Drala Mountain Center

I just got back from a 3-day retreat and can't say enough about how great both the center and retreat were. Drala is a beautiful center with a rich history run by kind, compassionate, and committed staff. The food and cleanliness exceeded my expectations. The Great Stupa was magical. If a program calls you to this place, you can consider yourself lucky. I look forward to coming back one day and seeing what's the same and what's different. To the staff, thank you for your support and maintaining this environment for the benefit of all.

To the wonderful team at Drala Mountain Center, Thank you for a truly transformative experience. I am so grateful for the hard work and selfless service that made this retreat flow with such ease and grace. From the nourishing meals to the sacred atmosphere of the land, every detail was a blessing. Thank you for helping me find my way back home to myself. I have booked a return visit in March to attend a Zen retreat to continue to grow and learn.

Just finished a weekend retreat at this beautiful sacred space. The Stupa is stunning and when you go inside there is a giant golden Buddha, with seats to meditate. Past the Stupa there is a shrine, where there is clear instructions on how to pay homage in the proper respectful way. The leaves on the aspens in the fall contributed to the autumn ambiance. For the retreat, Rooms were comfortable and clean. The two instructors hosting were incredibly talented at holding space and creating an amazing atmosphere and unforgettable experience. The food for all meals was delicious. The director Linda is friendly and nice. Would come back again for another retreat in the future.

A truly sublime area deep in the Colorado mountains. Entire staff from teachers to drivers are deeply thoughtful and welcoming. The property is immaculately maintained, with many of the buildings blending in with the surroundings, lending to the feeling of utter seclusion and solitude. The sunrises are spectacular and the sunsets unforgettable. A transformative experience for anyone that I highly recommend.

Beautiful location and a huge range of accommodations and sacred spaces. Then there is the perimeter hiking trail and the Stupa. Oh and a Shinto shrine. And a lovely gift shop. Do whatever it takes to get here at least once.

We visited to see the stupa and walk the wintery grounds. It’s one of the most beautiful stupas I’ve see. The inside is serene and calming. Thanks for welcoming all to this lovely place. ❤️

Such a beautiful spiritual place. Peace.

This place is mindblowing relaxing. When we went up during the week, we had nearly the entire place to ourselves. The temple is immaculate and absolutely stunning!

I've been attending retreats and doing day visits over the years. Each time I set foot on the land I am hopeful, inspired and reflective. I would definitely do a weekend program first so that staff knows who you are and that you become immersed in whatever experience you are choosing to focus on. Please know that there is limited staff there so you won't get balloons and banners if you go up for the day to visit. And please read what the boundaries are before you go, like no dogs on the property and you may not even able to get food or drink there. When we visited for the day we stopped and had lunch at the grocery store/cafe before turning off on the dirt road. I would encourage anyone to see what program calls to you and give it a chance.

Every time I've gone up whether for a day, a night of car camping, or a meditation program & stayed in a room, I'm always renewed and at peace here-- I definitely feel the drala. I have a dream of retiring somewhere like this some day, and by retire, I mean lead the rest of my life spiritually and of service to the world. This place sparked that in me.

Went here for a top-rated meditation retreat. Walked to the stupa under a red sun, prayer flags flapping. Good vibes Y'all!!

Incredible place and staff. I spent 10 days here for the young adult Coming Home retreat and it was a life changing experience. The whole trip went seamlessly and great. I would highly recommend visiting!

Reset your expectations - this is NOT a ski lodge or fancy resort. This is the PERFECT spot to come and get away from pretense, meditate, walk, hear...silence, be a human being vs a human doer. 5th visit and I will be back again and again. Bring your flip flops and leave your attitude, cell phone and curling iron at home. Stupa is amazing after sunset and at 5:30am when you can walk up under the stars and come out to the sunrise.

WOW! This place is amazing. The Shambhala Center is a so much more than the awe inspiring temple beautifully set against the back drop of the mountains. The retreat area we simply passed through, but I would absolutely want to spend some time there, it looked amazing. The gift shop didn't leave me with a scuzzy feeling and I couldn't help buying everything I even kinda liked to try to patronize such an amazing place. It is unbelievable and something you have to see and experience to really be able to comprehend.

It completely sucks that this place can't come up with more original programs. I'm not sure who they are trying to cater to with this same old hippie shit. They could be very innovative and come up with all kinds of stuff and they just suck in every possible way.

