Visitor Frequently Asked Questions

Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas only. It is not permitted in accommodations or meeting areas or near the lodge and outdoor deck during mealtimes.

Sorry. Other than animals in service, pets are not allowed on the property.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.

Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Unfortunately, the Esalen office has no facilities to safeguard your valuables. For peace of mind, it is best to leave them in either the locked trunk of your car or at home.

Our property is dimly lit at night, allowing guests to fully enjoy and appreciate the night sky. Please bring a flashlight for use while walking on the grounds after dark.

Outside of homes, California state law allows cannabis consumption in just two places – dispensaries and special events. Special events that allow public marijuana consumption can only be held at county fairgrounds.

To inquire about items left behind from your Esalen visit, please send an email including your name, the date you checked out, and a description of the missing item/s to lostandfound@esalen.org, or leave a message at 831-667-3019.

The hot springs at Esalen have been in use for over 6,000 years and are clothing-optional. Nudity is common in the baths and the swimming pool but by no means mandatory.

We encourage each individual to find their own edge between comfort and growth, either wearing a swimsuit or not, knowing that the environment we strive for at Esalen is one of personal sanctuary and respect for the human body.

For those who do choose to use the springs, in a bathing suit or without, daily or once in a lifetime — the hot springs experience embodies much of what continues to make Esalen a singular place of adventure, contemplation, and community.

Please see this page for details about cancellations.

We are committed to accommodating guests who have disabilities. If you have a disability and think you might need assistance participating in a workshop or other Esalen activity, please give the office as much advance notice as possible about your needs. We require a minimum of 72 hours' notice to arrange for accessible accommodations. If you will need sign language interpretation at an Esalen workshop, we require at least two weeks' notice to arrange for interpreter services. In all cases, we will do our best to assist you with your needs.

Although we are in the process of increasing our disability access, access to some parts of our property continues to be difficult. While many of our paths are paved, they are still extremely steep due to our cliff-side setting, which is the steepest meeting of land and sea in the continental United States. 

Likewise, please inform the office with as much advance notice as possible if you need to bring a service animal. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Our closest airports are Monterey (MRY), San Jose (SJC), and San Francisco (SFO). Learn more about transportation options to Esalen.