Youth Retreats
Discover one of the top youth retreat centers in Lancaster County, PA, where outdoor adventure meets meaningful connection.
Intentional and Exciting Youth Ministry Retreats
Looking for trusted youth retreat centers that make planning simple and impactful?
At Refreshing Mountain, we specialize in hosting faith-based youth retreats designed for connection, growth, and fun.
Bring fun and excitement into youth retreat planning
Let’s face it, planning a youth retreat that checks all the boxes isn’t always easy. As one of Pennsylvania’s most accessible youth retreat centers, we work with youth pastors, student ministry leaders, and church teams to create dynamic and memorable youth group retreats tailored to your needs
If these challenges sound familiar, know that our team is here to help.
- Event Planning takes a lot of time
- Confusing Pricing (hidden fees)
- Limited budget and chaperones
- Too many decision makers
- Various interests to meet
We’ve designed customizable youth retreat packages and itineraries to eliminate these headaches and deliver youth retreats that encourage connection, growth, and leadership; all without overwhelming your planning team.
Retreat Ingredients
Buffet Meals
Our dining hall serves hot, buffet-style meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with options for everyone. Whether you’re fueling up before a zipline adventure or winding down after small groups, mealtime is always a highlight of our youth ministry retreats.
Meeting Spaces
From small breakout rooms to large meeting halls, we offer versatile spaces equipped with Wi-Fi and A/V equipment. perfect for worship sessions, devotionals, or group activities during your youth retreat.
On-Site Adventures
Our faith-centered youth group retreats are full of fun, featuring ziplines, a climbing tower, archery, team-building challenges, and animal encounters that foster trust and teamwork among students.
Recreational Facilities
Guests enjoy access to sports fields, a swimming pool (in season), fire pits, and hiking trails—providing plenty of recreational downtime between sessions.
Comfortable Lodging
We offer three lodging styles to accommodate every budget and group size. Bunkhouses are ideal for larger youth ministry retreats, while cabins and lodges provide more privacy and comfort for smaller groups or leaders.
Ready to start planning your upcoming youth retreat?
We make the process as simple as possible for you.
1. Connect with our Sales Team – Share your group size, dates, and preferences.
2. Place a Temporary Hold – Reserve your desired space while you finalize details.
3. Confirm with a Signed Contract and Deposit – Lock in your retreat.
3 Plan the Details – Collaborate with our Guest Services team on the itinerary.
4. Enjoy Your Retreat! – Arrive ready for a meaningful and fun-filled youth retreat experience
About Refreshing Mountain
Searching for fun outdoor things to do in Lancaster County, PA with your youth group? At Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center, we offer one of the area’s most trusted youth retreat centers, combining outdoor adventure with faith-based connection in a safe, family-friendly setting.
From ziplining and climbing towers to guided nature programs and team-building challenges, our outdoor experiences are crafted to engage students of all ages. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a full-scale youth group retreat, you’ll find refreshment, spiritual growth, and unforgettable memories in the heart of Lancaster County.
You have questions about Youth Retreats. We have the answers.
What type of lodging is best for youth retreats?
Most youth retreats prefer our Bunk Lodging. Bunks are well suited for youth retreats because they are the most economical, they can easily accommodate groups of 30-240, and they make the housing arrangements pretty simple. Each Bunk House is fully air conditioned, heated, carpeted, and has indoor bathrooms with personal/private showers and toilets. These are great spaces for creating a temporary community where memorable experiences with peers can occur. And of course, if you want to upscale your youth event, the Lodges and Cabins also make a great lodging option.
Which activity Add-Ons are best for youth retreats?
The Challenge Adventure ZIPLINES (5 ziplines and 9 obstacles), Ascent Package (which includes 2 ziplines, 32 obstacles, Climbing Tower, Pedal Carts, Animals, and more), Escape Rooms, Teambuilding, Giant Ladder, Giant Swing, and Physical Challenge. There are more adventures available, but these are the most popular for youth retreats. Overnight Retreats get discounts on these add-ons if you plan ahead, so talk with Guest Services about adding these exciting adventures to your youth retreat.
Why are youth retreats important?
Youth retreats aid and support many key functions in youth development. By removing teens from their routine of life (i.e. home, school, work) for a few days, and putting them in a temporary community with their peers (absent of distractions like cell phones), and then engaging them in social, physical, and spiritual activities, we foster the deepening of friendships, we help teens build self-confidence, and we set the stage for significant milestones in the teens’ growth that they will remember for a lifetime.
What do you do at a youth retreat?
The best youth retreats are intentional about creating a safe space in a new setting where teens can build friendships, have new experiences, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Effective strategies toward those goals can include removing distractions (i.e. cell phones), planning some sort of unique adventure (i.e. Ziplines, Teambuilding, Escape Rooms), eating meals together, playing group games, and enjoying other group activities with peers and trusted adults.
