Yoga in the trees at Canyon Ranch Woodside

Surrounded by beautiful redwood forest, Canyon Ranch Woodside offers a peaceful setting to unplug and cultivate well-being. At the Northern California destination, guests enjoy a customizable selection of retreat offerings, including healthy cuisine, yoga, meditation, hiking, fitness activities, spa services, and more.

Whether you are looking for a relaxing getaway for yourself or planning a corporate retreat, Canyon Ranch Woodside provides everything you need for a unique and memorable experience. Jeanine Conforti, Sales & Marketing Director, Canyon Ranch Woodside, and Kristi Dickinson, General Manager, Canyon Ranch Woodside, give us the details to help you get the most out of a visit to Canyon Ranch Woodside.

What do guests love most about Woodside Treehouse Retreat?

Guests are able to customize their retreat based on exactly what they’re looking to achieve (ie. overall wellness, reset/recharge, finding solitude or connection, etc.). The activity options map to the natural rhythms of the property and of the guest himself/herself.

What are some of the most popular retreat options available to individuals?

Guests love the 3 or 4-night Personal Discover Pathway, which offers 2 to 4 wellness services in addition to what is provided in the (already) fully-inclusive retreat experience. They can select from popular options in spiritual guidance, wellness coaching, mind-body, fitness, spa, and beauty.

What makes the destination a unique experience for private or corporate group retreats?

Private groups can book from 10 rooms to a full buyout of 38 rooms, either option reserves the entire property exclusively for the group and no other guests are allowed past the gates. The property works carefully to create customized all-inclusive itineraries with heavy or light staffing options featuring outdoor adventures, memorable meals, shared activities and meetings, with pauses to plug and unwind—all F&B and many activities are included in the nightly rate.

Outdoor adventures are a favorite among guests with extensive hiking options, including the exclusive Djerassi Art Hike; mountain biking; farm tours; excursions to the coast; and the famed equus coaching featuring the powerful healing and therapeutic benefits of horses at the Ciara West Equestrian facility. Other downtime options abound from a five-room luxury spa, indoor saline pool, whirlpool, indoor/outdoor fitness studio, steam room and salt wall sauna, wine and juice lounge, a great room with fireplace, and 16 acres of forest to explore. The everything-is-possible atmosphere in scenic Northern California at Canyon Ranch Woodside infuses much-needed energy for groups who return again and again to this special property.

For corporate groups, productivity abounds in a high-tech private meeting room, big thinking takes place on expansive decks, and team-building heads to the forest obstacle course. Whether a family reunion, girlfriend getaway, couples retreat, wedding, or celebration, personal groups can expect all manner of outdoor adventures, memorable meals, curated local excursions, integrated wellness experiences, spa and fitness packages. Groups may wish to begin with an event or activity to customize programming around, or start with a theme, such as “Life Unplugged,” “Reconnecting with Joy,” “Healthy Conflict Resolution,” or “Finding Meaning & Purpose in your Work” as the foundation for a meaningful week of activities.

Equine Therapy at Canyon Ranch Woodside.

What are some of the guided wellness experiences and activities that are available?

Take an invigorating hike among Northern California’s towering redwoods. Try cycling or join a yoga session. Explore creativity through watercolor or meditative water drawing or drumming. Sink into a sea salt massage. Find clarity during moments of quiet reflection. Take a guided walk through the labyrinth. Explore forest meditation. Attend mind-body workshops from speakers including Nina Ericson on happiness, Jonathan Ellerby on resilience and transformation, Hailey Lott on coming home to yourself, Sandy Abrams and Gianna Vallefuoco on creativity, and many more.

Do you have any tips for meeting planners to help them plan a successful group retreat?

Hikes are great because social distancing is available. Being outdoors is one of the best activities during Covid-19 and people are embracing this.

We are recommending against close indoor activities, and even encouraging set-ups for meetings to be more soft seating instead of traditional boardroom style or classroom style. It's more comfortable and allows for those who want to be socially distanced to not feel compromised and not have to feel like the squeaky wheel.

Any must-try activities that you recommend booking for the group?

The Djerassi Resident Artist Program Sculpture Hike is one of the peninsula’s best-kept secrets. The program has hosted writers, visual artists, photographers, filmmakers, composers, choreographers, and scientists from 54 countries. Groups will enjoy breathtaking views of the Pacific, a rich biodiversity, and rolling hills.

Tell us about the cuisine served at Woodside. Any favorite items from the menu that guests should be sure to try?

While healthy, delicious fare is a hallmark of the Canyon Ranch experience at Woodside, Executive Chef Isabel Jackson Nunes translates the retreat’s essential sense of place to the cuisine as well. Led by her personal relationships with local farmers, producers, and purveyors, Nunes crafts nutritious meals utilizing pristine produce and ingredients sourced from within 75 miles of the property.

Informed by Canyon Ranch’s award-winning team of nutritionists, guests are encouraged to mindfully enjoy a fresh, memorable meal in the company of others without guilt. Having personally experienced the healing power of food, it is Nunes’ passion to illuminate for guests the connection between their food and its source, while providing them with approachable recipes and techniques to sustain a life of healthful eating long past their days at the Ranch.

Various educational opportunities and excursions are offered to showcase Nunes’ wellness philosophies including root-to-stem use of fruits and vegetables, meat raised by humane animal husbandry practices, and ingredients that respect the region’s natural resources. Sample dishes may include Shakshuka with Ben’s Eggs, dry-farmed tomato, spicy yogurt, granola and parsley; Farmer’s Market Fava & Pea Greens with freshly picked herbs; Markegard Family Grass-Fed Lamb & Beef with fermented garlic, feta and parsley; Harley Farms Ravioloni with sunchoke, chevre, fennel and brown butter; Real Good Fish Sustainable Catch with Italian salsa verde; and Tahini Chocolate Brownie.

Guests are welcome to enjoy their meals at The Hearth, the main restaurant, among the trees on the patio, or at The Hideaway bar and lounge serving seasonal juices, house made tonics, superfood elixirs, market-fresh cocktails, low-proof spirits, and natural, biodynamic, and organic wines, beers, and ciders.

Can you describe the features at your spa?

The rejuvenating spa at Canyon Ranch Woodside offers a curated menu of treatments and tranquil spaces, including:

4 massage rooms
1 facial room
Himalayan salt sauna (co-ed)
Eucalyptus steam room (co-ed)
Whirlpool (co-ed)
Saline pool with doors that open to and outdoor patio with inspiring views of the redwood trees
Zero-gravity Loungers
Complimentary healthy spa snacks, whole fruit and herbal teas

What is the most unique treatment?

Chakra Balancing Massage. Begin this holistic treatment with an anointment of Rose and Lotus Flower essence and the sounding of chimes to clear energy and provide focus. Ayurvedic Dosha balancing oils are applied to the body’s energy centers along the spine to facilitate opening and flow of energy in your chakras. Then an Ayurvedic Kansa wand is used to activate and balance your chakras. Semi-precious stones are placed on your chakras to further balance the body and provide peace and clarity to the mind. This special offering ends with a Kansa foot bowl treatment to ground you for the rest of your day. (90 minutes | $260)

Which brands of products are featured at the spa?

Luzern, Kypris, Ode by McEvoy Ranch and Environ.

For more information, visit canyonranch.com and follow @canyonranchwoodside on Instagram.

Canyon Ranch Woodside
16350 Skyline Blvd
Woodside, CA 94062

[Images courtesy of Canyon Ranch Woodside and Carolyn Fong]

Spa & Retreat Profile: Canyon Ranch Woodside