The nearest regional airport is Alamosa, which is about 1 hour south of Crestone. You will need to arrange ground transportation (car rental or taxi/shuttle service) to get from Alamosa to Crestone.
To make your navigation on campus easy, bring two pairs of slip-on shoes for your room and the Main House, where you will be taking meals. If you plan to use the meditation hall, please bring a third pair of slippers and comfortable clothes in muted colors for seated meditation.
It can be very dark at night, so it is wise to have a flashlight or headlamp.
The weather in the mountains can be very changeable. Definitely bring sunscreen and a sun hat (see section on “Weather and Climate”) and a rain jacket and/or umbrella. Finally, we are on the side of a mountain with fine hiking trails and thus hiking or walking shoes are useful.
In looking for ways to finance and incrementally realize our Zero Carbon Campus Vision in the context of our wider ecological initiative, we add a 3% fee to all of our Zen and Guest rates. To opt out of this fee please inform the Guest Manager upon making your reservation. More information can be found here.
Arrow/Black Hills Stage Lines: call (877) 779-2999 or purchase tickets online.
Crestone is a high desert climate. It’s cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Skies are mostly clear. We are at 8,400 feet and the sun is intense. Please bring a sun hat and sunscreen.
In the winter, the temperature can drop to -10ºF in the early morning and evening when Zazen is scheduled. It is usually not so cold during the day. There is some snow in the winter and occasionally it can be quite deep. Please bring winter clothes and boots.
If you are not accustomed to high altitude, please remember to drink plenty of water. Altitude physiologists recommend drinking 2-3 liters of water per day before your trip to help your body prepare. Being well rested when you arrive also decreases high altitude illness symptoms.
The Zen Center is located in a remote forest just outside of the small town of Crestone. The nearest doctor’s office or hospital is an hour away in either the town of Salida or Alamosa.
There are two kinds of maps available to you. One map gives you an idea of the buildings and where they are located. The other map shows hiking trails on our 240 acre campus that the residential community uses for walking meditation. The trails are easy and ideal for short recreational walks.
Please use Google Maps for driving directions to CMZC. Google directions from Moffat (the last half hour of your trip) can be confusing. Please download our additional directions from Moffat to Crestone.