Montreat and Hurricane Helene

On Friday, September 27, Lake Susan and Flat Creek swelled to historic levels following heavy rainfall brought on by Hurricane Helene. This led to catastrophic flooding throughout the town of Montreat and Western North Carolina.

We are hard at work repairing buildings, rebuilding trails, and dredging Lake Susan for guests to return starting January 1, 2025.

Please read below about the changes that are being made to guest groups, conferences, and access to our campus.

Montreat Status Updates

We've been regularly communicating updates to the community as things happen in Montreat. Below are links to those communications:

Guest Groups

All guest groups have been postponed until January 2025. Our Retreats and Conference Registration teams should have been in contact with all participants and are following up on next steps to process changes and adjust registrations as appropriate. Please be patient with us as we work through this difficult time. For guest groups scheduled to visit between now and January 2025, please view hour Hurricane Helene Retreat FAQ.

For guest groups scheduled to visit between October 17 and December 1, please view hour Hurricane Helene Retreat FAQ.

Conferees

All conferences through the end of 2024 have been canceled. Our registrars will be in touch with affected conferees to process refunds or changes to their registration.

Registrations for many 2025 conferences are open, including:

• College Conference @ Montreat
• Montreat Youth Conference
• Montreat Middle School Conference
• Discovering Renewal

If you have additional questions about one of these events, please reach out to central@montreat.org.

Montreat Wilderness and Campgrounds

Due to extensive damage, the Montreat Campgrounds are now closed until the Spring of 2025. Refunds and registration changes will be made to all affected guests.

Some of Montreat's trails have reopened. Learn more about which trails are open and which remain closed at Hiking in Montreat.

Other Spaces

We are glad to report that the Nancy Holland Sibley Memorial Garden has minimal damage from the storm. It is closed at this time due to repairs needed to the entrance path. The Columbarium wall and the scattering path have some debris but fared well.