Mystic Mountain is so fantastic!! I call it 'dog camp' because it feels like my pup has an adventure while here. The photo emails really make my day while I'm on long trips. My friends from other areas are envious - and wish there were Mystic Mountains everywhere!! Update: as my pup has aged, he has become more 'special needs', with medication and some observation required. The team at Mystic take such good care of him - I no longer take my pup anywhere else. We drive over an hour each way to get there, and it's worth every minute for my piece of mind on business trips. read more

Mystic Mountain Retreat is fantastic. Our boxer "Trey" has always been a shy girl, but she took to MMR very quickly. Now we board her there occasionally even when we're not travelling, simply because she loves her trips to "doggie camp" so much. Cindy and her team are great people, well-attuned to the animals under their care and highly knowledgeable. The first time we brought Trey there, she was so excited that she got a kind of doggy snuffle-hiccup thing going, which had me visibly worried. One of Cindy's staffers told me not to worry, put her hand over Trey's face for a couple of seconds, and the snuffle-hiccups went away. Very reassuring. The folks at MMR are very skilled at sizing up each dogs' social character and needs, and they divide the dogs up into compatible play groups. I love that Trey gets structured social time with other dogs. Since she's our only pup, she spends most of her time as a furry person (rather than as a dog), and it makes us happy that she gets a chance to really be a doggie sometimes. Trey has chronic health issues and is usually on 3 or more types of medication at any given time, and also requires special physical care on a daily basis. Mystic Mountain Retreat is the only place I trust to take care of all of her needs. MMR is a 1-hour drive from Kirkland/Redmond, which is a real pain. But believe me, it's worth it. MMR does partner with pet taxi services, though we've never taken advantage of this. read more

We have been bringing our dogs to Mystic Mountain for several years now and we remain very happy we have a trusted and loving place we can board our dogs and know they are in the best care - lots of outdoor play time, fresh air, organized and thoughtful kennels, and expert handling. Two of our dogs like to play and fetch and they get plenty of exercise while staying at Mystic Mountain. They don't come home all hyper and needy. Our other two dogs are small and blind, and one of our blind dogs is also special needs (epilepsy and cerebellum hypoplasia) and we don't have to pay more for administering meds and the extra work involved. Another bonus is we can pick up our dogs on Sundays (which you can't do at all places). It's a bit of a drive to get there but well, well worth it, both for our peace of mind and our dogs' happiness while we are away. read more

I LOVE Mystic Mountain and so does my dog! Cindy and her team are very knowledgeable and truly care for your pet. I have tried a few kennels in Seattle and will definitely stick with MMR. I have a 7 year old vizsla who used to being very active. Generally, when I have taken him to other kennels, he has "kennel hangover" for about 24-48 hours after returning home - meaning he sleeps most of the time and is anxious while he is awake. He has stayed at MMR three times so far and has experienced no kennel hangover. When I drop him off, he is very excited to see Cindy and her team. He clearly receives a lot of one-on-one attention and is well exercised in their enclosed play area. Cindy encourages you to bring your pet's bed, food, toys, etc. so they feel more at home. Cindy will email you with updates and pictures; she even prints out a collage of pictures for you to take with you. MMR is in Monroe, and it takes me approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to drive there from Ballard. HOWEVER it is TOTALLY worth it! read more

This is easily the best dog boarding location we've ever taken our dogs two. We have 2 midsize dogs, with some behavioral issues we're working on. Cindy and her crew are fantastic. They enjoy what they do and care about the dogs. They send occasional reports and photos during long stays. Our pups really like it here. Its a way healthier alternative to other places we've tried. The dogs in their care get rotated in and out of the fenced play area multiple times throughout the day. Our dogs are happy staying here, and we're happy knowing they are well taken cared of. read more

Mystic Mountain Retreat is great! I have never boarded a dog before, and was nervous about it, but I knew that we had to because none of our family or neighbors are capable of caring for our "reactive" dog, Milo. He has socialization issues, is very high strung, and very high energy. I brought Milo to meet Cindy about a month before our trip, and I was very happy when they decided that he would be able to stay with them while we were gone! Cindy worked around his socialization problems, worked with him training twice a day, cared for him, and took beautiful photographs of his stay. They are really really knowledgeable and caring! Next time we need a babysitter for Milo, he's going back to camp!! On top of the amazing experience, they are also very reasonably priced, and Cindy even was able to recommend a trainer that fits Milo's needs perfectly. Mystic Mountain Retreat is about a 45 minute drive from my home, but I would drive that distance anytime if I know that Milo will be in a caring place! read more

