Holden Village: A remote place to connect in the North Cascades

Located near the northwest end of Lake Chelan is a remote retreat center tucked in the North Cascades — Holden Village.

Soon after a copper mining operation closed down in the 1950s, a student convinced the mining company to gift the unused mining town to a Lutheran organization, and many young people began to transform it into a place of community, outdoor retreat and spiritual renewal. Last summer, Holden Village celebrated 60 years of operation.

Individuals and families of all backgrounds visit the retreat center year-round. The summer is the busiest time at Holden, but visitors can enjoy the beauty of this remote location any time of year.

Callie Mabry, communications and development lead, gave us the scoop on the top reasons to visit this hidden gem.

COMMUNITY

Mabry said there is "a great sense of welcome" at Holden Village, even if you stay only for a few days.

At the village, there are plenty of opportunities to connect with other visitors, especially in the summer months, when Holden hosts a variety of programs. People can engage with each other as they learn from visiting scholars (on topics ranging from the performing arts, social justice and science/ecology), gather around shared meals in the dining hall, create art in the studios or spend time doing some of the other activities (like bowling) offered in the village.

OUTDOOR ACCESS

Holden Village is just steps away from the mountains. Mabry said, "the views are stunning."

In the winter, visitors can go sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The summer months are for hiking and backpacking throughout the Cascades, as well as keeping watch for local wildlife sightings. Deer, hummingbirds, marmots, chipmunks — you can see all kinds of wildlife both in and outside of the village. Don't have all of the outdoor gear you need? You can borrow gear while at the village.

SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

While Holden Village is a community hub, it is also a place of solitude, contemplation and retreat. Mabry said there is an "unplugged atmosphere" to the village. Visitors come, she said, to rest and renew and then "get ready to head back to wherever you came from feeling recharged."

The village is rooted in the Lutheran tradition of Christianity, but visitors from all walks of life are welcome. Mabry said that Holden Village "seeks to really be a place that is counter to the narrative that can sometimes be found in religious spaces, where people are either in or out [...] that's not the case here."

EACH VISIT IS UNIQUE

There are so many opportunities at Holden Village, but none are compulsory. A visitor can participate in all of the programs and activities, or spend all day, every day outdoors or find a spot in the village suited to a quiet and contemplative retreat — each visitor creates their own experience.

PLANNING YOUR VISIT

Holden Village is very, very remote! From Seattle, visitors drive to Lake Chelan, take a boat ride up the lake and then a bus up a dirt road another ten miles. It's a long but beautiful journey. The village is open year-round, though it has limited open weekends throughout this fall and winter. Reservations for summer 2023 just opened.