Group Leaders

Check in: 5:00 PM on Sundays and 4:00 PM all other days.

Check-out: 12:00 PM on weekends and 10:00 AM midweek.

Please do NOT remove linens or blankets from the beds. Place used towels on the bathroom floor.

Rooms must be vacated, and your key/s returned to the front desk, by the checkout time. Persons may drop off their key individually, or give it to the group leader.

Make sure you take all your personal belongings with you and put all the trash in the trash cans. Please leave the linens on the beds, and place used towels on the bathroom floor.

Cookware, utensils and table service should not be removed from the building.

Wash, dry and put away any items that have been used, and wipe up any spills in the refrigerator or stove.

Place garbage in the trash can provided. (Mountainside Lodges also have a trash corral or additional trash cans outdoors that can also be used.

Since our rates are priced per room, the per person rate will vary based on the number of people in a room. Each additional person in the room will lower the average cost per person.

However, there is a maximum number of people for each room based on the number of bed spaces.

Please contact Group Reservations or call 800.822.7505. A Group Reservations staff member can provide a rate quote based the lodging and meals and other needs of your group.

Linens and towels are provided in the accommodations at the Retreat Center Area and the Mountainside Lodge Area. However, in rooms with bunk beds, you will need to make the beds on the upper bunks.

You must bring your own pillows, linens, blankets, and towels for lodging at the Wilderness Camp Area. Please bring your own towels for use at the swimming pool.

Guests staying more than 3 nights will receive towel changes that take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. We try to provide the adequate number of towels for stays of 3 nights or less.

If you need additional towels, please request them at the front desk.

Please observe the Quiet Hours of 11:00 PM through 7:00 AM.
This applies to meeting room, public areas, outdoor areas and sleeping rooms.

If you are outdoors, take care to keep your voices down and be careful not to run on steps or slam doors when returning to your room.

Meeting rooms or lounges may be used for quiet conversation during the quiet hours. However, please do not play instruments or use PA systems during this time in ways that will disturb others trying to sleep.

The game room and Lakeview Program Center will be closed at 11:00 PM. Lights on the outdoor courts will go off at 11:00 PM.

The lobby in Spruce Lodge and the Founders Lodge lobby may be used by all guests for conversation, reading and table games – but NOT during quiet hours between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM.

These areas are not intended for guests to use for eating or to hold a meeting.

The Retreat Center area is accessible by a coach bus.

There are three drop-off locations:

• Spruce Lodge lower parking lot
• Spruce Lodge mid-level parking lot
• Between Founders Lodge and Twin Oaks as marked.

We do not have a safe or convenient location for coach bus drop off at any lodges in the Mountainside Lodge area. We encourage groups using lodges to travel by van or car.

The road to Wilderness Camp is not suitable for a coach bus. However, school buses, cars, or vans will not have a problem.

We serve buffet-style meals. There are two main entrees along with side dishes, salad bar for lunch and dinner, beverages, and dessert.

You may contact us to request a sample menu.

Please arrive at the scheduled meal time that applies to your group. Meal times for groups are noted on your Welcome Sheet, and are specific to your group.

The times shown here are approximate; always go by the specific time you have received from the Front Desk or your group coordinator:

Breakfast

• The buffet line opens at 8:00 AM for breakfast

Lunch

• Noon for lunch & Sunday dinner
• 5:00 PM for dinner (all days except Friday)
• 6:00 PM Friday dinner

Food is not to be taken from the dining room.

If you report allergies or other dietary needs in advance (to the group coordinator), we will do our best to accommodate those needs. However, if you have extensive needs, we suggest that you reserve a kitchenette so you can prepare your own food.

For persons giving us advance notice, identify yourself to the food service staff when you come through the buffet line. They will indicate the items on the buffet line that are suitable for you and provide a substitute entrée when necessary.

Yes, you are welcome to join us for one or more meals in the dining room. These must be scheduled at least 3 weeks in advance, but we do prefer longer notice. You will need to walk or provide your own transportation to and from your lodging.

At the Retreat Center:

• Microwaves are not available in Retreat Center guest rooms.
• Mini-fridges are available for medical or nursing needs on a limited basis by request.
• Prepared or prepackaged food or containers with perishables are not permitted in bedrooms.

At Mountainside Lodges or Wilderness Camp Area:

• Groups that reserve Huckleberry or the Pavilion at Wilderness Camp, or any of the Mountainside Lodges, may use those kitchens to prepare meals for your group.
• In general, each kitchen is equipped to serve the occupancy of the building. Hearthstone can be combined with one other lodge to serve a maximum of 50 people.
• The Pavilion can accommodate up to 100 people.

You may bring your own snacks to be eaten in your meeting room, but no cooking facilities are provided. Some meeting rooms have a refrigerator and a microwave, so please confirm this with the office.