Before we made it to the temple, a rude staff member very gruffly told us dogs were not allowed on property. She then stated we were welcome on the property, "but the dogs had to be secured in the vehicle." It was 89 DEGREES OUT! I feel like not only is this is dangerous advise and most likely illegal (I am not familiar with colorado laws), but it also seems to go against the whole image and message of such a place. My husband and I were going to book a weekend retreat after we saw the premises. I do not think we will go there now.

I went here for a meditation retreat two summers ago, and was stunned by its community and beauty. I really enjoyed the schedule, meals and people that I met there - some in my program, and some others at meal time or hiking visiting for the day, etc. Not 5 stars because: -the mice in the communal bathhouse in the tent area really grossed me out. I know its not very zen, but I want them out of my stuff. -the old Army tents we slept in smelled like mildew and had leaks and we were cursed with two days of rain. -the last session of our retreat was spent trying to upsell us to more programs and instead of leaving with a "peaceful easy feeling", I felt like I had just missed joining a cult. I am considering going here again this summer when I camp up in the Poudre Canyon and just spending the day.... or else splurge on the upscale accommodations here.

Rude Employees, Culty-Vibe, Meat & Dairy??! Strange place, and not in a good way. I've wanted to visit Shambhala Mountain since I was 15, and I have to say after my experience I'm never coming back. To start, all of the employees/volunteers my boyfriend and I encountered were very rude. Not the type of welcoming, open-hearted people you would expect at some healing Buddhist retreat center. It was obvious they didn't care about the visitors and wanted them to leave as soon as possible. Not a shred of kindness or humility seemed to be present in any of these people. The people running the lunch buffet were grumpy and uninviting, the people running the gift shop completely ignored everyone and sat in the back showing each other videos on their phones, and the lady running the Stupa visitor center promptly escaped to a "staff only" place in the building and never came out to greet us or tell us about the Stupa. The mess hall was dirty and haphazardly put together. In regard to the food, my boyfriend and I were surprised by the overwhelming presence of meat and dairy at the center, both at lunch and in the gift shop. Isn't this place supposed to be heavily Buddhist? There is no peace or kindness in the animal agriculture industry, and for a place claiming to be peaceful and enlightening, serving/selling meat and dairy completely contradicts this message, and quite frankly, it's disgusting. I would also like to echo what a previous reviewer said; this place is a money grab. There were donation boxes LITERALLY EVERYWHERE. The entrance, lunch, trails, visitor center, the gift shop, and even inside the great stupa!!!! I get that the place relies heavily on donations, but it was over-the-top and annoying. Like the previous reviewer said, "Buddha may have been rich but renounced that life and at heart was a very ordinary being." This place should be focused on spirituality, kindness, and compassion, not milking people for cash at every opportunity. The gift shop was also overpriced, nearly everything there was marked up more than normal retail. They were even selling mediocre painted rocks for "a donation of $36,000," what???!!! The whole experience felt like visiting some bizarre, unfriendly cult. Save your money and gas, I would absolutely not recommend this place to anyone.

I enjoyed my meditation and yoga retreat although I would not return. Also it was about 10% yoga and 90% lectures, ceremony and discussions. I found it too sedentary of a program for me as an active person. To note, if you are on the younger side you might want to know over half of the attendees were 55+. There is a cult-y vibe to the attendees as well. The location is beautiful and serene and there are some scenic hikes in the area. I thought I would learn more about meditation and practice yoga, but it seems a lot of people who are in life transitions go there for support and connection. At times what comes up can be heavy and sad, so just know people go there for solace through the community. If you aren't in that place it may seem intense or heavy for a "vacation".

This place is magical. It is worth the crazy drive up there just to experience the serenity and peace. The exterior of the temple is beautiful, the grounds stunning and the interior will literally take your breath away. We stayed for the vegetarian lunch and it was delish, filling and fresh. This is truly a special place and you will feel refreshed and happy.

I really like the Google map as presented here. Well, all dharma agrees at one point! Great retreat-type set-up, excellent bookstore/gift shop. The temple itself is a bit of a trek, but I was told by a Bodhisattva that it was to keep the Looky-Lou's from trying to drive by it. In the bookstore I picked up these wonderful Buddhism "flash card" type things, one which reads "Abandon any hope of fruition." Hah! After an afternoon at the Shambhala Center, the saying (as did the others) made perfect sense to me. A place which taught me to cultivate the power of the present moment by entering into the holy now.

