Witch camp 2025 -
New York
October 28 - November 2, 2025
at vanderkamp retreat center
Join us at the edge of the Adirondack Park for five nights of
Community, Connection, and Magic.
Welcome to Witch Camp!
We are so excited to have booked 5 nights in the foothills of the Adirondacks this fall to celebrate Samhain (pronounced SOW-WHEN) with our YF family. This will be an experience of magic making and play as we utilize Kundalini practices and the bounty of the wilderness to invoke the wild witch inside us.
Samhain is a magical time of year, in earth based spirituality (according to the Wheel of the Year) this celebration marks the New Year, a time where the work we have done is already sown. The natural world is preparing for the quiet and the dark that is coming. In ritual we will review and bring awareness to what you have created and harvested since the springtime, honor what has passed and is ready to be stored or let go.
Now is the time to release the WILDness inside of us. Remember the part of you that played in the mud, leaves in your hair, dirt under your nails? What if we went within, found them and brought them into the present? What gifts are there for you?
The end of October marks a special time of year when the veil between the worlds is considered the thinnest. We will spend time honoring our ancestors and looking at how our individual histories have shaped who we are.
We will seek to heal collective sisterhood wounds while we embrace and activate our interconnected gifts. We will utilize Kundalini practices that embrace the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and to fully integrate all aspects of ourselves to emerge strong and nourished.
Reconnect with WILDerness and the wisdom of the earth. We will explore the symbology of the season and how to utilize them to add intention and depth in our rituals.
Make new friends and connect with old as we gather for full days of community and kinship.
Join us in a restorative communal and trauma-informed healing experience. All levels are welcome. No kundalini experience is necessary.
5 nights of unique accommodations in the ADK
3 delicious prepared meals per day
Morning and afternoon workshops
Hot tub, sauna, cold plunge and salt room on-site
Evening rituals in tune with the season
Transportation from SYR airport
DATES:
5 nights
October 28 - November 2, 2025
pricing:
King Rooms
from $3299 (shareable for up to 2 people)
Queen Rooms
from $2499
(all En-Suite, Private Singles)
Shared Rooms
from $1299
(wide range of options)
*All accommodations are unique, please read descriptions carefully when booking.
Please note - retreat payments are non-refundable.
confirm before purchase that you are able to attend.
Grace manor
Grace Manor is a haven of tranquility that invites you to slow down and escape the pace of everyday life.
With a wraparound front porch overlooking Lake Vanderkamp, a large back deck with the retreat hot tub, a fire pit offers the perfect setting for gathering, connection and community building.
This house was intentionally crafted for relaxation and rejuvenation, free from modern distractions, allowing you to truly unwind. A large living room with ample seating and an inviting 100-year-old stone fireplace allows you and your fellow participants to gather for empowering conversations. Pop into the cozy 3 season room for a quiet morning read, soak in the large hot tub, listen to the birds from the back deck, or retreat to your private bedroom for a moment of solitude with views of the surrounding wilderness. Each room in Grace Manor offers lots of comforts and conveniences with a private ensuite bathroom and a unique perspective of the grounds, allowing you to connect with the natural world in your own way.
Let the essence of this space become your sanctuary, where time seems to stand still, and the memories created linger long after you leave.
Frank Soule Lodge
Frank Soule Lodge (FSL) is a place intentionally designed to make you feel at home. Nestled deep within the towering trees and a short walk from the lake shore, this space is cozy and communal.
FSL will be your place to unwind and hang out. There is a place to cozy up around every corner. Sit down with one of your favorite books in the reading chairs near the main entrance, lounge around the stone fireplace with your housemates for sweet conversations, or soak up the sunlight coming into the lake-view sitting room. A spacious kitchen will allow you to bring some of your favorite snacks if you’re inclined and have access to coffee as soon as you wake up in the morning, no need to wait for breakfast. Every detail in the FSL has been carefully curated to allow you to simply show up and be at ease. Just a short walk away is Grace Manor where the shared hot tub is on the porch.
Every room is unique, and this house has a mixture of en-suite and shared bathroom options. Please note - the King with the screened porch, the triple and the single w/ a double bed all share a bathroom. The Queens and the King with the bathtub are all en-suite.
THE BOATHOUSE
Modern, clean, and surprisingly spacious, The Boathouse is the perfect place to reconnect with nature and yourself. Sitting perfectly on the water's edge, every aspect of this experience pulls your consciousness into the natural world around you.
The lower floor of the boathouse houses two beautiful bedrooms with sliding door access to the lake and a shared bathroom. with a shower. To your right as you enter, a staircase to the upper floor finds you immersed in a bright and open living space accented by high-contrast vaulted ceilings as well as the original indoor fireplace and clerestory windows. Off the main living area, two sets of French doors bring you into the sitting room, a place where unmatched panoramic views of the lake will delight you at all hours of the day. Relax out there in the wooden arc hammock or in one of our rocking chairs while you watch the sunset over the water and forest beyond.
This accommodation is available with two bedrooms with a shared bath, making it ideal for 2-3 friends to share.
Queen Bed - $327/mo
Full Bed - SOLD OUT
Queen Bed - $480/mo
Full Bed - SOLD OUT
ABOUT vanderkamp
850 acres of picturesque wilderness
Vanderkamp was founded on the belief that immersing ourselves within the natural world can transform personal growth.
