🌲 Spiritual Backpacking Trip in the Sierra Nevada, California
August 19 – 23, 2026
Join us for a refreshing spiritual adventure in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains! Our 5-Day Meditation & Backpacking Retreat in Sierra Nevada, CA offers a unique blend of outdoor exploration and inner growth — a time to connect deeply with nature, enjoy uplifting company, and rejuvenate body and mind through meditation, kiirtan, and simple living in the open air.
We will meet at Ananda Dhiira on Wednesday evening, begin our Meditation and Backpacking Retreat from Thursday to Sunday, and then return to Ananda Dhiira on Sunday.
Participants should be in good physical condition and prepare in advance by practicing walking with a loaded backpack, as we will be carrying 20–35 pounds of gear and supplies. During the hiking portion, we will be on the trail for about 3 to 8 hours per day, depending on the route and terrain.
Each participant is responsible for their own gear and food. Some basic equipment, including a few extra backpacks and collective gear, will be available to share, but everyone must bring their own hiking shoes with ankle support (no sneakers allowed) and appropriate clothing for mountain weather.
This retreat is an opportunity to step away from daily routines, carry only what you need, and rediscover the joy of simplicity — surrounded by forest, fresh air, and spiritual companionship.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
We’ll meet at Ananda Dhiira by 5 p.m. and stay there overnight.
We will do evening meditation around 5:30 p.m. and have dinner at 7 p.m.
Thursday, August 20
Start the day at 5 a.m. with morning meditation and yoga at Ananda Dhiira, followed by breakfast.
We will depart at 9:00 a.m. and reach the trailhead around 10:30 a.m., and then hike to the first overnight camping site.
Friday to Sunday, August 21 – 23
Over the next three days, we will hike and carry our food and equipment.
Daily hiking distance will be approximately 4–9 miles, at a comfortable pace with breaks.
We’ll return to the trailhead on Sunday around noon, and then drive back to Ananda Dhiira.
What to Bring?
Backpack with personal camping gear.
We will filter lake water for drinking, so no need to carry extra water beyond what’s needed for the day.
Tents and bags: Please bring your own tent and bag. If you don’t have one, then Maungal Dev and Didi have a few extra tents and backpacks—please let us know in advance if you’d like to borrow one.
🎒 Gear & Food
Participants are expected to bring:
•A backpack suitable for multi-day hiking
•Hiking shoes/boots and appropriate clothing
•Personal food for the hike (lightweight, nutritious options)
•Tent, sleeping bag, and other camping essentials (a full packing list will be provided)
We will provide some shared gear, including water filters, basic cooking items, and some collective staples (like roasted buckwheat/grechka). Meals will be provided for Wednesday evening and Thursday breakfast at Ananda Dhiira. After that, the participants are asked to bring and carry their own food, based on personal dietary preferences. This is important, as we will need to carry our own food, and by taking the food of your choice, we avoid waste and carrying too much.
Meditation Lessons
If any participants would like to learn individual meditation, revise their lessons, or add new lessons, we will find time for that during the afternoons when we are mostly relaxing and enjoying the natural environment by the lakes.
If you would like to join the spiritual hiking trip, please register and pay the admin fee. We will then contact you to determine whether you qualify in terms of physical condition and readiness to prepare in advance. If we feel this trip is too difficult for you, then we will refund the registration fee.
Preparing for the Trip
The best preparation for this trip is walking with a weighted backpack (not empty) in your neighborhood or taking short day hiking trips in a natural environment.
If you do not have medical insurance that covers this type of activity, we also recommend obtaining travel medical insurance. Everyone will be required to sign a waiver before starting the trip.
The backpacking route is flexible, allowing us to make our own decisions. We may choose to change it depending on how tired the group is and how much more we want to hike that day. There are plenty of lakes in that area, and we can stay by any of them.
Transportation
Transportation Costs
Please note that retreat fees do not include transportation to or from Ananda Dhiira. Participants are responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel expenses, including airport transfers, ride-sharing, taxi services, fuel, parking, and airline tickets.
We are happy to help coordinate shared rides whenever possible to reduce costs for participants.
Arriving by Air
The nearest major airport is Sacramento International Airport (SMF).
If you plan to fly into SMF, please contact us in advance regarding transportation options. Uber is generally available from the airport to Ananda Dhiira.
We may also be able to arrange a ride from SMF, subject to availability. The fee for an airport pick-up is $65 per ride. If multiple participants arrive around the same time and share the ride, the cost will be divided among the passengers.
Returning to the Airport
Uber service is not always readily available from Ananda Dhiira to Sacramento International Airport. However, we work with a private transportation service that can provide rides to the airport.
Current rates are:
- $100 for daytime transportation to SMF
- $130 for early morning or nighttime transportation
Flight Planning
We recommend arriving on Wednesday, August 19, and departing on Sunday evening, August 23, or Monday, August 24.
Please note that on Sunday, we expect to return to Ananda Dhiira around 4:00–5:00 p.m., and the drive to Sacramento International Airport takes approximately 1.5 hours. When booking your return flight, please allow sufficient travel time.
Driving to Ananda Dhiira
If you are driving, the address is:
Ananda Dhiira
19393 Sanctuary Road
Penn Valley, CA 95946
United States
Packing List:
NB. Try to have everything as lightweight as possible
- Backpacks
- Tent
- Flashlights and spare batteries
- Water filter (we will have one)
- Water bottle
- Water (for the first day)
- Hiking poles
- Knife
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Towel
- First aid (organizers will bring)
- Paper towels or napkins
- Maps (on the phone)
- Rope (not needed for this trip)
- Mosquito block
- Rubber bands & carabiner
- Compression bags (for making fluffy things fit into the backpack)
- Clothes
- Hiking boots
- Slippers (lightweight)
- Pants, shorts
- Socks
- Underwear
- T-shirts
- Hats
- Jacket, hoodie, sweater
- Swimming shorts, bikini, or swimsuit
- Sleeping
- Sleeping bags & compression bags
- Pads
- Pillows
- Cooking
- Pots (we will share)
- Stove (we will have two small gas stoves)
- Lighter
- Gas
- Forks & spoons (individual)
- Bowls
- Cups
- Food (you can edit this list according to your preferences)
- Breakfast
- Oats
- Dry berries and nuts
- Tea
- Lunch
- Buckwheat
- Humus, bean paste
- Salad (cucumbers, radish, peppers, avocado, olive oil, salt), baby carrots
- Miso soup
- Dinner
- Veggies for soup (potatoes, carrots, cauliflower)
- Lentils
- Tomato paste
- Snacks & Deserts
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Dry fruits (mango, apricots, plums, figs, etc)
- Energy Bars
- Apples
- Carrots
- Breakfast
Please keep in mind to carry only Sattvik vegetarian food. That means not to bring any meat, fish, eggs, onion, garlic, mushrooms, alcohol, tobacco, or narcotic drugs. Caffeinated teas, coffee, and chocolate are Rajasik but are allowed for family people (not for Dada and Didi).
