Wildacres Retreat

Wildacres Retreat is a nonprofit conference centre and group retreat venue in Little Switzerland, North Carolina, set within more than 1,200 acres of mountain landscape near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The centre welcomes nonprofit organisations that bring their own educational, cultural, scientific or creative programmes, as well as staff and board retreats.

The venue is designed for residential group stays, with accommodation for up to 120 guests across two lodges. The lodges contain 56 twin bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, providing a practical base for multi-day conferences, workshops and retreats. Groups can also make use of a 165-seat auditorium for lectures, presentations, meetings, concerts and recitals.

Wildacres offers a range of additional spaces for different event formats. These include lodge meeting rooms for smaller groups, an open-plan studio for workshops and music-based activities, a patio for informal gatherings and social functions, an outdoor amphitheatre for meetings and campfires, and several indoor rooms for breakout sessions. Specialist facilities include a pottery studio, a fully equipped lapidary workshop and classrooms suited to hands-on creative programmes.

The centre supports organisers with meeting and recreational facilities, accommodation, food service, housekeeping and much of the equipment required for group programmes. Family-style meals are served in the dining hall, helping organisers create a residential experience without having to coordinate separate accommodation and catering suppliers.

Wildacres is particularly suited to nonprofit conferences, educational retreats, artistic residencies, professional development programmes, leadership gatherings, writing workshops, music programmes, science meetings and craft-based courses. Group reservations are arranged on a year-to-year basis, with the venue encouraging organisations to enquire about availability and suitability for their planned programme.