We came for the Christmas lights drive through on Tuesday evening. Easy to make a reservation online, not overly crowded, fun and pretty light display with music, and a hosted cozy, festive gathering in downtown Occidental with a fire pit, hot cocoa, cookies, and Santa! Such a great value and lovely showcase of unique, sweet Occidental! The best part was the staff! It appeared that most of the employees were students or young adults who were all incredibly enthusiastic, jolly, and kind. They really made the whole experience come together with the added touch of warm, authentic hospitality. I wish the hot cocoa/cookie servers had a tip jar so we could thank them with a little extra holiday cash! read more

Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds - Santa! The REAL Santa! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Occidental, California

Christmas Lights drive thru. Christmas in the Redwoods is a unique and dazzling drive-thru holiday lights experience. This beautiful light show is conveniently located on the Bohemian Corridor of beautiful Sonoma County. It's a wonderful blend of Redwoods and the magic of the holidays. - - No Admission -Enjoy from the comfort of your car. read more

See all

Great facilities and excellent staff! We much prefer this camp over Mount Hermon, which we utilized for many years.

Checking out this place for a men's retreat and we got a private tour with the manager . The treehouse rooms are truly hanging from large redwood trees and not by framing . Rooms had toilets and sinks but not showers which are elsewhere. They have top notch gourmet chefs for nice dinners and lunches . Then they have the most zip lines around to travel from your room to other places in this 100 acre forest . read more

This is a beautiful setting in the redwoods with a creek running through the property. Our group had a great time this weekend; thank you to the staff! read more

Came here over the weekend for a short stay. the location is not hard to find. It's in the middle of the woods. Plentiful of outdoor open spaces. Parking was alright, it could be a walk depending on the cabin location. The first impression of the rooms were nice and clean. The top level of the bunk beds were extra low, and the mattress were too soft. No beddings are provided, so bring your own sleeping bags. Doors to the cabins and rooms were all left unlocked and no keys are provided. So I kept my valuables with me at all times. It get extremely extremely crowded during dining hours when several different groups of people attending at the same time. There was no effective crowd control, food kept running out so fast. The food here is NOT good at all. It's a buffet-ish style, someone will serve you behind the counter. Most of the fruits here were not fresh. The chicken strips and steaks were overly done, pancake was over cooked. It was very disappointing to see the quality of food they served during meal times. The plates and utensils were dirty. And there's no bathroom/ hand sanitizer inside the dining hall to wash/ clean your hands before dining. The meeting halls and classrooms are nice and tidy. Huge Basketball court and rec rooms for fun. Everything within walkable distance. The front desk staff was friendly and helpful. read more

Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds - Fruits are not fresh. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Occidental, California

See all

Everything was perfect until i went into the cafeteria. The cafeteria is poorly coordinated and not to mention some of the younger staff can be rude towards newcomers. It's sad since the whole camp ground is gorgeous. Not sure if I'll come back but if I do I hope they can have a better organization system. read more

Amazing place to rest, relax and have a positive interaction with faith-based believers with no judgements. Thank you! read more

Beautiful place to visit with the family. Went to this beautiful place as a chaperone for my daughters school! It was so much fun! There's activities for everyone. The naturalist are so professional and they have a cool nature name. So much to see and learn. We got to touch reptiles with the help of feather our naturalist. We also did Zip line with Rubik's help. He did such an amazing job making sure we were all safely strapped on the zip line Rubik's also took us for a hike in the dark. We did sports that Ive never done before my favorite Gaga ball and our naturalist was so fun! Every camper gathers at the fire circle before any activity and all the naturalist always had something so entertaining for all of us like songs, guess what animal, acting, and more. The place offers breakfast, lunch and dinner super delicious! At the gift store an old lady treats kids like if they're going to be stealing. I made it very clear that I didn't appreciate the way she was questioning my group. We all had money and every student bought something. At night we went back to the gift shop a Pregnant lady was there and she was super helpful and friendly with my group of kids! I'm returning next year during the summer with the whole family! Every kid in the school had a blast! Would highly recommend it to anyone! read more

