Tours and Camping

Tours

Earthaven’s School of Integrated Living (SOIL) offers in-person and virtual tours of Earthaven. Book a tour today!

Tours are a great entry point into learning the history, purpose, and development of Earthaven Ecovillage. These tours are designed to provide learners with a deeper understanding about living in community as well as the strategies and solutions possible for doing things another way.

In just a couple of hours, you’ll get a very informative introduction to this 26+ year experimental journey of social, environmental and economic sustainability. You’ll not only learn of things you might want to do, but also what you might NOT want to do.

Saturday In-Person Tours

Saturday tours are scheduled weekly through October plus November 13, 27; December 11, 25. 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Arrive at 9:45). $25 per adult (kids free).

More information and registration:

Tour only
Tour with camping

This is an outdoor walking tour, so be sure to dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Please bring your own food if you think you’ll get hungry. Our rule about pets (no matter how lovable they may be) is never bring them. More information.

Virtual Tours

If you can’t visit in person, experience Earthaven through a live, online, two-hour presentation followed by Q&A. The tour examines the concept of sustainability at Earthaven through social, ecological, and economic lenses. More information and registration.

Customized Tours

Our School of Integrated Living (SOIL) also offers customized in-person and virtual tours. With a customized tour, you can schedule a tour on your schedule, tailored to your interests. More information and registration for customized in-person tours.

Also, check our calendar for classes, events, and other tours.

Camping

The Earthaven campground serves participants in organized in-person programs, including Earthaven Ecovillage tours.

The campground is in a forested area near the village center. The campground has drinking water, a compost toilet, solar shower, and a tarped camp kitchen. The campground does not have electricity. Please bring your own food. Earthaven does not have facilities to serve food to the public. The campground is near the Council Hall for emergency phone calls.

Most camping is in tent sites, with cars parked in a nearby parking lot. Two sites are available for vans, small RVs (30 ft maximum), and car camping. There are no water or electric hookups at these sites.

Options for camping at Earthaven

Earthaven SOIL in-person programs
In-person Earthaven Ecovillage tours
Customized onsite education programs
Other programs at Earthaven that include camping – for more information see our calendar.

The campground is open until November 8, 2021.

You must have an in-person tour of Earthaven in 2021 to be eligible to camp. The campground is open to the public by reservation only. Supporting members are entitled to one week of free camping annually, and discounted rates thereafter. More information and registration.

Visiting in Person

Please do not arrive at Earthaven without having made confirmed arrangements in advance. To foster safety for all, Earthaven requests the following of in-person visitors:

If you are sick, stay home.
If you might have been exposed to COVID-19 or traveled from a high-risk area, plan your visit and tour for a later date.
Clean and sanitize any surfaces you are in contact with while at Earthaven.
Avoid close contact (6 feet) with anyone outside your household.
Bring the following:
- A pen to sign the liability waiver
- Exact change for the tour payment ($15-30 sliding scale)
- A water bottle
- A face covering, in case you enter a building
- Hand sanitizer, if you have a preferred type

See How to Get Here, Maps of Earthaven, and Earthaven Weather. We are located in two counties, Buncombe and Rutherford. COVID-19 updates for every county are on the state dashboard.

Lodging

For lodging near Earthaven, consider:

The lodge at the Light Center (for rooms with kitchenettes).
Sky Island Campground at 88 Flatlander Drive, Old Fort.
An Airbnb apartment called Arya Tara.
An Airbnb 3-Bedroom Cottage in Old Fort.
Nancy Rose, 828-559-5271, offers an apartment at Solairus Community.

Get an inside look at THREE Earthaven Ecovillage homes.

Upcoming Events

Earthaven Ecovillage Visitor Weekend

September 3-6, 2021

This service-learning program introduces participants in the community life of Earthaven Ecovillage. The class gives participants an inside look at the radical social and ecological experimentation that has taken place in this land-based community over the past 25 years.

Virtual Earthaven Tour

Sunday September 14 @ 2 – 4 pm EDT

There’s nothing like experiencing ecovillage life first hand, but taking a virtual tour of Earthaven is a close second!

The tour highlights ways in which Earthaven is striving to be a holistic, sustainable culture. The introductory overview tour examines the concept of sustainability at Earthaven through social, ecological, and economic lenses. Not only will you get a glimpse of what has worked through time, but also hear about what has been challenging. And you will have a chance to ask questions!

Deep Ecology & Yoga Retreat

September 16-19, 2021

In this retreat, we will draw on the work of Deep Ecology and The Work That Reconnects to ground into our ecological identities, and the practice of yoga to integrate the work into our bodies. We will spiral through the 4 stages of The Work: Coming from Gratitude, Honoring our Pain for the World, Seeing with New Eyes, and Going Forth.

Virtual Earthaven Tour

Sunday October 13 @ 2 – 4 pm EDT

There’s nothing like experiencing ecovillage life first hand, but taking a virtual tour of Earthaven is a close second!