America’s national parks provide the perfect backdrop for a wellness retreat. Try one of these unique healing experiences or wellness resorts for a transformative getaway in mind, body, and soul.
Equine Therapy
Equine therapy, also known as horse therapy or equine-assisted therapy, involves interactions between patients and horses to promote physical, emotional, and psychological healing. In St. Augustine, the Horseplay Therapy Center provides therapeutic riding programs designed to enhance physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being. They also have programs for military veterans and people managing post-traumatic stress disorder. After you saddle up, admire wild horses from afar at Cumberland Island National Seashore, just north of the state line. Alternatively, horseback trail riding in national parks is another way to connect deeply with nature while benefiting from the therapeutic interactions with horses. Grant Grove Stables offers guided rides amidst the towering giants of Sequoia National Park. Take your pick of three national parks with Canyon Trail Rides, providing riding opportunities in a breathtaking backdrop of red rock formations and sweeping canyons of Utah and Arizona.
Hot Springs Hydrotherapy
Relaxation, socialization, and therapeutic relief are just a few of the benefits ancient civilizations acknowledged in hot springs. In America, hot springs are ample in number and variety. Choose from grandiose thermal spas to primitive soaking pools in remote locations. If your sights are set on Yellowstone National Park, there are a number of hot springs nearby. Meanwhile Colorado, Idaho, and South Dakota are all fantastic states for hot springs road trips.
Spiritually Centered
America’s National Parks are packed with ancient sacred sites and places where one can find spiritual balance. For instance, Mount Denali in Alaska, America’s tallest mountain, is highly revered by each of its five surrounding Native tribes. Similarly, Mount Kilauea is celebrated as the birthplace of the goddess Pele in Hawaiian culture. In Georgia, the Ocmulgee Mounds stand as a reminder of the spiritual rituals of Indigenous tribes of the Southeast. For more spiritual wellness retreat experiences with a more modern influence, check out Skyterra Wellness Retreat in Asheville, North Carolina, or Walker Wellness Retreats, which coordinates nature retreats around the world.
Luxury Relaxation
To some, a wellness retreat includes a little (or a lot of) luxury. At the Rush Creek Lodge in Yosemite National Park, guests enjoy sumptuous amenities with peace of mind knowing it’s a certified sustainable eco resort. For a nature retreat with desert landscapes, check out the Montage Deer Valley or Amangiri Hotel & Resort in Utah. Both of these wellness resorts are perfect basecamps for visiting the Mighty Five. Last but not least, the Lodge at Woodloch perched in the Pennsylvania Poconos makes for an elegant mountain getaway.