See all

This place is so great! The best tranquil redwoods, delicious, plentiful food, Starbucks coffee, and sky high zip lines make this a top spot for Christian conferences or other events! I absolutely love Alliance redwoods! Have been here several times and just spent another amazing weekend! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! read more

Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Occidental, California

See all

I've been here twice, once pre-COVID and just recently. It's a wonderful place for kids to run around and safely enjoy. The first time I stayed in a double bunk room with a bathroom which was ok, two kids, two adults. But this time I got put in an adjoining room, two bunks in each room sharing one bathroom. 8 people sharing one bathroom! And you could hear all the noise from the adjoining room . There are better accommodations, private rooms with a fridge, cute cottages and yurts too. I guess you get what you pay for right? Grounds are very well kept, basketball, volleyball, playground, pool, small soccer field, rock wall, campfire, hiking, (archery and zip line for a fee). The food pre-COVID was acceptable but this time it was HORRIBLE! Omg I don't know what happened. It was inedible. I can't even describe it. Thus the 4 stars instead of 5. I considered giving it 3 due to the food but decided the rest of the place was really nice and I had fun regardless. But they really need to get their food act together because they charge way too much to serve that mess. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of the place that wouldn't invade peoples privacy. read more

I went to summer camp for 5 years 1980-1985 with my church. So many kids getting closer to God and having fun. The food was really good. A lot of changes since then. read more

We had a retreat here and everything from lodging to food to the facilities was great! The real reason I'm writing this review is because of the amazing staff-we accidentally left a box of supplies here, and when I called to check on it, the staff were super helpful in tracking down the box. They set it aside and were patient while we found time to drive back to get it. The day before, I even received a call confirming that we'd be getting the box, so that they could make sure the box was within easy reach. Highly appreciate it! read more

I came here with 88 6th graders last week. We haven't been here since before Covid and it has definitely gone downhill. I remember the instructors pointing out more science based things along the way to a challenge. I felt like it was more hurry up to get to the challenge, then do the challenge and leave. I didn't feel like it was very educational. The food was awful. The best part about it was the salad bar the attitude of the kitchen/dining room manager was not good. He talked terrible to our principal not realizing that he was our principal. I didn't care for the way he talked to the children either. Why wasn't there hand sanitizer anywhere? read more

It's cool I guess but if you really wanna walk all day and never stop climbing hills, then come! Only problem is the boy rooms compared to the girls rooms. read more

Awesome place to have a conference or meeting or team bonding. There are numerous group activities to do and it's nature all around you. The facilities are clean and in order. Dining hall is huge and can accommodate multiple groups. Food is decent and delicious except for the breaded chicken for lunch which was very hard and dry. Plenty of drinks to choose from, hot and cold. Tables are cleaned every after meals but I don't understand why the people who clean the tables, places the unused utensils on the table, so whatever chemical they use to clean the tables the utensils are now exposed to the said chemicals when they lay the unused utensils on the table that just got wiped. Cabins are clean with just the usual "moldy" odor until you have aired the cabin out. The foams on the bunk bed have seen better days. Restrooms are clean, showers have plenty of room. Toilets near the village where the boys stayed became dirty really fast and was not cleaned fast enough. Zipline and archery tag were fun. Basketball and volleyball court were in good order. The visitor lounge is great, it has a piano and a log fireplace, a couple of desktop computers and a couple of wired telephones, a few game tables and a few couches. At the gift shop lobby which is adjacent to the visitor lounge, offers free cold water and sometimes infused water. The prices at the gift shop are reasonable as well as the prices for snacks. This place has ample space for parking. Overall experience is awesome. I would definitely recommend this place. And the staff are super friendly. read more

Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds - entrance - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Occidental, California

See all

Staff super helpful and nice. Enjoying our time here. Such a beautiful place to experience nature.