Absolutely beautiful. Coming from LA, this place is literally a breath of fresh air - I didn't realize how much I missed nature until I spent a week at the Shambhala Mountain Center. They have a variety of programs, some more meditation/Buddhist oriented than others. It's hard to put into words the experience of a meditation retreat, but as a retreat center, this place is breathtaking...and the food isn't too bad either, especially since I'm on a gluten-free dairy-free diet!

Go here. If you researched it you don't want to back out now. The drive itself is beautiful. Yes, it's down a dirt road and it's a little bit of a drive but what you find at the end of the drive is worth your time. The stupa itself is very peaceful. Spend some time and take it all in. It's a little bit of a walk to get to it, enjoy the walk. The food is delicious.

Shambhala is a magnificent spiritual place. I have been here twice and I have never been disappointed. If you are joining there for a retreat, I recommend you research your retreat guide leader and be sure that they are what you are searching for. I attended Noah Levine's 'Heart of the Revolution' Retreat there 2 years ago. It was truly a life changing experience. Not just his teachings, but to also be in such a beautiful and zen like atmosphere. I also attended the 'Open Heart' retreat by Susan Piver, and it was truly an honor to have experienced that place and that retreat with so many other amazing people. Shambhala is about community and you can feel it very much in some of the retreats.. for several days through meditation and sangha, you come together to grow. THE GREAT STUPA: Just a 20 minute walk up the trail from Shambhala is The Great Stupa, which is a magnificent sight to behold. I feel I really can't do this place the justice it needs. Inside, is a enormous Buddha stature meditating in a lotus pose. Below him are series of cushions, so you can join Buddha in meditation. I highly recommend this. The statue and walls of the Stupa are filled with relics from all over and with various representations, including the skull of the founder of Shambhala , Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in the buddha's heart center. FOOD: The food there is AMAZING! I'm allergic to gluten and eggs and I never have to worry cause they serve a gluten/vegan option at every meal. I can't say enough about how superb the food is. It's delicious! They have some great chefs there. Real quick to make you drool... at my recent stay they had goat cheese and herb topped portobello mushrooms with chard, coconut thai veggies in a delicious coconut milk sauce, and on the last day of my stay they had a chocolate gluten free/vegan cake. OMG... I seriously went to heaven. Plus it's buffet style, so be prepared to gain a few LBs. lol. Think of the stay there more like a camping trip and not a fancy hotel. If you keep that in mind, then you will have a terrific and enjoyable experience.

Everything about the SMC is pretty amazing. I've been multiple times and I love it. The staff is kind and helpful, the food fantastic and the setting is gorgeous. I've loved every program and they've been extremely varied - I even got my mom to come up and she loved it. Don't miss the stupa!!!!

I love this center! I am fortunate enough to live 7 miles from SMC. I took my 16 year old daughter and 13 year old son to our first open house today, and we were awestruck. The lunch that was provided was delicious; our guide, Israel, was very open, friendly, and well- spoken. The entire staff was friendly and helpful. The Great Stupa is magnificent! Whether you are Buddhist or not, you will appreciate the peaceful, calming environment.

In this crazy world it is so nice to find such a beautiful & peaceful place, so close to the Denver metro area. Plan your escape, even if it's just for a day, yourself will love you.

Enjoyed my first yoga meditation weekend retreat. Enjoyed the location, education, and people. You don't have to be a pro at either for enjoying and practicing being a better person.

What an amazing experience! This was one of the best experiences I have had in my life. Quiet, serene, and well supported, my time at SMC reconnected me to the earth, weather and my heart. If you are looking for someplace to reboot your connection to your life, this is the place.

Yes, this was a very beautiful place to visit though I do have to say that we weren't greeted or smiled at the whole time we were there. I may be a bit attached, I am watching that, but for a bunch of "Buddhists" this place was really lacking in the spirit of an open heart. Yes, the free meal was a lovely expression of generosity even if we were scolded that we we were going the wrong way around the buffet and not once welcomed. They are very focused on money and trying to get you to come back to spend more on their programs. I understand the need, I work with a nonprofit -but really?! I couldn't possibly afford their "levels" (programs). It was on the edge of an elite cult for me. I'd rather take part in a down to earth type of group that is not focused on generating money but rather helping others wake up to this life. Buddha may have been rich but renounced that life and at heart was a very ordinary being.