Please do not take snacks to the sleeping rooms. Place all garbage in the trash cans; contact the office if trash cans need to be emptied. Do NOT leave garbage outdoors.

We provide options for snacks as well.

• There are vending machines in Spruce Lodge and Founders Lodge.
• The Wagon Wheel Snack Shop has regular hours during the spring, summer and fall. It can also be requested during the winter. Snack options from our kitchen can also be provided with advance notice in the fall, winter, and spring.

Each group staying at the retreat center will be assigned a meeting room for no extra charge. It is subject to change based on the variation of sizes of all groups on site during contracted dates.

Additional meeting and/or breakout space may be added in the weeks preceding your arrival and an additional fee may apply.

A screen, easel/whiteboard, newsprint, and/or podium can be provided upon request. Please communicate your needs to the Spruce Lake group coordinator in advance of your arrival.
A DVD player with monitor may be requested in the retreat center meeting rooms for an additional fee. A DVD player with monitor is provided in each of the mountainside lodges and in Huckleberry Chalet at the wilderness camp area.

A piano is available in the Sunroom, Sycamore, Cedar Hall, Evergreen, and Creekview Lodge for no extra charge. A Yamaha Clavinova can be rented (additional fee) in Walnut or Lilac. A piano can also be rented in Black Cherry for an additional fee. In other meeting spaces or lodges, a portable keyboard can be rented as available (additional fee).

Your group coordinator will be in touch regarding your setup requests and equipment needs for your meeting room.

If you do not provide the information, you may arrange the room when you arrive.

Groups may rent a PA system for the length of stay with an additional fee. We have basic 4-channel and 6-channel systems (includes up to 3 wired mics) as well as a Bose 2-channel system (includes 1 wired mic & instrument input). You may bring your own PA system if you choose. Please always be mindful that the sound levels do not disturb other guests. They should not be used during the quiet hours of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

There are two PA system options in Black Cherry meeting room in Spruce Lodge & Summit in the Mountain View building at Wilderness Camp. The Basic System includes 3 microphones and up to 3 additional inputs (additional fee). The Full System adds 3 wireless mics (1 wireless in Summit), a lapel mic, two monitors and a subwoofer for an additional fee. Data projectors may also be rented for an additional fee (some meeting rooms have large screen monitors).

We can provide a DVD player, cables and computer speakers, or you can bring your own laptop computer. The PA system can also be used for the sound. You are welcome to bring your own data projector.

To promote a beneficial retreat experience, we encourage guests to take a break from the technology that crowds our lives and to focus on building relationships with Christ and others. For that reason, we do not have televisions available (except for use with DVDs).

Emergency phones are located at the lobby desk and in each lodging facility. They can be used to contact the office or to reach a staff person for emergencies when the office is closed.

Most people with Verizon Wireless get good reception. Other carriers have mixed results. For better reception, you can try boosting your phone by setting it to “Wi-Fi Calling.”

We hope you will take time to enjoy the outdoors and interact with others. Volume from a device when in your room, or around others, should not create a distraction.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the Retreat Center Area, as well as the lodging accommodations in the Mountainside Lodge and Wilderness Camp areas.

No password is required for the network, Spruce Lake Guest.

Pets are not permitted.

Service Animals are not considered pets, and are defined as an animal that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. Service Animals are allowed.

Emotional Support animals provide affection, companionship, and comfort to an owner suffering from a diagnosed mental, emotional, or psychological condition. Emotional Support animals are permitted on the property after the required paperwork is submitted to the office prior to or upon arrival. These animals may not enter the dining room, snack shop, or pool area.

Both Service and Emotional Support Animals must be under the control of the owner.

Casual clothes are appropriate.
However, to convey respect for others, we ask that clothing be modest and not distracting. In general, this means:

• (1) shirts or cover-ups on at all times outside the pool area;
• (2) no bikinis or men’s swimwear briefs;
• (3) sunbathing at the pool only.

Lifeguards have the authority to enforce swimwear modesty standards, and will provide cover-up T-shirts as needed.

Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

This is a non-smoking facility. However, there are designated areas where smoking and vaping are permitted. Please check with the office for the location.

Fireworks are prohibited.

Firearms of any kind are prohibited – including airsoft and paintball guns.

A first aid kit is available at the front desk for minor cuts and scrapes. Please report serious injuries to the front desk staff (and complete an accident report). Directions to Pocono Medical Center are available on the front desk when the office is closed.

Our staff may take photos and/or video footage for promotional purposes, including web and print publication. Names will only be used with permission.

We want you to have fun at Spruce Lake and to enjoy the outdoors! If you want to bring your favorite item of equipment, please do, but we have all the equipment you’ll need for enjoying our recreation options.

We do ask that you use the equipment with care, and always return it when you are finished.

Adults – whether parents or group leaders – are to be mindful of the children and/or youth in their care, and are ultimately responsible for their safety and conduct.