private group retreat venue

A Private, Exclusive-Use Retreat Center Designed for Meaningful Group Experiences

Whether you’re planning a high school leadership retreat, men’s or women’s church retreat, youth group weekend, nonprofit gathering, adult camp, corporate leadership retreat, or university program, choosing the right venue makes all the difference.

At Orange Springs Retreat Center, we’ve spent more than two decades helping organizations host memorable retreats in a setting built specifically for groups.

Unlike hotels, resorts, or public campgrounds where multiple groups compete for meeting space and amenities, Orange Springs welcomes only one group at a time. Your organization enjoys exclusive use of our 100+ acre private campus, allowing your attendees to focus on what matters most—building relationships, strengthening teams, and creating lasting memories.

Why Choose a Private Group Retreat Venue?

The most successful retreats happen when participants can fully disconnect from everyday distractions.

At Orange Springs Retreat Center, your group enjoys:

  • Exclusive use of the entire 100+ acre property
  • Comfortable climate-controlled lodging for 60–200+ guests
  • Chef-prepared, customizable meals
  • Flexible meeting and breakout spaces with AV capability
  • A private spring-fed lake with white-sand beach
  • Kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding,
  • Lake inflatables waterpark with trampolines, a slide, and climbing ICEBERG!
  • Sports fields, tennis courts, basketball, and volleyball
  • Campfires, archery, and walking trails
  • High and low ropes courses (facilitated by arrangement)

Without outside guests on campus, your schedule remains your own—giving your group the freedom to worship, learn, collaborate, relax, and connect without interruption.

Designed for Every Type of Group Retreat

Every organization has unique goals. Orange Springs Retreat Center welcomes a wide variety of retreat programs and is ideal for:

No matter your purpose, our exclusive-use property creates an environment where your group stays together from arrival through departure.

Comfortable Lodging, Great Food & Flexible Meeting Space

Planning a retreat should be exciting—not overwhelming. We’ve designed every aspect of Orange Springs Retreat Center to simplify the experience for organizers.

Your group enjoys climate-controlled lodging, chef-prepared meals with customizable menus, meeting rooms for presentations and breakouts, and recreational spaces that naturally encourage conversation and connection. Everything is located on one private campus, making logistics easy while maximizing your group’s time together. Explore the full list of facilities on our Amenities page.

Activities That Strengthen Relationships

The best retreat memories often happen between scheduled sessions. Groups enjoy:

  • Swimming in the pool and private spring-fed lake
  • Kayaking, canoeing, and paddle boarding
  • Inflatable water attractions
  • Basketball, tennis, volleyball, and open sports fields
  • Archery and walking trails
  • Evening campfires
  • Team-building and high/low ropes experiences

Whether your retreat emphasizes leadership development, worship, education, recreation, or simply quality time together, Orange Springs provides the space to make it happen. See the complete activity list on our Available Activities page.

Why Organizations Return Year After Year

Many groups have made Orange Springs Retreat Center part of their annual tradition. They return because they know exactly what they’ll receive:

  • Complete privacy — one group at a time, always
  • Friendly, experienced staff
  • Excellent, customizable meals
  • Comfortable climate-controlled accommodations
  • Beautiful natural surroundings bordering the Ocala National Forest
  • Flexible scheduling that puts your program first
  • A retreat experience centered entirely around your group

That consistency allows retreat leaders to spend less time worrying about logistics and more time investing in their attendees. Learn more about our story and exclusive-use philosophy on the About Us page.

Explore Retreats Designed for Your Group

Every group has different goals. We’ve created specialized pages to help you find the right fit:

Planning a faith-based event?  Church Group Retreat Venue in Florida →

Hosting students?  Florida High School Retreat →

Corporate or leadership team?  Florida Business Retreat Venue →

Looking for winter or shoulder-season dates?  Winter Retreat Venue Florida →

Helpful Resources for Retreat Organizers

We’ve published practical planning resources based on more than 20 years of hosting groups:

Conveniently Located in North Central Florida

Orange Springs Retreat Center sits on more than 100 private acres bordering the Ocala National Forest. The setting is peaceful and secluded while remaining easily accessible from Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, Ocala, and much of the Southeast. Groups traveling by air are within easy driving distance of Gainesville Regional Airport, Jacksonville International Airport, and Orlando International Airport.

 

 

One group. One private retreat center. Your schedule. Your experience.

Our Story: From Summer Camp to Private Retreat Venue

The story of Orange Springs Retreat Center began decades before it became the exclusive-use retreat venue it is today. Read the full story on our blog.

This property has welcomed groups since 1971, when Shelley and David “Big D” Sokol, founded Camp Shalom. In 2002, I reimagined the property as Orange Springs Retreat Center—a year-round, exclusive-use retreat venue designed specifically for schools, churches, youth organizations, and private groups.

Plan Your Next Group Retreat

If you’re searching for a private group retreat venue in Florida, Orange Springs Retreat Center offers the space, privacy, accommodations, and experience to help your organization host an unforgettable event.

Located just south of Gainesville, Florida, Orange Springs Retreat Center offers Group Retreat Rentals, Fall & Spring School/Church Camp venue, and an ideal Summer Camp Location.

Orange Springs Retreat Center | Florida’s Exclusive-Use Retreat Venue for Private Groups, Schools & Churches (60–200 Guests)

What separates us from other retreat venues is true exclusivity:

“One Group At a Time Always- No Shared Spaces, No Outside Guests”

Check out how Orange Springs Retreat Center was featured in the New York Times.

