Emerald Mountain Sanctuary is a protected place for animals, plants, and people. Our 58-acre property is sacred space: a cathedral of green tree tops overhead, a soft carpet of grasses, wildflowers, and mosses to walk and lie on, the eternal symphony of birds and insects, wind rustling through leaves; the hay scent of grasses warmed in the summer sun, the honest smell of forest soil after a spring rain, the perfumes of locust blossom, honey suckle, and wild rose that mark the seasons.
Our conference center can accommodate up to 15 people for a lecture-style setup (chairs only) or up to 12 people for workshop space (tables and chairs).
A campground for close-to-nature accommodations opens in May 2022. A one-room cabin with queen bed and kitchenette is also available.
We are located in Highland County, Virginia, near the town of Monterey, only a one-hour drive from Staunton, two hours from either Roanoke or Charlottesville, three hours from Richmond, four hours from Northern Virginia/Washington, DC.
Leave your busy life behind, give yourself unhurried time to come back to Nature and back to your Self. Here you can breathe, rest, wander, dream, play, recuperate, de-stress, envision, find yourself again, and feel the heartbeat of the earth.
Watch abundant wildlife: deer, rabbit, fox, coyote, bear, raccoon, opossum, ground hog, insects, a large variety of song birds (robin, meadowlark, woodpeckers, cuckoo, killdeer, mockingbird) as well as hawk, kestrel, and bald eagle. Delight in hummingbirds and their antics at the feeder.
Find wild flowers including edible and medicinal wild plants as you explore the trails leading through the meadows and forest. There are two small ponds alive with dragonflies, damselflies, and frogs.
The woods welcome you with their cool shade, the open fields allow you to bathe in sunlight and breathe in fresh mountain air.
A protected garden room offers rest and privacy in a delightful space where you can sit and daydream, journal, or chat undisturbed with another visitor. You will find sitting spaces all around the property that invite you to enjoy the views and sounds around you.
Emerald Mountain Sanctuary 