Was hesitant to write a review before because I'm a terrible person and didn't want to have to compete with even more customers for peak boarding seasons, but we're moving next month so it doesn't matter anymore! Cindy and her team are the best. We've boarded our dog here countless times. It's a 45-minute drive with tons of closer options, but we would never take him anywhere else. Every time he gets out of the car at Mystic Mountain, he breaks into full-body wags and runs to see (and lean into) the caretakers. Everyone here loves animals passionately--they know every idiosyncrasy of the dogs they watch, and exude love and concern for them. The facility is also fantastic. We've checked out many places that are massive concrete-and-chain-link echo chambers filled with howling dogs. I wouldn't want to be inside there for an hour; I can't imagine leaving my dog somewhere like that for a week. Cindy's place has cozy wood-walled rooms for the dogs, partitioned into several small groups of kennels with doors separating some of them. They pay very close attention to the needs and personalities of the dogs staying and place them accordingly--dogs that get cold easily in a separate room with the heater set higher, or dogs that don't like noise away from vocal ones. Dogs also get to play outside for long stretches multiple times per day. Where other places will charge absurd fees just for a daily 10-minute walk, Mystic Mountain has included daily supervised play sessions in a large fenced play area, carefully selecting groups of dogs that play well together and rotating groups in and out during the day. It's a great feeling knowing that your dog will actually be happy and having fun while you're away. Absolutely worth the trek! read more

This place is the best! We have 3 dogs and have been searching for a place where they can run around in a natural but secured environment and have fun while we are away. We checked out quite a few places before we decided on Mystic Mountain. One of our dogs who is usually very apprehensive with new places took to Mystic Mountain Retreat like his own home! The minute we arrived, he started romping about. Cindy, the owner, is very nice and knowledgeable. The BEST all around! read more

Mystic Mountain Retreat took wonderful care of my dog probably about a dozen times between 2010 and 2013. She was always super happy to see Cindy and seemed to love the place. My dog has a hard time getting along with other dogs, but Cindy had a magical ability to calm her down. read more

I love Mystic Mountain, and more importantly, so do my two French Bulldogs. I have been taken them out there for years. It is a bit of a drive from Seattle, but if my plans can accommodate it I'm always willing to go the extra distance. One of our Frenchies is not easy to take care of, he's an escape artist, he gets obsessed with certain toys, and gets over stimulated in daycares that are inside only. Plus they are both on a frozen raw food diet and various medications but Cindy and Mystic Mountain are always able to accommodate our needs. We joke amongst ourselves that when we go on vacation, the boys go on a spiritual retreat to Mystic Mountain. They get to run around outside and experience the smells of other kinds of animals (horses, llamas, chickens). I get updates from Cindy while I'm away and so I never worry that they are in good hands. I've even taken my sister's Frenchies out there (for a total of 4) for extended stays and Cindy is able to manage all of their different eccentricities. read more

My dog would love to live here! I wish I could videotape my dog as we head out to Mystic Mountain Pet Retreat. The minute I make the turn, such excitement and happiness is heard from the back seat. That's the best recommendation. But I also appreciate the professionalism in handling the safety of my dog with other dogs. I never have to worry about that with Cindy and her team. They go to great lengths to make sure everything works well for your dog. They have accommodated all kinds of issues such as only feeding my dog certain kinds of treats and giving shots. I just never thought I could find a place where I felt like they took better care of my dog than I did! How wonderful to have that feeling while I'm out of town. thanks for all that you do Mystic Mountain! read more

Cindy and Mystic Mountain kennel are nice. However, if you have a dog that requires exercise and is energetic take note. It is a small kennel that has the following business model. If your dog is considered energetic you will be told your dog is no longer welcome there. I have a well trained German Shepherd that is energetic and requires exercise. They don't want energetic dogs. Because they are small they want to fill those limited reservations with dogs that require the least amount of work. I wish Cindy was upfront with me about this when I picked up my dog last so I had more time to find an alternative. Instead, I placed my next reservation prior to an upcoming vacation and was told by Cindy that he was longer allowed to stay there because quote, "he got extra excited" when we were busy. read more

My Lab mix, Jack, had an over night stay with Cindy this past week. I knew from the first minute Cindy's helper showed Jack to his suite that he was in good hands. Even though it was only an overnight I could tell he would have been fine with a longer stay. What's not to like with other dogs to play with in the fenced play area. Thank- you, Cindy and staff. Oh, Jack says thanks too. read more

Yet another fantastic experience for our family at Mystic Mountain Pet Retreat last week. As always everything went smoothly when we dropped our dog off and when we picked him up. Our "Rufus" was in great spirits to see us and it was obvious he had a great time. Nothing is better than coming home from vacation to a dog that clearly enjoyed his vacation too. read more