I came here for a church retreat, and let me start by saying: the drive in was traumatic. One-lane, winding road. Aggressive fog. Zero streetlights. I don't know if Pennsylvania is cutting costs or testing faith levels, but the drive absolutely required prayer. That said, and this is important, that was the worst part of the entire experience. Once you arrive, it's like stepping into a completely different reality. Parking is plentiful, clearly marked, and right in front of the buildings (including handicap and short-term spots, which we love to see). The facilities themselves? Beautiful. Clean. Extremely well maintained. No "rustic surprise mold" vibes here. Each room has its own bathroom, a thermostat, and AC, which means you're not stuck freezing, sweating, or silently resenting whoever controls the temperature. Huge win. There's also a cute little fire pit (weather permitting), a gym/fitness center, and a dining hall tucked under another residence building that honestly deserves applause. Because let's talk about the food. 10/10. Retreat food is usually a gamble, but Spruce Lake did not come to play. AND, possibly my favorite detail, the beverage machines. Coffee, drinks, and cups you can reuse or grab-and-go, which means you can take your coffee with you like a civilized adult. In the same building, there's a gorgeous space to sit and relax, complete with multiple fireplaces that make you feel like you should be journaling or having a deep conversation. There's also a bookstore with beautiful religious items if you feel like browsing or taking something meaningful home. Staff were consistently polite, helpful, and clearly knew what they were doing, everything ran smoothly the entire stay. Final verdict: Yes, the commute tried to humble me. But once you're there? It's peaceful, comfortable, thoughtfully designed, and genuinely enjoyable. I had such a great experience that I'm already looking forward to my next visit. That drive isn't stopping me, and that's saying something. read more

Visit Dates: August 21, 2023 to August 25, 2023 I came here with my family and my church Grace Reformed Baptist Church for a camping trip and retreat. I opted for camping in a tent (my first time) and the meal plan (do not recommend). Mostly everything was great. The campsite was fairly easy to find I had a water hookup and an electricity hookup so I got to charge my phone. I set up my tent fairly easily and was happy about that. The nature was pretty, the camping site was great, the bathrooms and shower stalls were well maintained and clean. My family stayed in the rooms. The rooms are way more pricey and I heard a few church members complaining about the beds. I stayed in the room on my last night because my dad was worried about me going home with my son alone even though I would have been okay so he stayed past the point of my sisters going home and kept the room my sisters stayed in with him. My son got scared of camping on the last night so we ended up in my dad's room the last night, I didn't think it was so bad. This is a Christian Camp so if you aren't Christian be prepared for the Jesus. I'm not sure if they allow individual stays but I was with the church. They gave us a designated space for devotional time, we had two devotional sessions a day. I love Jesus and am a Christian so when I got here I was like oh so much of Jesus loves you, so much of God loves you and I loved it. But if you aren't Christian and book a camping trip here you may not like it, you may be surprised so I'm just specifying. Spruce Lake itself is on the small side, I got to check it out but I found the woods and campgrounds more impressive. They have a snack shop that's open for a few hours a day. The snack shop food was great. My son and I missed the snack shop the first few days but we got to go on Wednesday and Thursday. So the dining hall and meal plans. That's the one thing I wouldn't recommend. I opted for it because I didn't know how camping was going to be I wanted to try the tent thing first before I went gun-ho with bringing my own coolers and food. Next year I'm getting a stove and bringing all my coolers and my own food. I basically paid $100 for my kid to drink soda because he would not touch anything in the dining hall to eat during our stay. I had a lot of snacks for him, my family bought a lot of snacks for him as well and he ate fries at the snack shop so he was fed. Some of the meals were okay, some of the stuff was kind of awful. So everything about this resort except for the food was great and if my church comes back here again I'd like to go! read more

Spruce Lake Retreat - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Canadensis, Pennsylvania

See all

Awesome place to visit - lots of beautiful sights to see and a variety of things to do (tennis, mini golf, disc golf, basketball, concerts, ping pong, swimming, hiking, foosball, shuffleboard, Nature Center, Snack Shop, ziplining). Whether you're visiting here for just a night on a personal stay OR joining in on one of the special events, you're in for a good time. Many nice people on staff - Becky at the front desk is very informative. The coolest room on the property is Stone Terrace #50 - it has a fireplace. read more

