photo: Molly Steele
Specific dates have not been set for this program in Spring 2027. Please join our mailing list to stay informed.
The wilderness pilgrim's step-by-step breath-by-breath walk up a trail... carrying all on the back, is so ancient a set of gestures as to bring a profound sense of body-mind joy. – Gary Snyder
photo: Brandon Scott Herrell
In the mountains east of Esalen, an enchanting, ecologically diverse, and psycho-spiritually fertile wilderness awaits. Over four nights and five days, we will engage in a contemporary form of pilgrimage, backpacking as reverent seekers through these ancestral lands of the Esselen Tribe, now known as the Big Sur backcountry. Our journey will conclude at the coastal grounds of Esalen Institute with a weekend of reflection and integration.
Since time immemorial, people have taken time away from the patterns and demands of daily life to walk with intention on sacred trails — pursuing embodied spiritual wisdom, expansion, and community. In our modern era of profound ecological degradation and severance from place-based ways of life, wilderness pilgrimage is a powerful practice for restoring relationship with the Earth and the depths of our shared humanity.
Each day of our wild pilgrimage, we will rise with the sun, carry only what we need, and walk with presence and curiosity to meaningfully encounter our inner and outer landscapes. As we hike and camp, we will learn foundational wilderness ethics and skills to feel at home in the wild. When night falls, we will share stories and meals by the fire and sleep beneath a blanket of stars.
Inspired by Esalen’s co-founder Dick Price, who found healing in the Big Sur wild and the Esalen community, our intimate and intergenerational cohort will embrace mutual support — engaging relational practices from Price’s Gestalt lineage to authentically connect with ourselves and one another.
Our pilgrimage community will include the more-than-human world: ancient redwoods, sandstone boulders, surging springs, playful jays, and all the countless beings of Big Sur. Through guided mythopoetic, ecological, and somatic inquiry, we will expand our literacy of wild nature, awaken our senses, and cultivate embodied awareness of our interconnection.
May the ardor and intentionality of our trek, across 30 miles of rugged terrain, wash away calcified layers from our essential selves to reveal bright resilience and aliveness. When we arrive at Esalen, we will turn our attention toward integration and service. In accord with the ancient spirit of pilgrimage, how will we carry what we’ve gathered on this journey into our lives, communities, and lands back home?
Please Note: Experience with backpacking or Esalen/Gestalt is not required. Please see eligibility criteria below, and let us know if you have questions about your ability to participate.
Program Itinerary (sample)
Two separate Wild Pilgrimage groups (of 12 people each) will occur over the same timeframe, taking different trail routes. The pilgrimage routes will be decided closer to date, based on early Spring conditions. The hiking itinerary below is offered as a sample, and is subject to change. Regardless, the hikes will unfold over four nights and five days, and conclude at Esalen for a weekend of shared retreat. The thru-hike below covers ~29 miles; we expect any pilgrimage itinerary to be an equivalent level of (moderate to strenuous) difficulty through rugged terrain, in the range of 25-30 miles total.
Photo of Esalen hot spring baths: Amanda Marsalis
Day 1 | Meet in Big Sur at 8:30am for orientation and to begin our pilgrimage backpacking through the Ventana Wilderness. (This day may require shuttling in vehicles to arrive at the trailhead.)
Example mileage for the day: ~5.2
Example elevation gain/loss: +1695’/-1259’
Day 2-4 | Three backpacking days in deep wilderness. As we make our journey through the Santa Lucia mountains, we will engage with daily check-ins and awareness practices in Esalen’s Gestalt tradition.
Example daily mileage: 5-7/day
Example daily elevation gain/loss: +2500/-2000’
Day 5 | Our last day of hiking together, we will close our time in the Big Sur backcountry. Re-emerging from the wilderness in the afternoon, we will drive to Esalen Institute to check-in by 4pm and share a celebratory dinner.
Example mileage for the day: ~6.5 miles
Example elevation gain/loss: +1218 / -2618
Day 6 | Full day and night at Esalen to enjoy the extraordinary grounds featuring cliffside hot springs, organic gardens, and sweeping ocean views. At Esalen we will meet to practice nature connection and awareness, explore the land together, share stories, and integrate our wilderness time. Please make sure not to schedule bodywork or other plans during our meeting times on Sat and Sun. Esalen offers open movement classes at 7:30am every morning.
Meet in the morning (10:00am - 12:00pm)
Meet in the afternoon (3:00 - 5:30pm)
Day 7| Savor a half-day at Esalen, including breakfast and lunch.
Meet mid-morning (10:00am - 12:00pm) for a closing circle.
Depart Esalen by 2:00 PM.
Photos from past Pilgrimages
all photos by Molly Steele
Other Information
Terms & Conditions (including registration and cancellation terms, and program requirements)