Years ago, the land was home to summer camps and retreats for local youth groups and organizations. In May 2021, Dan Cramer and Troy Evans partnered to purchase the property. Together with Joe Sisko, they have made it their mission to bring life back into the buildings.
Every lodge and gathering place is intentionally designed to help immerse you within the different elements of land. Taking cues from the natural world and the history of the land, they’ve crafted spaces that encourage contemplation, conversation, and curiosity.
Vanderkamp has created this experience to help you celebrate and explore your connections within the natural world. Seclude yourself on a quiet morning with a coffee by the lake, meet new friends in one of our many common space areas, or explore the unique wonders of the VK forest on a hike through our 850 acres of active ecosystems. They are dedicated to cultivating unique, immersive, and supremely hospitable experiences that inspire people to discover the joy of connecting to the natural world.
They are preserving and protecting this land so that it can serve as a sanctuary for human connection.
It is a place to escape and immerse yourself within the ethos of the forest, to reconnect with what is most important, and take a step back from modern life.
Meals
At vanderkamp there is a dining philosophy
Make people happy. Be passionate about providing the best service, the best drink and the best food. Everything matters and everything is an ingredient in making it fun.
Expect delicious, elevated food served family-style, crafted so that the food we enjoy will enhance the entire retreat experience. Mealtime will be another chance to connect with your fellow travelers and the land we are on. Meals will be a mix of poultry, fish, and vegetarian options. Food allergies and sensitivities will be accommodated as well as possible.
Yoga Farm will provide ground transportation from SYR on the first day, and a return to the SYR airport on the final day.
TRANSPORTATION
MEET Your RETREAT HOSTS
JEANNIE O'NEILL
M.ED, E-RYT500, YACEP:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT Yoga Farm Ithaca (YFI)
Jeannie has a masters degree in education specializing in contemplative pedagogy and transformative curriculum design.
She is a 500E-RYT Vinyasa and Kundalini Yoga Teacher, Mindfulness Meditation instructor, a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider and an Ayurvedic health practitioner.
Jeannie has led thousands of students through Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) programs at the foundational and the Advanced level. She has created countless educational programs and CEUs for educators, as well as creating the ‘Radiant Warrior Yoga Teacher Training’, ‘Kundalini Warrior’ and ‘Spiritual Warrior 300YTT’. She also developed and guided a Kundalini Prenatal YTT and Rebirthing Certification Program.
Jeannie’s take on yoga is that there is a depth and breadth of information that can be experimented in order to find the perfect inner balance and alignment. Her teaching philosophy is based in experiential learning and teaching the path that you have walked.
JESSICA ENGLISH
RETREAT COORDINATOR, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT YOGA FARM ITHACA
Jessica has spent her life crafting experiences and leading people on adventures.
She is thrilled that in her role at Yoga Farm she gets to continue to explore this passion, working alongside Jeannie to bring Yoga Farm out into the world via retreats.
Jessica’s passion for travel has been well honed over the years, and she has an eye for amazing spaces and unique opportunities, as well as a skill at making a retreat feel seamless and the participants feel welcomed and at home. She takes care of all the details so you can let yourself simply relax and enjoy the ride.
Jessica believes in the transformative power of coming together in community, in a space that is out of your element. She knows that the curriculum created for the retreats YFI holds will leave the participants feeling more centered, whole and aligned.
SabrinA Trapani
STUDENT SERVICES COORDINATOR, EDUCATOR, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Sabrina leads everything she does from the belief that everything you need is within you. Through our practices we learn and unlearn, we embrace our uniqueness and truly embody the essence of who it is that we are, and how to use our energy to live our dharma | path. Understanding the love and courage that it takes to find one’s way, she is devoted to holding space for others. We feel and fuel our dreams through our presence in practice, learning to trust our intuition, tap into our truth and lead a fulfilling life of authentically.
Sabrina has studied with Yoga Farm Ithaca since 2020 through our Radiant Warrior, Kundalini Warrior, Spiritual Warrior, Kundalini Rebirthing and more! She will assist in morning practices and workshops.
2024 witch camp
Student Reviews
The Yoga Farm retreat I went on was a life changing experience. I felt loved, accepted, cared for, and inspired the entire time. For me, it was the culmination of years of practice in self-healing, awareness and growth. It was a time and place which gave me the space to explore that growth in a loving, supportive, safe and BEAUTIFUL environment. It cultivated and inspired the motivation I needed in order to make significant life changes. The lessons I learned there helped to guide me on my path towards chasing my joy and trusting my deepest intuitions. Yoga Farm is a family and community unlike any other. I cannot wait for the next retreat!
Heather G
On my retreat with YFI, everything that I needed to support my journey of healing and growth was available: delicious, nourishing meals, wise and generous teachers and compassionate community. I gained clarity of purpose and am now able to embrace ALL of who I am and the incredible opportunities that await.
Deborah D
What I learned on retreat with Yoga Farm
Chanting is now an act of time travel.
A space I re-enter any time I'm in need.
Where I feel each of you in my bones, in my cells, in my soul.
You inspire laughter and tears and remind me of the full spectrum of this existence.
And I remember all the pieces that make me whole.
The pieces that were reflected back to me, gifted to me.
And I return home.
Symphony H