Private Rentals, groups pay a nightly per person rate, with a 16 person minimum. Rates vary by season (see details below.)

Our Hosted Rental model is available to groups offering public, dana-based retreats. RMERC takes on essential tasks of managing the logistics for your retreat, with the exception of food services, which must be arranged by the leader. To keep retreat costs low, RMERC strives to fill retreats to a total capacity of 25-33 people (yogis and staff combined)

What RMERC provides:

• Attendance oversight: RMERC assumes responsibility for attendance numbers of yogis; in general, we strive to fill retreats to capacity.
• Financial management and oversight of retreat income and expenses.
• Standardized pricing for different lodging types (includes adjustments for season,  number of staff, leader budget, use of the retreat cabin, occupancy restrictions, limits on the number of participants, and duration of the retreat, kitchen use by outside cooks).
• Registration system that collects information from applicants, processes payments, and assigns yogis and staff to available lodging
• Participant list, that includes all personal information collected from yogis, including food preferences
• Scholarships: RMERC will cover all scholarships up to the full cost of the retreat less the registration deposit. We will provide scholarships to anyone that honestly needs and requests one in the amount required for them to attend.
• Email communications between leaders and yogis (e.g. registration notifications, retreat notifications, updates, etc.)
• Collection of retreat waivers, including waivers for your organization if applicable.
• Marketing of retreats via listings on our website, promotion via our newsletter and social media, and paid online advertising
• Carpool platform to help yogis coordinate transportation to the center

What the Leader or Retreat Manager provides:

• Retreat programming, including an equipment list for yogis (see examples here: PDF Version | Word Version.)
• Participant screening.
• Onsite management of the retreat, in coordination with our resident manager.
• Food services, including purchase, preparation, and serving of meals – many leaders contract this out to our resident manager
• Communications with yogis about program-specific questions
• Oversee yogi jobs

Leader Expenses. Leaders need to budget for the following items so that RMERC can collect the necessary funds during registration. Note that these costs will be covered by participants, and will therefore increase the prices for your retreat (the costs will be distributed across all participants).  The proposed budget will be reviewed and approved by RMERC. Note that expenditures that exceed the budget cannot be reimbursed.

• Staff travel costs
• Food and cooks
• Additional costs, which may include marketing and any sangha overhead (e.g. liability insurance) you need to cover your retreat (please keep to a minimum fair share).

Accounting: Approximately 2 weeks before your retreat, we will send leaders the funds collected for their retreat budget.

Room Assignments. If empty rooms are available at the start of the retreat, yogis in double rooms may be shifted to single occupancy rooms; these persons will not be charged extra. Yogis who register and pay for singles are guaranteed single occupancy (unlike yogis in doubles).

Cabin Use for Hosted Retreats. The cabin is intended for use by larger retreats or by retreats with unique needs.

To keep rental rates low, we only charge for the number of individuals staying at the center; however, there is a 16-person minimum and a non-refundable deposit is required to hold your space (see cancellation policies below). Our retreat cabin is available for private group retreats at a cost of $100 per night. 

Acceptable Use. Private rentals must adhere to the following policies.  Please read these carefully. 

• After all direct retreat expenses are paid (costs for staff, travel, food, advertising, etc.), any profit, operating surplus, or amount set-aside for organization overhead is less than 10% of the gross (total) retreat revenue. (If you want to use a retreat as a fundraiser, to pay teachers, or generate income, etc., please talk to us first.)

Retreat Rates

• $60 per person per night in peak season (May 26 through Sept 28)
• $55 per person per night low season (before May 26, after Sept 28)
• 16 paid person minimum.
• 1 free staff person for every 8 paid participants
• $100 kitchen use fee if bringing own food and cooks
• Cabin rental is $100 per night (this is in addition to the regular per person charges for the retreat)
• Reservations of 8 nights or more receive 10% off.
• RMERC does not provide scholarships to yogis in private rental retreats, except for DEIA yogis, who would apply to the RMERC directly.
• Deposit: $350/night peak, $300/night low season. At least 50% deposit plus signed contract required to hold a reservation. Remainder of deposit due 5 months before first day of retreat.  You must opt in to this payment plan, otherwise you will be billed for the entire deposit at the time of confirmation.  If a deposit is not received, your reservation may be canceled. Payment of any portion of the deposit constitutes acceptance of all terms and conditions herein and otherwise stipulated.
• Early arrival (before 4 pm) or extended stay (after 1 pm) increase the per nightly cost by half the nightly rate

Accounting

• RMERC will provide a shared Google sheet to record participant information, including participant and staff names, emails, and phone numbers. This sheet must be completed two weeks prior to the retreat, and updated to include any new registrations, so that we have time to collect waivers and for accounting purposes.
• The Monday of the week prior to your retreat, the shared Google participant sheet must be complete, and an invoice will be sent on that day; payment of your retreat balance must be received before the retreat start date, either via electronic Quickbooks payment or by receipt of check at the RMERC business address.
• Once the final invoice is prepared, no refunds will be given.
• A week after the retreat, RMERC will provide a final calculation, and will adjust your account balance to account for any additions of participants of staff since the preparation of the first invoice.
• Payments to RMERC can be made by check or bank transfer. All payments by credit card will incur a 3% processing fee.