We were recently at Alliance Redwoods for a church retreat. The grounds look nice to start with. However, I slept poorly and the food left way more to be desired. We were assigned a room downstairs in Aldenwood. First, I don't understand why we didn't get keys for our room. The doors to the rooms remain unlocked your entire stay. So go prepared for that. The walls AND floors were VERY thin. You can hear everything. Babies crying, walking (but it sounds like stomping), snoring. The beds were decent, the bathroom was tiny. One group in our party found bed bugs, so look before you sleep. The food started off pretty bad on Friday night. It got a bit better as the weekend went on. The drink selection was decent and dessert was decent. The dining hall was clean and easy the access. I signed up for archery, and although it was only $5pp, it was a waste of time. My time would have been better spent taking my son swimming. Too many people signed up (20+ participants, most of which were children who really were too young for it) for the 1 hour slot, so we just got one turn to shoot 5 arrows. There was very little guidance and the range was mediocre. So although I'd rather rate this place higher, I can't. If another retreat is hosted here, I will have to sign up only for a day trip and commute, rather than stay overnight. The messages we hear are not effective if I'm tired from no sleep. read more

We stayed at the yurts (near the field/campfire) and it was VERY FAR from the dining hall and everything else. Not to mention the steep hike to the yurts several times in a day can make you sore the next several days. The yurts had about 10 bunks and showers/restrooms closeby. It was near the campfire, but nothing else. Showers and restrooms were clean and I didn't see any bugs in there (very impressed). I would give it 4 stars b/c of the distance of the yurts but the service here was amazing. Every staff member was gracious and kind and was never rude. Jared set up our fire for our last night (we only stayed a weekend) and the staff was cooperative and let us take pictures on the campground for our scavenger hunt and provided some of the items that we needed! The food is what you would expect with dorm/cafeteria food. French toast, eggs, sloppy joe's, baked chicken and veggies, etc. They even had chips, cookies, cake and a fully stocked salad bar. They had a condiment section with Tapatio, Tabasco and Siracha too! Fountain soda and individual cartons of milk too. They had a new outdoor basketball court, swings, pool, rock climbing rock, indoor basketball court and equipment. This is the fanciest retreat site I have ever been too. Would highly recommend! WARNING: No reception for ATT. I think the only people that had it were on the Verizon network (and calls would still drop). read more

Just love this place! Our scrapbooking group has been coming here for the past 16 years. They have been more than accommodating to our group of 24. The facilities are super clean and the staff is so welcoming and polite. I have been able to take advantage of day hikes and from a teacher/parent point of view they have an outstanding science camp program as well. We look forward to this trip every year. read more

We came here for a school outing and the kids had a great time. Depending on the cabins, the one we were at did not have restrooms (felt more like a 8 x 12 jail cell that had four beds). They location here provides food (brings back the high school cafeteria days), breakfast lunch and dinner and their menu changes daily. Staff here are very knowledgeable and really know how to get the kids involved. Their activities are well planned and everyone in our group had a blast. The restrooms was something that, given the location, was acceptable although every time you walk past it, your nose reminds you they're portable toilets. This location is not within cell phone coverage so don't bother. The location does offer free Wi-Fi though. read more

We had our first all church retreat here. Amazing place. Not only is the environment clean and beautiful. The staff went above and beyond to make our experience great. They brought us hot water to make cup o' noodles during our snack time and made sure there was water in our meeting room throughout weekend. Special shout out to Rachel Reeves that answered all of our questions before the event and made sure our retreat ran smoothly. We sent her so many emails and she responded to every single question we had. read more

