Things to Do

Activities Galore

What Can You Do at Holden Village

You have great flexibility in how you spend your time. You can fill your days with classes and activities, go out on the trails, or spend time relaxing and resting. The options change with the seasons and there is always an abundance of things to do at Holden Village!

Some activities are seasonal or weather dependent and at your own risk. A weekly schedule of activities posted on bulletin boards in the Village provides options available during your visit. Learn more about Holden Village activities below.

Arts & Crafts

Arts & Crafts

Express your creative side! Whether you are a complete beginner or a professional artist, check out Holden Village’s Art Studios and classes. Classes are available for all ages, including beading, collaging, watercolor, needle felting, sewing, embroidery, printmaking, natural dying, basket weaving, and many more. Learn More

Arts - Pottery

Arts - Pottery

Re-center yourself in a meditative art practice while centering clay on the wheel. Or try hand building, glazing, or a jewelry class in the pottery studio. Pottery is a process and the length of time you spend in the Village will determine what types of projects are possible during your stay. Whether you have tons of pottery experience or want to try it out for the first time, check out the schedule for classes or open studio time and dig your hands into the clay! Learn More

Attend a Session

Attend a Session

Bring your curiosity to the wilderness! Holden Village is a community where questions are valued and encouraged. Join in the many sessions offered by visiting teaching faculty. Expand your worldview as you engage in conversations about visual and performing arts, the sciences, theology, diversity, inclusion and racial justice, global and domestic social issues, and more. 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. Most sessions last approximately one hour. Learn More.

Bowling

Bowling

Where else can you go bowling in the wilderness?! Try for a strike or a spare at Holden Village’s historic bowling alley which has been in operation since the mining days. Bowling shoes and bowling balls are available to borrow for free. Check out the old-fashioned pin setting machine (children will need someone over 18 to supervise and set pins for them). The Bowling Alley is not heated and available only during the summer. Please see the weekly schedule posted in the Village for bowling alley hours.

Backpacking

Backpacking

Make Holden Village your starting point for a backpacking adventure! If you want to take your hiking to the next level and extend the distance you travel, you can carry all of your camping supplies with you to spend one or more nights in the wilderness. If you’re new to backpacking, you can borrow a limited supply of backpacks, tents, camp stoves, and more for free from the Holden Hike Haus to try it out. For new and seasoned adventurers alike, there are a variety of trails and routes of varying levels from the Village to explore. Learn More The Pacific Crest Trail is just 11 miles to the west of the Village. Learn More about Thru-Hiking Options

Beanie’s Coffee

Beanie’s Coffee

Get your caffeine fix in the wilderness! Stop by Beanie’s Coffee for lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, hot chocolate, and more. Holden serves locally-roasted fair trade coffee from Café Mam. All drinks are $2. Check the schedule when you are in the Village for hours. The espresso machine can only run when there’s sufficient hydro power in the Village, so Beanie’s may be closed during the non-summer months.

Children & Youth Programs

Children & Youth Programs

Calling all kids ages 4-17! During the summer, join us for children and youth programs to nurture your curiosity and make new friends. If you are ages 4-11, you can participate in structured activities during the mornings such as nature walks, crafts, games and much more. If you are a middle or high school student ages 12-17, you can join in activities like bowling, games, crafts, pottery, service projects, and more throughout the week. Learn More

Community Building

Community Building

When you spend time at Holden Village, you are an important member of the community. An abiding value that sustains our time together is that we are most human in relationship to each other and that our relationships deepen in the sacred rhythms of life. You are invited to join all Villagers in living out the values of hospitality and community building. Stop by Main Street at bus arrival or departure to greet people arriving in the Village or bid farewell to people who are leaving. Help the Dish Team wipe down tables, vacuum and sweep in the Dining Hall after a meal. Join in a shift of moving and stocking up firewood. Sign up to scoop ice cream at the Snack Bar, or check out other opportunities to join in. At Holden it is not a cliche - it really does take a Village!

Cross Country Skiing

Cross Country Skiing

Glide across the snow on cross country skis with the breathtaking views of the majestic peaks in every direction. During the winter months, the Hike Haus becomes a cross country ski center with skis, boots, and poles available to borrow free of charge. You can also choose to bring your own ski equipment with you. Depending on the weather conditions, X miles of groomed trails are available from the Village. Learn More

Environmental Learning

Environmental Learning

Learn about the world around you through environmental learning sessions. Led by the Village Naturalist, activities are typically offered multiple times during the week throughout the summer months and occasional sessions throughout the rest of the year. Past sessions have included fire ecology hikes, birdwatching, mine remediation walks, plant identification walks, observations of macroinvertebrates in Railroad Creek, and more. Learn More

Fishing

Fishing

Enjoy fishing in the pristine lakes and creeks of the Railroad Creek Valley. You can borrow a limited supply of fishing equipment from the Hike Haus or bring your own. You will need to get a Washington State fishing license before you arrive. Learn More

Games and Puzzles

Games and Puzzles

Playing games and doing puzzles are beloved activities at Holden Village. During the summer months, you can enjoy outdoor lawn games or head to the Pool Hall for a room full of board games and a respite from the heat in the basement. In the winter months, part of the Dining Hall transforms into a community living room with shelves of games and puzzles available. There is often a puzzle set up on a table in the Library or Dining Hall for you to contribute to. Feel free to bring your favorite board games to play and even invite a few new friends to join!

