Walk the paths
Refresh your soul in nature
Exploring Benet Hill
Renew your spirit and quiet your soul while exploring contemplative prayer sites and meditative paths throughout the grounds. You are welcome to seek the Divine on your own while in the serenity and beauty of this wooded setting.
The significance of the land
We acknowledge that the monastery is located on unceded Native American land historically populated by the Ute people. We are learning about land justice issues through collaborations with several organizations.
"We believe Mother Earth is a manifestation of The Divine. Therefore, we commit ourselves to promote responsible stewardship by choosing a lifestyle that gives witness to our love of the earth and taking from her only what we need...We pledge to use the land in an economically responsible and moderate manner, seeking to maintain and improve the quality of soil, air, and water and a healthy balance of human, animal and plant life where possible."
- Benet Hill Monastery Land Ethic, adopted January 5, 2018
You are welcome to walk the grounds during daylight hours. Please check in first at the monastery in case of an evacuation emergency due to a forest fire.
Labyrinth
Take a meditative walk to assist you on your journey to inner peace and understanding. During the Middle Ages, when it was not possible to complete a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Christians used the labyrinth to fulfill their obligation. A labyrinth has only one path into the center and back out. Our outdoor labyrinth incorporates the Ponderosa pines and the undulating forest floor.
Allow 30 – 60 minutes to walk the labyrinth. Let it nurture your relationship with your God, yourself, and others.
On July 15, 2000, friends, oblates, family, community and retreatants gathered to joyfully and prayerfully build the labyrinth. In September 2000, the labyrinth was dedicated in memory of Becky Reichardt, a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and faithful friend to the Benedictine Sisters.
Zen Garden
Meditate on the beauty and wonder of creation in the Zen garden. These gardens are places set apart, to appreciate the wonders of everyday things, liberate the imagination, nourish the soul, and be in touch with our Creator. More than 600 years ago, the Zen priest-gardeners of Japan developed simple techniques to create visually stimulating outdoor environments—oases of peace and serenity.
The Zen garden was the first meditative site developed at Benet Pines and was dedicated to Sister Mary Agnes McPhee. Prior to her death, Sister Mary Agnes spent her days on earth at Benet Pines tending to the needs of retreatants, and her own community and monastic spirit. Her life was devoted to goodness and walking lightly, as the plaque on the boulder within the garden suggests.
Additional sites
Stations of the Cross
Pray in the more traditional devotional setting surrounded by the stillness of the forest. The Stations of the Cross were designed and hand carved on redwood plaques by the Sisters of Benet Hill during the 1960’s.
Stone Grotto
This beautiful stone Grotto which sits upon a rocky knoll in the pine forest was constructed by Nancy Walter, a past volunteer and friend of the sisters.
Keep exploring
The following spaces are available to individuals on retreat and when the areas are not in use by other groups.
- Our Lady of Peace Chapel
- Spirit of Wisdom Oratory
- Blessed Sacrament Chapel
- Library
When you're done exploring outside, come on in
Whether you’re grabbing a sticky cinnamon roll on a Sunday morning or looking to pray with a sister, we’ll meet you where you are—wherever you are. And when you leave, go in peace.