Orange Springs Retreat Center is an exclusive-use high school retreat venue in Florida for groups of 60–200+ students and chaperones. Your school has the entire 100+ acre campus to itself — cabins, dining hall, meeting rooms, sports fields, and a spring-fed lake — so students can stay, eat, meet, and move between activities without coordinating around another group.
One school. One campus. No competing schedules. No shared dining hall. No outside guests on the lake.
Senior overnights, grade-level class trips, and leadership weekends all use this same private-campus model. The property borders the Ocala National Forest, just south of Gainesville. Your school brings the program. The entire property stays yours.
For lodging, meals, sample 2-night retreat schedule, and published Fall/Winter 2027/2028 packages, see the overnight class trip venue in Florida page.
| At a glance | High school retreat venue |
| Venue | Exclusive-use high school retreat venue in Central Florida |
| Model | One Group at a Time. Always. One School. One Campus. |
| Campus | 100+ acre private campus with a spring-fed lake and white-sand beach, bordering the Ocala National Forest |
| Group size | 60–200+ guests, including students, faculty, and chaperones. Minimum 60. |
| Lodging | Climate-controlled cabins. 200+ beds on one property. |
| Dining | Chef-prepared meals. Dining hall seats 200+. Dietary needs discussed at booking. |
| On campus | Meeting space, lake activities, sports, campfires, high and low ropes. |
| Location | Orange Springs / Hawthorne, just south of Gainesville. About 40 minutes from Gainesville, 45 from Ocala. |
Why high school groups use an exclusive-use campus
On an exclusive-use campus:
- Every student on site belongs to the same school
- Chaperones supervise one group, not a public waterfront
- Meals, meetings, and activities run on one schedule
- Cabin assignments, lights-out, and free time stay inside the school’s rules
One Group at a Time – Always.
High school retreat formats we host
A senior class overnight, a grade-level class trip, a leadership weekend, or a class-unity retreat all use the same private campus. What changes is the school’s purpose and schedule.
Senior class overnights
Graduation-year trips where the whole class stays together for two or three nights. See why schools return for a senior class overnight.
Overnight class trips
Grade-level or combined-class trips that need a private campus, meals, meeting space, and recreation in one place. The detailed rates, sample schedules, and 2027 packages are on the overnight class trip venue in Florida page.
Leadership and student government weekends
The school runs sessions and small groups. The venue supplies lodging, dining, breakout space, and a closed campus.
Freshman bonding and class-unity weekends
Usually a 2-night / 3-day stay. Same exclusive-use rule: one school on site.
Honor society and academic retreats
Meeting rooms and a quiet campus, with recreation available between sessions.
Faith-based school retreats
Private property for worship, small groups, and recreation without sharing space with an unrelated program.
If you are comparing school-group retreat options more broadly, see our Florida school group retreat location page. For overnight class trips, lodging, meals, sample schedules, and current package information, see the overnight class trip venue in Florida page.
What the campus includes
- Exclusive use of 100+ acres bordering the Ocala National Forest
- 200+ beds in climate-controlled, dormitory-style cabins
- Chef-prepared meals in a dining hall that seats 200+
- Meeting and breakout space with AV
- Spring-fed lake with white-sand beach, swimming, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards
- Sports fields and courts
- Ropes / climbing by advance arrangement
- Bus-accessible parking
Minimum group: 60. Comfortable working range: 60–200+ students and chaperones.
This is not a shared campus. We only allow one school retreat at a time. The property stays closed to other groups.
Schools that use the campus
Florida high schools come for senior overnights, class trips, and leadership weekends — and a number of them book again.
Returning and recent school groups include:
- Miami Arts Studio 6–12 (MAS)
- Ransom Everglades School
- Renaissance Charter School
- GSTAR
- Leesburg High School
- Lake Minneola High School
Location for Florida high schools
Orange Springs, Florida, just south of Gainesville, on the edge of the Ocala National Forest.
Approximate city drive times:
- Gainesville — about 40 minutes
- Ocala — about 35–45 minutes
- Jacksonville — about 90 minutes
- Orlando — about 1.5–2 hours
- Tampa — about 1.5–2 hours
For Miami-area schools, Orange Springs provides a true overnight retreat without requiring an out-of-state flight. Charter buses and school vans park on site. Groups do not shuttle between lodging, meals, and activities.
2027 dates, rates, and how booking works
Most high school groups book a 2-night / 3-day stay on a Friday–Sunday. Popular October, November, February, and March weekends lock 10–14 months out.
Published Fall/Winter 2027-2028 packages (September–April) include lodging, meals, standard activities, and exclusive use of the campus:
| Length of stay | 60+ guests | 100+ guests |
| 2 night / 3 day | $255 per person | $205 per person |
| 3 night / 4 day | $315 per person | $255 per person |
See the overnight class trip venue in Florida page for the complete rates, availability, and booking guide.
For the administrator checklist — purpose, supervision, cabin logic, and approval timing — use How to Plan a High School Retreat.
Longer stays and summer options are listed on the rates, availability, and booking guide.
The 2026 calendar is full, with a waitlist for cancellations. New high school retreats are being reserved for Fall 2027 through Summer 2028.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum group size?
60 guests for exclusive use of the campus.
Is this only for senior classes?
No. A senior class overnight is one format. The same campus hosts class trips, leadership weekends, freshman bonding trips, honor society retreats, and faith-based school groups.
Do packages include meals?
Yes. Chef-prepared meals are included in the published packages.
Can we bring our own program?
Yes. Orange Springs is a private campus rental, not a pre-built student-life curriculum. Your faculty and chaperones run the sessions.
How far in advance should we reserve 2027?
Treat 10–14 months as the normal window for prime weekends. The planning steps are in the high school retreat planning guide.
Where do we see sample schedules and overnight details?
On the overnight class trip venue in Florida page.
Check 2027 high school dates
Call or text Mike Sokol at (561) 221-7773
Orange Springs Retreat Center
168 Camp Shalom Trail, Orange Springs, Florida 32182
Overnight campus details, sample schedules, and 2027 packages:
Overnight Class Trip Venue in Florida
Published rates are listed in our rates, availability, and booking guide.