A World-Renowned Health Retreat Is Opening Outside Santa Barbara

As noted in a recent post, a health retreat is in the works for 3940 Paradise Road, off Highway 154 behind the Santa Barbara foothills. And as a reader pointed out, it is indeed related to the famous Mountain Trek Health Reset Retreat in British Columbia.

Here’s how Condé Nast Traveler describes the Mountain Trek experience: “You and about 15 other hyper-stressed vacationers will embrace the granola life for a little while, with day-long hikes led by one of the eager local guides, and sunrise yoga classes led by certified professionals. Throw better sleep and possible weight loss in—au revoir, bedtime snacking—and we’ve just signed our week away. Everything here is targeted toward achieving optimal health and wellness [….] Food is locally sourced (of course), and menus are shaped by the on-site nutritionist, who works in cahoots with the experienced head chef, who’s fluent in clean, fresh spa cuisine.”

Co-owner Alex Timmons says the Santa Barbara outpost, which is named Blue Oak Retreat, will work along the same lines—there will be 18 rooms, grouped together in three buildings, with a minimum stay of one week and a maximum stay of two weeks. The only major difference is seasonality: while Mountain Trek operates exclusively in the summer, Blue Oak will be open year round. “The earliest groundbreaking would be at the start of 2026,” says Timmons. “It’ll be a stretch if we can open for the 2027-2028 winter season.” The architect is Jim Cutler of Cutler Anderson Architects in Bainbridge Island, Washington, who is best known for designing Bill Gates’s 66,000-square foot house.

Alex Timmons and his wife, Hannah, took over Mountain Trek from her uncle in 2018; he had bought it from the original owner in 2008. They used their backgrounds in tech and marketing to streamline operations and get it more exposure (including awards from Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, and Outside). When the pandemic hit, Mountain Trek was forced to close for two years. The Timmonses visited Hannah’s parents in Santa Barbara—they had retired here around a decade ago—and next thing you know, the idea of a sister retreat was born.

They found a piece of land they loved, but building a driveway was prohibitively expensive. The owner recommended they talk to a neighbor who had a more workable property—156 acres that had briefly been listed many years ago. They bought half of the property in 2021 and the other half two years later. Once permitting is completed, they’ll embark on fundraising; you can email blueoakretreat@gmail.com for more info.

The name Blue Oak Retreat comes from the endemic blue oak trees. “When we learned how rare and beautiful they are,” says Timmons, “we decided to name the property after them.” And while 13 trees of various species must be removed due to poor health, satisfying the fire department, and other reasons, the Timmonses have already begun planting 65 new ones in an effort to restore the forest canopy.

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