Big Bear Retreat Center

Name

Big Bear Retreat Center

Legal name

Big Bear Retreat Center

Website

https://bigbearretreatcenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meditation and Wellness Retreat Services

NAICS

All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness) (THAGAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wellness & Retreat Stays (Yoga, Spa, Detox) (THAMADAJ), Private Wellness & Retreat Experiences (Personalized Spa, Yoga, Healing) (THAJALAI)

Keywords

• Meditation retreats
• Mindfulness programs
• Spiritual retreat center
• Wellness retreats
• Vipassana meditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Big Bear City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Retreat Registration Fees: Primary revenue stream from retreat registration fees that cover lodging, meals, and staff compensation. Pricing uses a sliding scale model (Generosity, Sustainer, Semi-Supported, Supported tiers) to make programs financially accessible. Teacher compensation is separate and funded through voluntary dana (donations) at the end of retreats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Big Bear Retreat Center operates a residential meditation retreat center on 1,400 acres of protected Juniper woodland in the San Bernardino Mountains, providing in-person silent meditation, Vipassana/Insight retreats, and online/hybrid retreats via Zoom. The center also rents its facilities to external groups through its "Host a Retreat" program, and serves on-site accommodations and vegetarian meals. Programs are priced on a sliding scale (Dana/Generosity model) with no participant turned away for financial reasons.

Product overview

Big Bear Retreat Center is a meditation retreat facility offering a portfolio of residential and online mindfulness programs. The core offering comprises in-person silent meditation retreats, Vipassana/Insight retreats, and specialized community retreats (including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and adoption/foster care themed gatherings) held at their mountain facility. Supporting services include on-site accommodations ranging from private rooms to camping, freshly prepared vegetarian meals, and retreat hosting for external groups. The center also provides online retreat participation via live-streaming, making teachings accessible to remote practitioners. Additionally, the organization publishes educational content including recipes, reflections, and media resources on mindfulness and Dharma practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Meditation Retreats In-person meditation retreats held at the Big Bear retreat facility in the San Bernardino mountains, offering silent meditation, Vipassana/Insight practice, mindful movement, and Dharma teachings in a community setting with accommodations and meals included. Targeted at individual meditation practitioners and various affinity communities.
• Online Retreats Live-streamed meditation retreats that allow remote participants to join teachings from the meditation hall via Zoom, offering interactive online retreat experiences with video participation requirements. Includes online-only pricing tiers (Generosity, Sustainer, Semi-Supported, Supported).
• Host a Retreat Retreat center facilities available for external organizers and groups to host their own retreats at the Big Bear location, with venues, accommodations, and meal services provided.
• Retreat Accommodations On-site lodging options including private rooms with private or shared bathrooms, shared double/triple rooms, A-frame camping, and camping options situated on 1,400 acres of protected Juniper woodland at 6,500 feet elevation.
• Retreat Meals Freshly prepared vegetarian and plant-based meals served daily, featuring recipes like Vegan Posole, Tofu Pad Thai, and other nourishments supporting the retreat experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Financial accessibility: Nobody turned away due to finances; financial assistance prioritized for BIPOC and marginalized communities

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• InsightLA: A Los Angeles-based Insight meditation nonprofit offering retreats, classes, and sangha community. InsightLA is a teacher-supply partner for BBRC and overlaps directly on the SoCal residential retreat audience.
• Sacred Mountain Sangha: Founded by former monastics Thanissara and Kittisaro, this Insight-based sangha offers retreats and Dharma programming. Listed as a BBRC partner and competes for the same Western dharma practitioner audience.
• Spirit Rock Meditation Center: A well-established Insight/Vipassana meditation retreat center in Northern California. Spirit Rock is both a teacher source for BBRC and a direct competitor for residential meditation retreats in the Vipassana tradition serving the West Coast.
• East Bay Meditation Center: A diverse, social-justice-oriented Insight meditation center in Oakland. Referenced as a teacher-network partner for BBRC and offers a similar inclusion-focused, community-led retreat model.
• Dhammadharini: A Bhikkhuni Sangha community in the San Francisco North Bay. Listed as a BBRC partner and shares an orientation toward residential Insight practice and inclusive community.

Broad incumbents

• Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: A major holistic education retreat center in Rhinebeck, New York offering residential workshops across wellness, mindfulness, and spirituality. Comparable as a multi-track retreat and workshop venue anchored in holistic practice.
• 1440 Multiversity: A Northern California retreat and learning campus offering residential wellness, mindfulness, and personal-development programs. Comparable lodging-plus-programming retreat model with a broader secular curriculum.
• Esalen Institute: A historic, large-scale retreat center on the California coast known for transformative residential experiences. Overlaps with BBRC on the residential retreat experience but covers a much broader self-development and somatic curriculum.
• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: A large, established wellness/yoga retreat center in the Berkshires offering residential retreats, meals, and teacher trainings. A broader incumbent analog operating in a wider wellness niche rather than a single Buddhist tradition.

Regional players

• Dhamma Pelava (Vipassana Meditation Center): A traditional Vipassana meditation center serving the Western U.S. with multi-day residential silent retreats. Overlaps with BBRC on the residential Vipassana offering but anchored in a more traditional, non-inclusive-of-Buddhist-community framing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BigBearRetreatCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-bear-retreat-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Bear Retreat Center