General Questions

Yes!  Please refer to our Blog page at www.WillowSpringsLodge.com.  We feel that the best trails are ALSO the trails that lead you to the best swimming holes on the Yuba River. We have detailed descriptions of our favorite hiking and swimming spots available at the Lodge and Campground. The popular spots are all within a short drive from Willow Springs including, Oregon Creek State Park (7 min); Edwards Crossing/Purden Crossing (20 min); South Yuba River State Park (10 min); and much more.

The water at Willow Springs is from a deep well, cold and refreshing, and we love the taste – no chlorine or chemicals.  It’s been tested with good results.  We encourage you to bring re-fillable water bottles and reduce your use of single-use plastics and trash. See our trash policy HERE.

We suggest you buy your groceries in the Grass Valley area, as there are lots of stores to choose from.  You will find Safeway, SaveMart, Grocery Outlet, SPD Market, Raley’s, and the BriarPatch Food Coop.

Dogs are not allowed on the Retreat Center grounds, including the lodge and the cabins, but ARE allowed within the fenced group camping area. When outside the fenced camping area, they must remain on a lease and on the campground property only (not the Retreat Center grounds). Dogs must be non-aggressive and well-behaved.  There is a $35 charge/dog/visit under 35 lbs. Dogs over 35 pounds must be approved in advance and a fee of $50 will be charged.  Owners are responsible for clean-up, behavior of their dogs, and any damage they make. Repeated offenses of …

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Yes, but these are considered “special events” and must be discussed in advance and do require a custom contract with guests providing liability insurance and a security deposit.  Contact Mark directly at 530-615-9055.

The newly renovated Lodge sleeps 22 in beds ($15 per person/per night charge after 13 guests), our two cabins sleep 4 each, and the fenced group campground has space for multiple tents (no RVs) and we limit campers to 30 people with a $15 per person/per night charge over 24 guests for additional tent campers.  RV sites (full to partial) are available throughout the property for an additional fee. A dump station is available on site. For clarification, anyone over the age of 5 is considered a paying guest. 

We are 1.5 hours from both the Sacramento International Airport and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. We are an approximate 3 hour drive from San Francisco. From Sacramento/Bay Area take I-80 heading east.   At Auburn, take exit 119B to Hwy 49 North to Grass Valley.  Just beyond Grass Valley/Nevada City, turn left and continue east on Hwy 49 (towards Downieville) for approximately 15 miles at which point you will most likely lose cell service until you reach the lodge. When you reach the green “North San Juan” sign, put on your right blinker.  Continue for …

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All of our accommodations are booked separately.  You will need to book them each one at a time and state your dates and number of people for each accommodation because there are different occupancy requirements.

Reservations can be booked at AirBnB, VRBO, Glamping Hub, Hipcamp or directly through www.WillowSpringsLodge.com, www.KarmaInstitute.org, or www.CaliforniaRetreatCenter.org.

Yes, the hot tub is available to the registered guests of the Willow Springs Lodge, only. There is NO hot tub for those renting the Campground.