Just spent 4 days at AR on a field trip. First, the cabins are decent but you can hear everything. Noise travels so the smallest tap on the floor sounds like a stomp. The food needs improvement. One night we were served a breaded chicken breast that might as well have been a piece of rubber. Pancakes tasted like fried oil. One of my kids found a piece of plastic in his soup and the staff acted like it was no big deal. The naturalist for the most part were great. We had a guy named "skipper" who wasn't the most patient with kids. Mind you this was a field trip for kids. Some staff could probably use some training in working with kids and understand some have never been camping. The hikes are steep but the property is well taken care of. Overall, it was a good experience but I probably won't be returning anytime soon. read more

Really? I'm the 2nd to review? Dang it... I was hoping for another FTR, haha Came here Valentine's/Lincoldn's weekend for World Christian Conference. (www.wcfellowship.org/wcc) and this was the site this year. It's usually in San Mateo, but the normal site was booked and this apparently was the backup. Being out in the woods, this feels more like a church retreat site than a conference center, but had the features of a conference center, such as free WIFI, various meeting rooms, and a cafeteria. The cabin where I was staying was small, with 4 bunks and a compartment shelf for our bags and whatnot. It was very cold in the room and the tiny tiny wall heater took a good 12-18 hours to significantly warm up the room. And you know it's a retreat type of deal when you have a couple hundred feet to where the bathroom/shower house is. Other site features include a rec center with an indoor basketball court, gym, and a climbing wall. There is an outdoor basketball court out near the parking lot, and a ropes course about 1/4 mile Northwest of the site. They have nicer cabins as well. There was a "house" where the planning directors of the conference were staying and I hung out there one afternoon. It had 2 bedrooms (maybe 3?), a living room with fireplace, a dining room, and kitchen. My friend was telling me the office had brochures that were for packages of $99/night stays in the nicer cabins with the heater, fireplace, etc. and included free range of all of the available activites. There is a creek that runs alongside the campgrounds and they have an iron patio set right alongside the bank of the creek to enjoy (weather permitting). The food that came out of the cafeteria was typical retreat food. It wasn't spectacular by any means, but you could tell they did their best trying to feed 200+ a decent meal for a few days. Overall the campsite was really nice and I would've given it 5 stars if it weren't for the rain. That kind of prevented anybody from being able to do anything outside.... read more

What a cool place to take a school group and learn about the great outdoors. I went as a chaperone along with a group of fifth graders. OMG! What was I thinking?! - but I survived. Yes, I did. I actually squeezed in some fun, too. They've got cabins, yurts, basketball courts, a climbing gym, free wi-fi, and a large cafeteria. The naturalists were awesome. They were fun, informative, and not pushovers. We went for day hikes, night hikes (so cool!), campfires, climbing, and swinging from high up in the trees on a giant rope swing (properly harnessed and helmeted). The kids really seemed to have a blast. Special mention needs to be made of the nurse. He worked around the clock - and I know for a fact since I seemed to always be escorting one kid or another to his office for skinned knees or whatever. He was really nice, patient, and joked around with the kids or talked to them sweetly depending on what they needed to ease their fears. read more

I just got back from a weekend retreat here. The place was a bit hard to find, but most campgrounds in the wood will be. The site itself was good. Most of the cabins were located in one area, and they had a nice "hospitality room" which is kind of like a big living room for people to hang out in. They have an indoor basketball court, outdoor sand volleyball court, swimming pool, rock climbing, and a mini-half pipe. The cabins were small, just enough room for two bunk beds and a bit of room for luggage. Bathrooms and showers are dorm-style, but they're not too far from the cabins. It was fun, kind of like being back in the dorms, showering and talking to the guy in the next stall. The food was your average fare, nothing to get excited about. Though since they were cooking for a couple hundred people, we can't expect gourmet food. If your group does come up here, just try to avoid the Yurts. Those things are the big round cabins that sleep 8 or so, and they are located far from everythign else. You're not gonna like the hike. There is absolutely no cell phone service in the area, so it's a nice place to get unplugged. FIve stars cuz it's everying I'd expect in a campground and more. I mean, indoor basketball? Awesome. Available activities also included archery, zipline, and paintball. I don't remember other sites having so many activities available. read more