See all

Came here recently for a Men's Retreat. This review is not about the Retreat, but the facility. This huge, multi-building facility is right on Spruce Mountain in the heart of the Pocono Mountains. I'm not sure how old the place has been around, or if the original owners still run the place, but although the majority of the buildings I was in seemed dated and decades old, they were also clean and well kept. They have multiple buildings as cabins to accommodate overnight stays, and the one I stayed in was very log-cabin like with a huge stone fireplace, main level full kitchen, triple refrigerators, upstairs multi-bedrooms each with queen and bunk beds, and lower level more beds and bathrooms. Water pressure was nice, showers needed to be scrubbed better, and the beds included linens and towels were also provided. The high school-like gym doubles as an auditorium and easily held the 500 participants. The sound system kicked butt for the piano and guest speakers on the small stage. The gaming building had pool tables with decent sticks, air hockey for $.50, vending machines, ping pong, longboard shuffleboard, and floor shuffleboard. The kitchen facility was top notch and all food served was great. The tables were plentiful and kept stocked with the dolly of napkins and condiments. Serving as many as they did for each meal, the only gripe was standing in long lines to get to the trays to get your food. Still, every staffer was friendly and accommodating. There are also hiking trails. We took one up to the summit of Spruce Mountain, and it was quite the hike in the lightly covered snow trails and wind. The facility also has a workout room with a few machines and free weights. There is a zip line for fun along with a Snack Shop which I did not check out. The Gift Shop I did, though, and there was nothing special about it. The Christian metalwork throughout the facility was very pleasing and available for sale. Overall, this is a very nice facility which is used year-round. They have many different retreats including one for married couples, a Summer camp, and even a daycare camp. I kind of felt a little Dirty Dancing life in the Summertime Catskills, but had a very enjoyable time at Spruce Hill Resort. I think you will, too, and your group should consider coming here. read more

Spruce Lake Retreat - They have one of these here! And here are the official rules...I played multiple times and it's lots of fun. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Canadensis, Pennsylvania

Just returned from an amazing with my parish St Matthews. Spruce Lake is a beautiful setting! Our rooms were clean and very comfortable. The meeting room was airy and peaceful. My compliments to the kitchen staff. The food was delicious and plentiful! Everyone from the kitchen/dining staff worked hard to make sure everything was perfect! All staff we encountered were friendly and helpful. This is an amazing place to spend time praising God! read more

The setting is gorgeous and the facilities are clean. Retreat centers run from the most basic for smaller groups to giant conference centers- and Spruce Lake leans large. I was reminded of college dorm life during the weekend I spent here - the food was good, but not memorable (the kitchen was cooking for quantity, not quality, although the Sunday bacon was perfect!) and my lower bunk bed was squeaky! I appreciated the air conditioning. Staff try hard to be accommodating, but policies were hard to find on the website - note that it's a dry facility. Do not bring wine or beer. read more

What a relaxing quaint get-away from the hubbub of city daily grind. Make most of it by hiking the mountains... it's a pretty challenging hike for the newbie. But no fun if not a bit difficult... just watch your footing. Secluded right by the mountain- go to the peak for glorious panoramic views. Staff at spruce lake convention center couldn't be nicer. It's not posh, but homey. Would def recommend for a large gathering or a semi private RnR to commune with nature... you'd def need a car to explore local (if any or many) venues. read more

One of the top retreat centers in the East Coast! They are clean, new and modern. They have great food and their cabins are beautiful! Also the were very accommodating because we had a snow storm so they even gave us another day so we can come the next day! read more

This camp, much like Pinebrook...Has lots of fun activities and people. At my school there's even a field trip there! I can't wait to enjoy the summer here! read more

A nice and quiet place for church retreats and gatherings. This year is my 2nd year coming here with my church and I've always enjoyed it. A lot of activities to do such as mini-golfing, hiking, paddle-boating, kayaking, tennis, basketball, swimming, you name it. Can't wait for next year's retreat! read more

Spruce Lake Retreat - Picture I took while on paddle boat - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Canadensis, Pennsylvania

I really enjoyed my time here! Food was good, the bed was heavenly and the people were super sweet! There's free parking and wifi which is superb (although the wifi was slow since so many people were on it-password is "creation"). The place is huge with ziplining, rock climbing, a swimming pool, tennis court and basketball court. I highly recommend this place !!! read more

A great place for family or large groups to go to for a conference or retreat. Our church has been coming here for 4 years. read more

Spruce Lake Retreat - Lounge by the check-in desk on the 4th floor - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Canadensis, Pennsylvania

Very nice place. The staff is very nice and they have free coffee for you to enjoy in their facility.

This place is amazing - great staff constantly upgrading facilties, clean, great camp food, beautiful conference center and surroundings. I am a former camp director who lives in the area and can assure you that this place is top notch. I wouldn't have sent my kids here the last 4 years in a row if it wasn't. read more