Cancellation Policy: Please read this carefully. If RMERC is open and you cancel your rental for any reason, including Covid, these terms apply. 

• The first half of your deposit is nonrefundable.
• Cancellation 5+ months in advance of your retreat:  any amount over the first half of the deposit that has been paid will be refunded.
• Cancellations less than 5 months in advance of your retreat:  no refund is owed or guaranteed. If another group books some or all of the nights, then a pro-rated refund will be issued, up to half of the full deposit rate.
• Cancellation of cabin. Cancellations outside of 45 days get a refund less a $120 cancellation fee. Inside of 45 days no refunds will be made unless dates are re-rented, in which case you get a refund for rebooked nights, less the $120 cancellation fee.
• Closure. If RMERC must close and cancel your event for any reason, including natural/accidental/political/health reasons, you will receive a full refund of any and all funds that you have paid to RMERC (including your entire deposit in the case of private rentals.  RMERC has been able to operate during the past two seasons of Covid safely and legally, but we will follow public health orders for us to close.

Publicity

• At your request, RMERC will include your retreat in our public listings on our website and promote your retreat in our newsletters. 

• Day use includes the land, meditation hall, and bathrooms. 
• The day use flat rate is $250 for a weekday, $350 for a Saturday, Sunday or holiday. 
• All cleaning must be handled by the program staff or participants.  Alternatively, a $100 cleaning fee can be paid. 
• Daylong deposits are 50% of the applicable rate. 
• Maximum daylong occupancy is 40 people.  

Arrival of Groups. Group retreats begin at 4PM on the first day of the retreat, unless arrangements have been made for early arrival or late departure (see below). Yogis may arrive up to 1 hour before the start time (e.g. 3 pm), but they will not have access to the lodge or toilets. If camping, yogis may set up their tents during this time.

Leaders and retreat managers may arrive 2 hours before the retreat start time (e.g. 2 pm) to prepare for their retreat. 

Departure of Groups. Yogis and teachers are asked to vacate the lodge and leave the grounds by 2:00 p.m. on the final day of their retreat.

Early Arrival or Late Departure for Group Retreats. Depending on scheduling, we may be able to arrange for your group, early arrival on the start day of the retreat or late departure on the last day of the retreat. Pricing is adjusted for early arrivals and late departures.

Extra Nights for Retreat Leaders and Staff. Leaders and retreat managers may request to arrive one night early for the per person per night private rental rate. Requests are considered on a case by case basis.

Extra Nights for Yogis. We are not able to accommodate extended stays by yogis.

Extra Nights Between Retreats. Staff and yogis may request to stay one or two nights between retreats if attending multiple retreats, at no additional cost. If the request is approved, those staying should coordinate with the resident manager beforehand regarding food.

Use of the Cabin for Extended Stays. If the cabin is being used for a group retreat, and if it’s available before or after the retreat, leaders may request to rent the cabin for extra nights  (usually 1-2 nights max) for $100 per night. 

Special Circumstances. If a leader has special circumstances that are not covered in the guidelines above, please contact the [email protected].

Application Process: Applications for use of the center in are due February 15 of the year preceding the retreat , and decisions are announced in March of the year preceding the retreat. We will continue to accept applications in the event that space is available.

See the RMERC website for more information about booking a retreat: https://rmerc.org/book-a-retreat/. 

APPLICATION LINK POSTED HERE

Retreat Descriptions and Information. Leaders of approved retreats are asked to submit details of their retreats by December 1 of the preceding year.

TO BE POSTED

Retreats listed on our website will be posted and registration will be open in mid-January of the year of the retreat.

Liability Insurance. All renters (leaders and their organizations) are strongly encouraged but not required to have their own liability insurance, with RMERC listed as an additional insured.

Liability Waivers. All guests including teachers and staff are required to sign an RMERC liability waiver each year, prior to arrival. The waiver can be signed electronically at https://rmerc.org/waivers. 

W-9 Forms. RMERC requires a signed W-9 form from any leader receiving income from their retreat. You can sign a W-9 form online here – after completing all relevant fields, click Sign & Complete at the top of the form: https://www.jotform.com/sign/230055910643045/invite/01gp4rxaqw0038666e59c5a2f1

Resident Manager. With a few exceptions, our resident manager(s) will be on the property and living in the lodge during your retreat. You will find them an extremely helpful resource. They are interested in dharma, and if appropriate they may want to attend some of your sits and talks, which is up to you. Because they live at the lodge, we ask that you include them in the meals for your group. The Resident Managers are available to cook for your retreat if you wish to use them. 

Retreat Manager. All groups renting the center must have a designated Retreat Manager (for small groups, it can be the teacher) who is not in total silence, and able to coordinate with your participants, our resident manager, and the cooks, in order to manage the retreat, the lodge, the grounds, and ensure that everything works smoothly.