Website: orangespringsretreat.com

Let’s build something meaningful together.

private group retreat venue
Group Retreat Venue in Florida

A Private, Exclusive-Use Retreat Center Designed for Meaningful Group Experiences

Whether you’re planning a high school leadership retreat, men’s or women’s church retreat, youth group weekend, nonprofit gathering, adult camp, corporate leadership retreat, or university program, choosing the right venue makes all the difference.

At Orange Springs Retreat Center, we’ve spent more than two decades helping organizations host memorable retreats in a setting built specifically for groups.

Unlike hotels, resorts, or public campgrounds where multiple groups compete for meeting space and amenities, Orange Springs welcomes only one group at a time. Your organization enjoys exclusive use of our 100+ acre private campus, allowing your attendees to focus on what matters most—building relationships, strengthening teams, and creating lasting memories.

Why Choose a Private Group Retreat Venue?

The most successful retreats happen when participants can fully disconnect from everyday distractions.

At Orange Springs Retreat Center, your group enjoys:

  • Exclusive use of the entire 100+ acre property
  • Comfortable climate-controlled lodging for 60–200+ guests
  • Chef-prepared, customizable meals
  • Flexible meeting and breakout spaces with AV capability
  • A private spring-fed lake with white-sand beach
  • Kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding,
  • Lake inflatables waterpark with trampolines, a slide, and climbing ICEBERG!
  • Sports fields, tennis courts, basketball, and volleyball
  • Campfires, archery, and walking trails
  • High and low ropes courses (facilitated by arrangement)

Without outside guests on campus, your schedule remains your own—giving your group the freedom to worship, learn, collaborate, relax, and connect without interruption.

Designed for Every Type of Group Retreat

Every organization has unique goals. Orange Springs Retreat Center welcomes a wide variety of retreat programs and is ideal for:

No matter your purpose, our exclusive-use property creates an environment where your group stays together from arrival through departure.

Comfortable Lodging, Great Food & Flexible Meeting Space

Planning a retreat should be exciting—not overwhelming. We’ve designed every aspect of Orange Springs Retreat Center to simplify the experience for organizers.

Your group enjoys climate-controlled lodging, chef-prepared meals with customizable menus, meeting rooms for presentations and breakouts, and recreational spaces that naturally encourage conversation and connection. Everything is located on one private campus, making logistics easy while maximizing your group’s time together. Explore the full list of facilities on our Amenities page.

Activities That Strengthen Relationships

The best retreat memories often happen between scheduled sessions. Groups enjoy:

  • Swimming in the pool and private spring-fed lake
  • Kayaking, canoeing, and paddle boarding
  • Inflatable water attractions
  • Basketball, tennis, volleyball, and open sports fields
  • Archery and walking trails
  • Evening campfires
  • Team-building and high/low ropes experiences

Whether your retreat emphasizes leadership development, worship, education, recreation, or simply quality time together, Orange Springs provides the space to make it happen. See the complete activity list on our Available Activities page.

Why Organizations Return Year After Year

Many groups have made Orange Springs Retreat Center part of their annual tradition. They return because they know exactly what they’ll receive:

  • Complete privacy — one group at a time, always
  • Friendly, experienced staff
  • Excellent, customizable meals
  • Comfortable climate-controlled accommodations
  • Beautiful natural surroundings bordering the Ocala National Forest
  • Flexible scheduling that puts your program first
  • A retreat experience centered entirely around your group

That consistency allows retreat leaders to spend less time worrying about logistics and more time investing in their attendees. Learn more about our story and exclusive-use philosophy on the About Us page.

Explore Retreats Designed for Your Group

Every group has different goals. We’ve created specialized pages to help you find the right fit:

Planning a faith-based event?  Church Group Retreat Venue in Florida →

Hosting students?  Florida High School Retreat →

Corporate or leadership team?  Florida Business Retreat Venue →

Looking for winter or shoulder-season dates?  Winter Retreat Venue Florida →

Helpful Resources for Retreat Organizers

We’ve published practical planning resources based on more than 20 years of hosting groups:

Conveniently Located in North Central Florida

Orange Springs Retreat Center sits on more than 100 private acres bordering the Ocala National Forest. The setting is peaceful and secluded while remaining easily accessible from Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, Ocala, and much of the Southeast. Groups traveling by air are within easy driving distance of Gainesville Regional Airport, Jacksonville International Airport, and Orlando International Airport.

 

 

One group. One private retreat center. Your schedule. Your experience.

Our Story: From Summer Camp to Private Retreat Venue

The story of Orange Springs Retreat Center began decades before it became the exclusive-use retreat venue it is today. Read the full story on our blog.

This property has welcomed groups since 1971, when Shelley and David “Big D” Sokol, founded Camp Shalom. In 2002, I reimagined the property as Orange Springs Retreat Center—a year-round, exclusive-use retreat venue designed specifically for schools, churches, youth organizations, and private groups.

Plan Your Next Group Retreat

If you’re searching for a private group retreat venue in Florida, Orange Springs Retreat Center offers the space, privacy, accommodations, and experience to help your organization host an unforgettable event.

Located just south of Gainesville, Florida, Orange Springs Retreat Center offers Group Retreat Rentals, Fall & Spring School/Church Camp venue, and an ideal Summer Camp Location.

Orange Springs Retreat Center | Florida’s Exclusive-Use Retreat Venue for Private Groups, Schools & Churches (60–200 Guests)

What separates us from other retreat venues is true exclusivity:

“One Group At a Time Always- No Shared Spaces, No Outside Guests”

Check out how Orange Springs Retreat Center was featured in the New York Times.

Website: orangespringsretreat.com

Let’s build something meaningful together.