Hiking

Hiking

Lace up your hiking boots, pack the 10 Essentials, and head out for an adventure on the trails! Holden Village is surrounded by hundreds of miles of trails in the Glacier Peak Wilderness and is just 11 miles east of the Pacific Crest Trail. There are a variety of excellent hiking trails for you to explore, from the beautiful one-mile trek to Ten-Mile Falls to more difficult hikes that take you to pristine lakes, stunning basins, and breathtaking mountain passes. Stop by the Hike Haus to learn more and to borrow gear such as backpacks, water bottles, trekking poles, and more. Learn More

Holidays

Holidays

Celebrate holidays at Holden Village with a spirit of simplicity, community, and joy. Each holiday has its own unique traditions. The winter holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, have a cozy, relational atmosphere. Winter holidays may include a celebratory “feast” meal and a special Sacred Space service. Summer holidays may include a cookout and outdoor festivities. You can join Holden-specific festivities, including the first day of school and Sun Over Buckskin Day (when the sun finally emerges from behind the mountain ridge in February, resulting in more direct sunlight). From parades to costumes to trivia to open mics and more, you never know what joyful celebrations await you!

Ice Cream

Ice Cream

Enjoy ice cream, shakes, and malts in the wilderness! Check out the schedule for hours and head over to a charming old fashioned soda fountain called “The Snack Bar.” Holden Village is famous for scoops of ice cream the size of a softball, available for $2 per scoop. Dairy-free and vegan options are available. Snack Bar hours vary by season.

Labyrinth

Labyrinth

Walking the labyrinth offers you the opportunity for reflection, centering, prayer, and contemplation. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth offers a guided path towards a center point and back out. During the summer months, you can journey through a labyrinth made of rocks and grass. Depending on snow conditions and scheduling, you may have the opportunity to snowshoe through a candle-lit labyrinth as part of Sacred Space during special events in the winter months.

Movement Practices

Movement Practices

Stretch and move your body in ways that are healing, nurturing, and spiritual. The staff or teaching faculty often present movement or embodiment practices as part of the weekly schedule at Holden. Past examples have included Shibashi, yoga, dance and movement workshops, and more.

Music

Music

Bring your musical instrument with you to start or join an impromptu jam session, play for an Open Mic Night, or offer your musical gifts during Sacred Space. A few pianos are available for you to play when not in use for Sacred Space or other sessions. A limited number of other instruments are available for you to borrow and make a joyful noise!

Outdoor Games

Outdoor Games

Enjoy time outside with outdoor games for all ages! Grab a pickleball racquet and join the pickleball craze that has reached this remote mountain Village! Shoot hoops or start a pickup game of basketball on the basketball court. You can also play a variety of lawn games such as bean bag toss, frisbee, and more, which are typically made available in the evenings during the summer.

Pool/Billiards

Pool/Billiards

Make a break and run the table! Check out the Pool Hall where you can play pool on historic slate pool tables that have been at Holden since the mining days. The building was actually built around the pool tables! All supplies are provided for you to use for free. The Pool Hall is not heated and unfortunately not available during the non-summer seasons. Please see the weekly schedule for pool hall hours.

Reading

Reading

Cozy up with a good book or catch up on reading your favorite magazines. Bring your own reading materials or stop by the Holden Library to find something that piques your interest. The Library operates on the honor system, so take a book (or several!) to read and return them before you depart. There are plenty of comfy spaces around the Village for you to curl up and enjoy a book.

Rest/Relax

Rest/Relax

If you need to recharge and a change of pace, Holden Village is a great place for intentional rest and renewal. During the summer months, you can find outdoor chairs, benches, and tables on the grounds and even on some nearby trails. Try out one of the hammocks set up by the creek. In the winter, cozy up on the comfortable couches and chairs in the Dining Hall or Library. Holden’s technology policy allows you to take a break from your devices. May you go back down the mountain feeling renewed and re-energized to work for a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world in your community.

Sauna

Sauna

Sweat out the stress and relax in the heat of the sauna! A sauna is a small wooden room that is heated by a stove where people can sit for short amounts of time. You can enjoy the sauna year-round with electric heat during the summer and a wood stove during the winter. Learn more about Sauna Safety

Sacred Space

Sacred Space

Holden Village gathers in the evening for a time of reflection that echoes the tradition of early monastic communities. We gather as a community to honor all of our life as sacred. We remind one another that our work for justice, environmental stewardship, diversity, and peace are all grounded in a faith that is life giving and important. We gather as a community to intentionally draw closer to the work, person, and nature of Jesus and the wisdom traditions of the world. Holden Village practices an expansive Christianity where all people and spiritual practices are welcome, faith journeys are nurtured, and everyone is encouraged to explore meaning and spiritual nourishment. We strive to practice our faith in a way that is open, inclusive, and expansive in our language of God, the earth, and all people. Learn More about Faith & Spirituality

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing

Pack your spirit of adventure and prepare for snow in all its glorious variations! Snowshoeing is a great way to explore Holden and the surrounding Glacier Peak Wilderness during the winter. You can borrow a limited number of snowshoes for free from the Hike Haus. The weather and avalanche conditions will determine what routes are available to you. Learn More

Writing/Journaling

Writing/Journaling

Make intentional time reflective journaling, creative writing, or the practice of writing letters and postcards. You can find many quiet and contemplative spaces indoors and outdoors to put pen to paper and let your ideas flow out. Occasionally, workshops on writing or journaling techniques are offered as part of summer teaching faculty sessions.