Women’s Autumn Gathering & Campout: October 16–18, 2026

Women’s Autumn Campout | Friday at 4:00 PM through Sunday at 12:00 PM | Women 18+

A slow autumn weekend of firelight, shared meals, cool mornings, long conversations, and time beneath the trees—an invitation to step away from the noise, settle into the rhythm of the season, and simply enjoy being together. Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove · Nebo, North Carolina

Can you feel it?

That subtle shift that happens in autumn.

The days grow shorter. The evenings become cooler. The leaves begin letting go. Nature seems to invite us to slow down and draw a little closer.

What if, for one weekend, you listened?

What if you traded the noise of everyday life for crackling firelight, cool autumn air, warm drinks, shared meals, laughter, long conversations, and nights beneath the trees?

What if you gave yourself permission to have nowhere else you needed to be?

Maybe you don’t need to do more.

Maybe, like nature, there are seasons when we are meant to slow down.

The Women’s Autumn Gathering & Campout is an invitation to spend a beautiful October weekend doing exactly that.

We’ll gather beneath the changing trees, share food around the table, drink warm coffee and tea, sit around the fire, create, wander, laugh, tell stories, and enjoy the simple pleasure of being together.

Bring a warm blanket and your favorite mug.

String up your hammock.

Pull your chair close to the fire.

Wander the land and notice what autumn is doing all around you.

Or simply sit somewhere quiet and listen.

There will be gentle invitations throughout the weekend for connection, reflection, creativity, and time in nature—but no packed schedule and no expectation that you need to accomplish anything.

Friday Evening — Come to the Table

Our weekend begins Friday at 4:00 PM.

Arrive, choose your camping spot, make yourself cozy, and begin settling into the slower rhythm of the weekend.

For our first evening together, bring something you love to share at our community table.

It doesn’t need to be homemade or elaborate. Bring a favorite dish, appetizer, bread, fruit, dessert—or simply something that feels good to offer.

We’ll place everything together and share our first meal: women arriving from different places, carrying different stories, each bringing a little something to the table.

As evening settles over the Grove, we’ll pull our chairs closer to the fire, wrap ourselves in blankets, and let the weekend begin.

There is already a place for you at the table and around the fire.

Saturday — Follow the Rhythm of the Day

Wake beneath the trees to a cool October morning.

Coffee and tea will be waiting, along with breakfast.

And then we’ll give the day room to unfold.

Maybe you’ll wander.

Maybe you’ll create.

Maybe you’ll spend hours talking with women you just met.

Maybe you’ll curl up with a book, take a nap, sit beside the water, or spend some quiet time alone.

There will be opportunities to gather throughout the day, along with plenty of room to follow your own rhythm.

Later, we’ll come together for Saturday dinner before settling around the fire for another autumn evening beneath the trees.

No rushing. No performing. No agenda.

Just warmth, nature, food, fire, conversation, laughter, silence, and community.

Sunday — One More Morning Together

Sunday morning begins slowly with breakfast, coffee, and tea.

One more morning around the table.

One more conversation.

One more walk beneath the trees.

One more opportunity to notice how different life can feel when we aren’t rushing through it.

We’ll share a gentle closing before breaking camp, and our weekend will end at 12:00 PM.

Camp Your Way

Pitch a tent.

Sleep in your vehicle.

Set yourself up for simple boondock camping.

Create a cozy autumn nest beneath the trees.

Bring extra blankets, warm clothing, and whatever helps you feel comfortable.

This isn’t about proving that you’re good at camping. It’s about staying close enough to nature to experience its rhythm for an entire weekend.

Come Alone. Really.

You don’t need someone to come with you.

Some of the most beautiful connections begin between women who arrived not knowing anyone.

Someone offers you coffee.

You pull up a chair.

A conversation starts.

Stories are shared.

The laughter grows louder.

And somewhere between Friday evening and Sunday morning, the women who arrived as strangers begin to feel like community.

Come as strangers. Leave as friends.

Let Nature Remind You

Autumn doesn’t struggle to hold on to summer.

The trees don’t question whether it is time to change.

Nature simply moves with the season.

Come as you are.

Gather close.

Listen.

And somewhere between the falling leaves, the crackling fire, and the quiet spaces in between…

Perhaps you’ll hear the whispers of nature.

Registration Options

Full Weekend Experience — $125

Friday, October 16 at 4:00 PM through Sunday, October 18 at 12:00 PM

Overnight attendance is limited to 20 women.

Your Full Weekend Experience includes:

• Two nights at Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove

• Tent, vehicle, or simple boondock camping

• Friday evening community table

• Saturday breakfast and dinner

• Sunday breakfast

• Snacks throughout the weekend

• Coffee, tea, and water

• Evening fires

• Access to the land and gathering spaces

• Gentle, optional invitations for connection and reflection

• Plenty of unstructured time

For Friday evening, please bring something you love to share at our community table.

Weekend Day Pass — $50

Day-pass attendance is limited to 10 women.

Not a camper? Come spend time with us during the weekend without staying overnight.

Bring your chair, hammock, book, craft, and favorite mug—or simply bring yourself. Your registration information will include day-pass arrival and departure times, meal details, and everything you need to know before attending.

One-Night Camping — $75

Five one-night camping spaces are available for either Friday or Saturday night.

Full Weekend Experience registrations receive priority for the 20 overnight spaces. One-night registrations are subject to remaining availability.

Nourishment

Saturday breakfast and dinner, Sunday breakfast, snacks, coffee, tea, and water are included with the Full Weekend Experience.

Friday evening will be a community meal created from the dishes each woman brings to share.

We will do our best to accommodate specific dietary needs. After registering, you will receive a dietary questionnaire so that meals can be planned and prepared thoughtfully.

About Sacred Grove

Sacred Grove, the woodland home of Whispers of Nature, is a beautiful primitive campground nestled among the trees beside a flowing stream in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The land includes a covered community fire area, an outdoor kitchen, changing stations, and a porta-potty.

Please understand that this is a rustic camping experience. There are no electrical hookups and no showers. Participants are responsible for bringing their own tent or sleeping arrangement, bedding, chair, and personal camping supplies.

A detailed list of suggested items to bring will be sent to everyone who registers.

Registration, Cancellation & Refund Policy

The registration deadline is October 9, 2026, or when all available spaces have been filled.

Cancellations made before October 9 will receive a refund minus a $30 cancellation fee.

Because food, supplies, and preparations are planned according to registration, there will be no refunds for cancellations after October 9.

If something unexpected arises after the deadline, you are welcome to transfer your registration to another woman age 18 or older.

Thank you for honoring the planning, food preparation, supplies, and loving energy that go into creating and holding this experience.

A Few Important Details

• This gathering is for women ages 18 and older.

• No pets are permitted.

• Registration is required. We are unable to accommodate unregistered guests.

• Overnight attendance is limited to 20 women.

• Day-pass attendance is limited to 10 women.

• Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove is a primitive campground with no electrical hookups or showers.

• A porta-potty, outdoor kitchen, changing stations, and covered community fire area are available.

• Registered participants will receive a waiver, dietary questionnaire, directions, camping information, meal details, and a suggested packing list before the gathering.

You don’t need to do more.

You don’t need to become more.

You don’t have to know anyone.

Bring something to share.

Bring something that makes you cozy.

Bring your stories and your laughter.

Or simply bring yourself.

There is already a place for you at the table and around the fire.

Come as you are.

Community is waiting.

Danelle Hallenbeck, M.A.
Rites of Passage Wilderness Guide, Firewalk Facilitator, Holder of Sacred Space

Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove
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