Yogi Jobs. We ask each yogi to spend about 1 hour per day helping us manage the center. They will do the same job every day.  Yogi jobs usually include meal prep (an hour before each meal), meal clean up (starting 30-45 min after the meal begins, and bathroom cleaning (about 45 mins, anytime in the afternoon). In addition, we ask that leaders or the retreat manager delegate clean up tasks on the last day; last-day clean up takes about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Depending on group size, we generally use: 3-4 yogis to prep each meal, 3-4 yogis for meal clean up, 1-3 yogis to clean bathrooms , 1 yogi to manage the coffee/tea area, and everyone helps at the end of the retreat.

Orientation. Our resident managers will give an orientation talk usually about 15 minutes after dinner is served and while people are still eating.  The orientation is about 20 minutes long.

Dana. Voluntary donations for teachers and staff can be asked for during the retreat but may not be required or have a set minimum.  RMERC also requests ten minutes at your retreat closing to ask participants to donate to RMERC. We are 100% dependent on donations for all of our capital expenses, including buying the property and renovating the buildings and infrastructure.

Emergencies. There is a phone in the lodge: 303-459-1012, which is for emergency use only. The nearest 911 Emergency Services are just a few miles away. There is a first aid kit in the hall by the first floor bathroom. We are not responsible for the health and safety of your participants. 

Infectious Disease Policy. At this time, RMERC does not require covid vaccinations, testing, or masks. However, individual retreats may implement policies that are more stringent than the RMERC requirements, and RMERC may adjust its policies in light of changing guidelines. Please see details of the RMERC Infectious Disease Policy here.

Wildlife. The area is home to abundant wild animals, including rodents and bears, that will try to enter the lodge to search for food. Doors must remain closed securely at all times. First floor windows can be open for air circulation when people are present, but should be closed and latched when empty and at night. Renter is responsible for all damages should an intrusion occur through an open or unsecured door or window. There are moose on the property; they can be dangerous if confronted or surprised. Do not get between a mother moose and a baby.

Altitude. The altitude of the center is 8500’: most people coming from sea level experience altitude effects, so please advise them on preparation, symptoms and remedies. Staying overnight in Denver or Boulder (at 5300’) before a retreat is a great way for people coming up from sea level to acclimate. Drinking plenty of water is key.

Fire. Forest fire is an ever-present concern. Campfires are only allowed in the fire ring by the barn, not anywhere else, for any reason. They must be doused completely with water when done, and never left unattended. The county bans all fires when conditions are dry, and if a category 2 ban is in effect, we will notify you, and no campfires will be allowed.  Stacked firewood is usually available in the barn, but gathering down or dead wood in the forest is fine if it is not.

Smoking is strictly prohibited at all times anywhere except in the gravel parking lot, and butts must be crushed and then put in the trash in the lodge. Matches, lighters, candles, incense or fires of any kind are prohibited anywhere in any building, except that a single incense stick is allowed in the meditation hall, while occupied, if the holder is placed on a metal or ceramic tray or plate that is twice as wide as the height of the stick.

Contact and Internet. There is no cell service at RMERC. The landline phone number, 303-459-1012, can be shared with your participants for emergencies only. There is wifi at the lodge, and we will give the code to your staff for their use only. Our use is metered and limited, and no participant use, video streaming or sending of photos is permitted. You are not allowed to give out the wifi password to your attendees, for any reason. If attendee use is noticed or detected the password will be changed and your staff will not get the new one.

Parking and Carpooling. All cars must park in our guest parking lot above the lodge.  There are spaces for just 22 cars, which is generally sufficient for residential retreats. Absolutely no parking is allowed on Overland Rd., or next to the lodge.

Guests arriving from out of town often need help getting to the center, and we suggest that you arrange some sort of carpooling. Carpooling for hosted retreats is set up by RMERC. 

For day long retreats please carpool from Boulder: the Four Mile Trail parking lot on Lee Hill Dr. just west of Broadway can be a good place to carpool from for day use (no overnight parking). 

Lodge Care. The lodge was built in 1939 and is a historic building, so please treat it tenderly. All maintenance needs should be reported immediately to the resident manager.

Hiking. Our land includes many beautiful trails and sitting spots, and trail maps are provided. To prevent erosion and people getting lost, hiking off trail is not permitted: please stay on the trails. People walking alone can go off trail a few feet to find a place to sit, but group sits must be in designated areas only.

Equipment List. Each group should create an equipment list tailored to their retreat. Here is a general equipment list for reference: PDF Version | Word Version.

If any of these terms are unclear, or if any policy modifications are necessary for your specific program, we will be glad to discuss them with you. Please send an email to [email protected] with any questions.

The signed contract and deposit are due within two weeks after receiving the acceptance and confirmation packet for your retreat.

I certify that I am authorized to execute this agreement and agree to abide by all RMERC policies, terms, and conditions. I and our organization agree to defend RMERC, indemnify it and hold it harmless from any and all claims associated with our use. 

Agreed to and signed by:

Organization: SAMPLE ORGANIZATION
Name:  SAMPLE LEADER NAME
Date: SAMPLE DATE

This document can be signed electronically, in which case entering your name and other information constitutes a legally binding agreement.