Wow where do I begin?? I have been a guest out here for roughly 2months as part of the program to help people who are homeless and are in a higher risk of getting covid 19 due to on going health issues.. Upon our arrival my boyfriend and myself were greeted by a lady named Angie.. Within seconds if not minutes she made me feel at ease and relaxed.. As the days went by and after getting to know the staff here at Alliance it's clear to me that this is truely a group of people that 100% enjoy their jobs, and everyone here seems like one big happy family ... Let's not forget the youngsters that are on the kitchen crew daily, their smiling faces and the level of respect they give each and everyone that they serve is so refreshing.. read more

Our church group came back from Redwood Alliance with severe bedbugs bites July 2015. Did anyone else have the same experience? read more

I was a chaperone for my child's district 6th grade science camp. This trip was an amazing experience. The naturalists are so friendly and knowledgeable. The staff all around were very nice. The grounds are located in and around a watershed. The outdoor education was a packed schedule from rise time of 7am to lights out at 10. I highly recommend Alliance Redwoods. Our kids learned about geology, ecology, and participated in teamwork adventure challenges that pushed them out of comfort zones in the most positive way. read more

i just survived 5th grade camp there!! and i must say i was very impressed by the camp grounds, staff and also naturalists. This place is maintained very well and the activities are all fun. Zip lines galore, swimming pool, indoor and outdoor basketball, rock climbing, beach volleyball, ping pong tables, fuzzball tables, pool tables.... you name it, they most likely have it. overall experience was great and most importantly the kids had fun. the food was bland but thats to be expected in a place like this. GREAT JOB ALLIANCE REDWOODS!!! read more

Alliance conference grounds is great on many levels. The staff are friendly, helpful, communicate well and are on top of their game. The grounds are beautiful and well kept. They have a good variety of housing options. From yurts to cabins. Recreational options for groups and individuals. For a conference we've tried paintball, climbing walls, ropes courses etc. They also have a great tree top zip line excursion that I hope to try this year. All in all, try it! read more

The facilities looked clean and amazingly well maintained. The food was tasty. The staff seemed friendly and focused on making our experience a good one. Paintball was an unforgettable heart pumping blast for the guys. Would recommend trying the zip line though even though our group had not tried it. Everyone skilled in the art of owning or overseeing a conference facility has probably studied this place as a case study of what skilled managers from another industry could accomplish in hospitality if allowed to experiment in the facility rental world. This looked like a popular facility in that its guests find this popular. On any random day, one can see plenty of cars in the parking lots as shown via commercial satellite imagery (e.g. Google Maps, Microsoft Terra Server, etc.). Would use commercial satellite imagery to compare this facility with others as the parking lot having many cars hints at popular utilization. read more

The Building Christian Fellowship in Suisun California held our men's advance this year 2017 they were very awesome, very clean, very courteous, can't wait to come back 2018 read more

Alliance redwoods truly describes its name. I went there for four days for a class field trip, it was the best experience of my life. I made plenty of new friends, and everything is super clean, including the cabins. They have a super nice gift shop and fascinating activities. The naturalists are kind and show great support within our decisions. I truly loved that place, and will never forget about it. I enjoyed every minute there with my new friends, and it'll be a rememberable moment that I'll never forget. read more

