Photo: Aubrie Pick
Last fall saw the opening of Canyon Ranch Wellness Retreat—Woodside, which follows the celebrated destination spa’s resorts in Tucson and the Berkshires. The 38-room hotel’s tranquil setting, in a pristine hillside redwood grove, belies its proximity to the buzzing tech campuses of Menlo Park and Palo Alto, just minutes away. Here, four ways the resort takes you into the woods without skimping on the amenities.
1. Get Some Deep Relaxation
The spa’s 150-minute Deep Forest Ritual starts with a body wrap that consists of a dry brush exfoliation and the application of a mineral-rich clay body mask (with aspen bark extract) and linen wraps. Next come a deep-tissue massage and a facial, each of which lasts 50 minutes. Afterward, prolong your moment of Zen on one of the swinging chairs in the outdoor relaxation lounge.
2. Break a Sweat
The hotel offers a gym and two hiking trails that wind through 16 acres of old-growth redwoods. Get the best of both worlds by taking a 45-minute class on the forest fitness course, which includes a rope climb, monkey bars, and balance beams, all set among the trees.
3. Sleep Like a Log
With their wood floors, generous balconies, and soothing tree ring– and cloud–themed murals, the retreat’s 24 treehouses feel like plush cabins on stilts. The rooms cleverly blur the line between indoor and outdoor, and the enormous windows lack curtains, so there’s nothing to block the mystical forest views.
4. Take the Woods Home
Activities like forest bathing, yoga, and night lantern walks help guests maximize their time outdoors. In the mood for something more challenging? Try a creative expression class. After scrounging in the woods for dried leaves, lichens, and grasses, assemble your findings into a collage—a souvenir that will conjure memories of your stress-free sojourn in the woods.
From $899, canyonranch.com
