The Mountain's
Grateful Gathering

Building Community

November 22 - 26, 2023

Join us for a long weekend of acknowledging and celebrating the gratitude in our lives. Even through challenging times, there is much to be grateful for, be it friendships, family, community, opportunities for learning, The Mountain, and many other things in our lives.

The program includes workshops, entertainment, hiking, building connections with old and new friends, worship service, and outdoor adventures.

This is a great opportunity to invite family and friends to share time together, and no one has to cook or clean up after the holiday feast.

About The Grateful Gathering at The Mountain

An Intergenerational Program Thanksgiving Week

We are looking forward to gathering with people familiar with The Mountain, as well as welcoming new people to this special place.

In a spirit of gratitude, as we are immersed in our extraordinary natural environment, we will learn, discuss, and share ideas and life stories about our individual and group relationships with the Earth and one another.

The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center is an ecologically-conscious retreat and learning center located on 4,200 foot high granite cliffs on the Eastern Continental Divide in the Blue Ridge Mountains, surrounded by the Nantahala Forest. We offer a unique opportunity to learn about and enjoy the ecology and geology of the area. Perched on the Eastern edge of the Highlands Plateau, this temperate rainforest includes an Old Growth Oak Forest, one of the oldest in the U.S. Our four ecosystems, with the highest flora and fauna diversity (over 10,000 species) in North America, have nurtured multiple cultures including the Cherokee Nation.

We look forward to you joining us for this Grateful Gathering adventure.

Topics to consider in this gathering are personal and organizational values, gratitude felt and expressed, and learning more about our own and other cultures in relation to living our values.

Program for Children and Youth

All meals will be with families. Activities between meals will focus on environmental exploration, creative opportunities, and discussions about our world, the people, plants, and animals.