September 14-18, 2026
Walk on the Wild Side: Hiking the Big Sur Country
Esalen Institute: Registration Opens Any Day!
Steven Harper & Friends
"What’s the quickest way out of the city?" John Muir asked a stranger. "Where do you want to go?" the man replied. "Anywhere that is wild," said Muir.
This week is simple and direct. Each day we step onto the mountain trails of Big Sur and walk into the living wild — breathing ocean air, feeling the ground beneath our feet, and allowing the rhythms of the natural world to recalibrate body and mind. We return to Esalen’s natural hot springs overlooking the vast Pacific to soak, rest, and let the day settle into our bones. In short, we come to touch nature and be touched by it.
Muir reminded us that “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul.” Guided by this spirit, our time together weaves hiking with simple awareness practices drawn from contemplative and experiential traditions. There will be invitations toward silence, reflection, and embodied presence. Along the way, as Muir did, we make heartfelt inquiry into our own lives: What does it mean to live authentically? Where are we following well-worn paths, and where are we authoring our own? The outer wilderness becomes a mirror for the inner terrain it stirs.
Day hikes (approximately 4–8 miles) begin after breakfast and conclude in time to enjoy Esalen’s hot springs and nourishing meals. Participants should come prepared for invigorating physical activity, including elevation gain and loss on occasionally rugged or steep terrain — as well as the quieter invitation to pause, sit, and rest in contemplative stillness along the trail.
Note: Additional information, an equipment list, and a waiver will be sent upon registration. For frequently asked questions about Steven’s workshops, please visit FAQs.
Click here for pricing and housing selection.
McWay Falls in Saddle Rock Cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park