Holden Village welcomes all to the wilderness. Expanding accessibility in many different ways is an area where Holden Village is continuing to grow as we live into our mission.
Please let us know if you have any questions or if you have a need that is not met by the information below by emailing registrar@holdenvillage.org. The information below is provided to be transparent about what Holden currently can and cannot offer. We would like to learn more about how we can extend welcome to you, although we cannot guarantee that we can provide any specific accommodation.
As a historic mountain Village, Holden’s remote location poses notable challenges for those with limited mobility or health concerns.
Holden Village operates with a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service and is a registered historic landmark as an historic mining Village built in the 1930s. These designations prohibit certain changes to our historic buildings and campus. Some buildings have been renovated within these stipulations.
During the summer months, housing with wheelchair accessibility is available and two rechargeable motor scooters can be borrowed upon request. In good weather, you are welcome to travel on a portion of 10 Mile Trail which is maintained as a wheelchair-accessible trail.
Automatic doors are not available. There are no elevators on our campus, although most programming and common spaces (such as the Dining Hall, teaching session classrooms, and worship spaces) can be reached at ground-level. Please note that Holden Village is built into the side of a mountain and some paths are quite steep. Some paths have brick pavers while others are dirt/gravel paths. The images below show examples of paths throughout the Village.
In fair weather, the rocky terrain and incomplete accessibility of most buildings pose great challenges for those with limited mobility.
In the fall, winter, and spring, please keep in mind that due to snow accumulation and ice, visits may be difficult. Some buildings are closed during the winter and access to all buildings is compromised by the considerable snowfall (Holden Village receives an average of 270 inches of snowfall each winter). The Village is not wheelchair-accessible while snow is on the ground (mid-late October through mid-late May). Traction devices for your shoes/boots and hiking/trekking poles can assist when walking on the packed snow paths between buildings.
Please let us know if you need ADA accessible transportation from the boat dock at Lucerne by emailing registrar@holdenvillage.org.
ADA accessible restrooms are located in accessible housing and next to spaces used for programs and Sacred Space.
Single occupant gender neutral bathrooms are available next to spaces used for programs and Sacred Space, as well as in Chalet 2 guest lodging. If you will be visiting as a guest and would like to stay in lodging with single occupant gender neutral bathrooms, please email registrar@gmail.com. Gender neutral restrooms are available in all staff housing, including Lodges 1 and 6.
The guest bathrooms in Lodges 2, 3 and 4 and the Hotel are multi-occupant dormitory bathrooms that are currently labeled women’s and men’s. We are working on long-term planning and fundraising to make more gender neutral guest bathrooms available through bathroom renovation projects.
We use microphones as much as possible for teaching sessions, Sacred Space, meal announcements, and other programs and gatherings. We are working to add hearing assistive devices to our worship space and sessions. If you would like to make a donation to update our equipment, please visit our donate page and write “hearing assistive devices fund” in the comments section.
We have some information packets in braille in the Registration Office.
We can offer large print Sacred Space bulletins and worship resources upon request. Please contact worship@holdenvillage.org or contact the Worship team when you are in the Village.
We recognize that many of our gathering spaces can be overwhelming for people with sensory issues. As a community, we tend to snap rather than clap for applause to make our gathering spaces less loud and overstimulating. Please speak to Registration if you would like to borrow a pair of headphones for the duration of your stay.
Please note that the Holden Village kitchen is NOT a peanut-free or allergen-free kitchen. We have certain processes in place to minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination, but we cannot guarantee that cross-contamination won’t take place.
For more information, please see our Food page. If you have a dietary restriction or severe food allergy, please contact the Food Services Lead at foodservice@holdenvillage.org and the medic at medic@holdenvillage.org before you arrive in the Village.
This website can be translated into other languages using the “Google Translate” icon at the bottom of every page. Este sitio web se puede traducir al español. Haga clic en el icono “Google Translate” en la parte inferior de la página y seleccione español.
Most Village signage is translated into Spanish and bilingual/Spanish programming and Sacred Space is sometimes offered during special events.
The Holden Village Access Fund exists to offset the cost of a visit to Holden Village for people with financial need.
Holden Village acknowledges that the oppression of people based on race, ethnicity, income level, gender identities, sexual orientations, and physical abilities creates barriers that make the cost of visiting difficult. The Access Fund is particularly designed to expand welcome to people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ+.
If you or someone you know would like to visit Holden Village and receive financial assistance, please complete this form to apply.
Holden Village is an equal employment opportunity employer, and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates with a known protected disability assuming the accommodation does not cause undue hardship or direct threat to health and safety.
Holden Village is a community where your questions are valued and encouraged. Most programs led by visiting teaching faculty occur during the summer months. However, Holden also invites faculty to teach sessions for special events and retreats throughout the rest of the year.
Check out a list of the 2024 Summer Faculty.
