Rates and Accomodations

"Hospitality is love on the loose." -Joan Chittister

Nestled among the hills of a 400-acre land preserve, Big Laurel provides hospitality for all who visit. Our property offers miles of roads and trails to explore, and plenty of outdoor spaces to sit a spell. Whatever your pace of life, come slow down at Big Laurel.

Overnight Rates for Visitors

$55 per night, per person

Rate includes dinner on arrival day, three community meals per day, and breakfast on departure morning.

Reservations

Email: biglaurel.director@gmail.com

Call: 304-393-4103

We invite you to enjoy our mountain retreat in any season. Fall is breathtaking with the hillsides painted red, gold, and orange by the changing leaves. If you plan your visit for our colder months (November through March), we suggest staying in the main guest house where we heat with wood stoves. While the outbuildings do have space heaters, nights can be chilly! Keep in mind that spring and summer is our busy season, so contact us early to reserve your space.

Sample Menu of Meals

Continental breakfast 8:30 – cereal selection, milk, fruit, bagels, farm-fresh eggs (made to order), homemade butter, sausage, pancakes
Sandwiches or bag lunches 12:30 – a selection of sliced deli meats and cheeses, bread, lettuce, tomato, condiments, chips, cookies, fruit, prepared side dish (macaroni, potato salad, coleslaw, etc.)
Community dinners 6:00 – main dish (casserole, soup, stew, pasta, etc.), garden-fresh tossed salad, veggie side, homemade bread, homemade butter

*Menu subject to change seasonally. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and dairy free options available upon request. Please notify us of any dietary restrictions at the time of registration.

Main Guest House

Big Laurel

Built in 1976 as the original Big Laurel School, our converted mountain schoolhouse now serves as the hub of the Big Laurel Learning Center community.

Two wood burning stoves, trees from our surrounding forests, and the efforts of generous volunteers keep the house warm throughout the winter. As an effort to be sustainable, all of our tap water is harvested rain water. It is then stored in 500 gallon tanks and filtered three times before being pumped into the house for daily use!

Big Laurel's lower level contains two guest bedrooms, a half bathroom, and a large meeting room/great room. A community dining room, kitchen, living room, bathroom, pantry, and staff bedrooms are upstairs. Please note that a dog also calls Big Laurel home.

Library Bedroom

This cozy room offers overnight guests a comfortable queen sized bed and three walls of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Two screened windows receive wonderful afternoon and evening sun.

Sleeps: 3

Amenities: 1 queen bed and 1 twin bed with included sheets, pillows, and linens, space heaters, screened windows, fans, large screened porch, half bathroom down the hall, lots of books to browse

Downstairs Bedroom

Freshly painted and very spacious, this room has three twin sized beds and a twin sized bunk bed. Two screened windows offer wonderful morning sunlight.

Sleeps: 5

Amenities: 5 twin beds with included sheets, pillows, and linens, carpet, space heaters, screened windows, fans, large screened porch, half bathroom down the hall

photo credit: Max Ferrero

Rustic Bunkhouse

Located 150 yards from the main guest house, the bunkhouse’s proximity to the basketball court, fire pit, and horse barn make it the perfect escape for the young and young at heart. Its relative distance from the main guest house allows energetic guests a little more freedom to stay up late and enjoy each other’s company. A large attached porch offers two porch swings and plenty of space to enjoy a mountain sunset. Bunkhouse guests can also check out the greenhouse that shares a wall with its sunny side.

Sleeps: 6

Amenities: 3 twin bunk beds with included pillows and a fitted sheet (bring your own blankets or sleeping bag), electricity, space heaters, screened windows, fans, porch, composting toilet, refrigerator, freezer, coffee pot (water, restroom, and kitchen facilities available at main guest house)

Cozy Condo

This little gem is located just a few steps from the main guest house. Built into the side of the mountain, the condo sits atop our root cellar. Its slightly removed location offers guests more privacy than the main guest house, but it is still close enough to enjoy the modern amenities and community feel. The windows overlook a beautiful view of the wooded hillside and lower horse pasture, and the small attached porch is a serene spot to enjoy a morning cup of coffee. Condo guests can also check out the nature trail that starts at the gate, just past the outhouse.

Sleeps: 2

Amenities: 1 queen bed with included sheets, pillows, and linens, electricity, carpet, cozy chair, space heaters, screened windows, fans, porch, and outhouse (water, restroom, and kitchen facilities available at main guest house)

Large Bunkhouse

The large bunkhouse is used primarily for summer camps. Located up the hill from our Ecology Center, the bunkhouse is nestled into the surrounding forest and is ideal for large school, church, or camp groups. It also neighbors The Knob, an eclectic 1940’s stone lodge that houses our summer kitchen. The large bunkhouse is a ½ mile walk on the ridge road from Big Laurel’s main guest house. Note: this bunkhouse facility is not heated or insulated and not available in winter months.

Sleeps: 18

Amenities: twin sized bunk beds with fitted sheets (bring your own pillow and blankets or sleeping bag), screened windows, new ceiling fans, large front porch, composting toilet, outhouse, four outdoor showers, close proximity to Ecology Center

Ecology Center

The hub of many of our summer camps and youth programming, the Ecology Center is a large, indoor space that is perfect for crafts, games, movies, meetings, and more. The building began its life as mining office before being moved and reconstructed at its current location on JASMER property. The building provides a large screened porch with plenty of seating, a craft room with sink, one indoor shower, four outdoor showers, and an attached outdoor composting toilet.

The large central room has space for tables and chairs that can be arranged for a classroom or meeting setting. It also has a cozy corner with couches, a library, and lots of games.