I just had the most amazing 4 day experience here with my son and his class for their Outdoor Education. I had heard good things, but I really was quite surprised at how well run, well organized, clean and entertaining this place really is. The staff are outstanding. Everyone we came in contact with, Andrew the director, the office staff, cafeteria, and the Naturalists (especially Sunshine!) were exceptional at accommodating guests of all ages. The Naturalists really have quite a gift with working with kids. Even the most timid and cautious of kids are encouraged and nurtured to challenge and "stretch" themselves. Honestly, I entered as a chaperone, an observer, but I was able to be a part of the experience and learned to "stretch" myself. I am not sure who learned more and had more fun, me or my son. :) All of the Naturalists that we worked with were very gifted at working with children. This place has it down to a science!! But I must say that Sunshine is truly their shining star. :) He is so personable, knowledgeable, and entertaining. I honestly don't have anything negative to say about this place. I have back home for 8 hours and I wishing I were back there. If they could improve on anything, it would only be the food choices. They have a FABULOUS Starbucks bar with coffee's and iced tea in the office. They also have coffee, tea and hot cocoa in the dining hall. But their choice of other beverages in the dining hall could be improved. The kids LOVED it, but as a parent I would have liked better choices. They didn't have soda, but a choice of lemonade and fruit punches. I would rather see natural fruit juices, water, and milk offered. But there meals were much better than I had anticipated. And I really appreciated the salad bar offered at every lunch and dinner. I am look forward to visiting here again, hopefully very soon!!! read more

Just came back a week ago from Alliance Redwoods. My daughter's 6th grade class at Chilton Middle School went with 193 6th graders deep. I was very impressed with how well everything was orchestrated for our students. There even was Montessori Project attending during our stay that had roughly 75 students. It rained every day that we were there but our enthusiastic and amazing naturalists kept us parent Chaperones and students interested and happy. We hiked at night in the rain and chaperones were treated to a nice lounge with self serve Starbucks coffee for a small fee (my life line). Wi-fi in the common areas and treats after lunch and dinner. What more can you ask for? I never had any issues with bed bugs, but if that is a concern, it wouldn't hurt to bring something you feel comfortable spraying in the cabins. Otherwise, be glad you're not sleeping outside with the banana slugs. I think the best times spent were outside and with our naturalists. We love them all and they were all kind and encouraging! Did I mention they treated us to huge Oatmeal and Chocolate chip cookies at one of our meetings as a 'thank you' for helping out? Cant wait to return again! Peaches, Sunshine, and Firefly you all made a big impression on our group. Thank you for the unforgettable experience! read more

See all

This was an awesome experience for my granddaughter's fifth grade class. As one chaperone friend said "it couldn't be a better coming-of-age-experience" for the children. And yes, the food was not very good at all, but I don't think most of the children noticed because they were having such a good time. However, I think the dining room needs some sound retarding materials affixed to the ceilings or walls because the deafening cacophony of 300 children trying to talk above the din seems adversely discordant in such a peaceful and contemplative setting. My heart is singing but my ears are ringing! read more

Went here as a chaperone with school group for 5th grade Outdoor Education. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. Staff was wonderful, naturalists very knowledgeable and accommodating. Everyone makes you feel very welcome here. Our group stayed at the Big Rock lodge, which was actually across the street. The lodge was perfect for our group of 24 (4 adults and 20 kids), and could have actually accommodated a few more. Lodge included bathrooms, hot showers, and very spacious area for meetings & activities. Only suggestion would be to build a walkway/bridge over to this lodge because the street you have to cross, although not very wide, but cars drive pretty fast on this road (hence, 4 stars instead of 5)! On the main grounds, there is a hospitality lounge, dining hall, lots of recreational areas, and meetings spaces. Medic at the nurses station is very caring & thorough, esp for the kids who needed to take prescription meds. Outdoor activities we did were zip-lining, piñata, and night hike. Again, naturalists do a fantastic job with educating, motivating, and keeping everyone safe. It's pretty obvious how well-managed and organized they are here. I would definitely recommend this place for other schools to utilize for Outdoor Ed! Thank you Alliance Redwoods! read more

See all

This past weekend I took my husband on a surprise trip to Alliance Canopy Tours. What a blast! Even in the rain and being soaked from head to toe, we had a wild adventure flying through the sky on ziplines. The 800 foot zipline was the BEST! I am afraid of heights and I loved the experience. read more

A great place for church retreats. Been here twice and the staffs are just amazing. Very nice size gym is available. Foods are okay. Usually, 3 out of 5 meals are great. read more