Come away
and rest a while
A cabin or lodge room of your own on Lake Carlos, with time for Scripture, prayer, and quiet. For one person, a couple, or a few friends.
"Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." Mark 6:31
A personal retreat is the simplest thing we host. You take a cabin or a lodge room, and the rest of the campus is quiet around you: the lake, the trails, the beach, a chair by the water. There is no program and no schedule. Bring your Bible and your questions, and take the time you need.
Mount Carmel's theme is "Jesus Only." Whether you come to pray through a decision, to prepare a sermon, to read, or simply to be still, the point is the same: to set the noise down and give the Lord room to speak.
Who Comes on a Personal Retreat
A study week for sermon series, a day of prayer before a hard season, or a few nights of rest after one.
Time to talk, pray, and walk together without the calendar. A lodge room or a small cabin for two.
A silent retreat, a decision to pray through, or a weekend to read Scripture without interruption.
A Bible study, a book group, or old friends who want a quiet weekend. A cabin with a kitchen sleeps four to eight.
What Your Days Can Look Like
Nothing here is scheduled for you. These are the things guests tell us they came for.
A cabin table, a chair by the lake, or the prayer garden. Bring a Bible, a notebook, and one question you want to sit with.
Sleep in. Read by the window. Cabins have private bathrooms, and many have kitchens, so a day can be as unhurried as you want it.
Walk the trails, sit on the beach, or take a paddle in warm months. In winter, snow on the lake and a very quiet campus.
When our staff gather for morning prayer and Bible study, you are welcome to join them. Ask when you book whether it is happening during your stay.
Where You Stay
The same cabins and lodge rooms as our cabin rentals, priced per cabin for your dates. Standard-rate prices are shown; peak season is 75% higher.
A $30 cleaning fee applies to each guest 14 and up. Sheets, pillows, blankets, and towels are provided. Full rates for every cabin type, including single nights and RV sites, are on our cabin rentals page.
Price your stay
Choose your cabin and your dates. Prices are per cabin for your dates, whoever is staying in it, plus a $30 cleaning fee for each guest 14 and up. The estimate updates as you go.
Rates depend on when you come. November through April is our standard rate. May to mid-June and mid-August through October are peak season, when cabins are in demand and rates are 75% higher. Mid-June to mid-August is reserved for our own summer programs.
Drag your dates along the calendar, or tap a month to move them there. Arrow keys move a day at a time.
- Peak season, rates 75% higher
- Standard rates
- High-availability season, our most open dates, standard rates
- December, standard rates, a quiet campus
- Mount Carmel summer programs, not available to outside groups. See our events if you would like to join one.
Planning Your Retreat
Good to bring
- Your Bible, a notebook, and whatever you are praying through.
- Groceries. We do not serve meals to personal retreat guests. Cabins with kitchens let you cook; Alexandria restaurants and grocery stores are about 15 minutes away.
- Walking shoes, and in winter, boots and layers. The trails and the lake are the best part.
- Anything you need to be unreachable. Wi-Fi is available in year-round buildings, but nobody will mind if you leave it off.
Good to know
- Your rental includes your cabin or room and the grounds, beach, and trails. The Lodge, Chapel, and meeting rooms are for groups and are not included.
- Check-out is 11 AM. We will confirm your arrival time when you book.
- Other guests may be on campus. In peak season that often means a church retreat over the weekend; November through April the campus is usually quiet.
- No pets, and no smoking in any building.
- Rates depend on your dates and are confirmed when you book. Mid-June through mid-August the campus is reserved for our own programs; you are welcome to come as a camper, see our events.
Ready to Come Away?
Call the office or email Shae with your dates and we will find you a quiet place to stay.