Ridgecrest Conference Center

Worth knowing

• 537 rooms, with youth bunk housing of 1,172 beds plus hotel-style adult rooms.
• Three buffet meals a day in a central dining room that seats almost 1,000.
• Alcohol, tobacco, fireworks and firearms are all banned, and the guest policy requires groups to stay within the center's stated faith standards.
• Meeting space ranges from a 2,000-seat auditorium to small classrooms; some seat counts differ between sections of the planner page.

What the operator states

Sleeps

Guests page states 537 guest rooms (353 adult, 184 youth/family) and 1,172 youth bunk beds: Royal Gorge 64 rooms / 752 beds (10-12 per room), Woodland 40 rooms / 228 beds, Maple 32 rooms / 192 beds. Adult hotel-style rooms: Mountain Laurel East 113, Mountain Laurel West 102, Rhododendron 45, Pritchell 93. Walnut has 48 economy family rooms (one queen and two sets of bunks). The planner page separately says groups from 20 to about 2,000 and 'more than 1,600 youth beds', which conflicts with the 1,172 figure.

Largest single building

Sleeps 752

Sleeping setup

Beds and bunks

Meals and dining

Central dining room in Rhododendron serves three buffet meals a day with up to eight serving lines and seating for almost 1,000. Times: breakfast 7:15-8:15, lunch 12:00-1:00, dinner 5:30-6:30. 2025 prices: breakfast $13 adult, lunch $16, dinner $20; children 6-11 $9.50; 5 and under free with a paying parent. Meal plans are fixed two weeks before the event; missed meals are not refunded. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian items are marked.

Meeting space

Spilman Auditorium 2,000; Johnson Spring ballroom 600; ARC 800 (a tech section says 700); Lambdin 450; Rhododendron/Dogwood about 300 (other sections say up to 320 or 350-400); Rutland Chapel 250; Crystal Springs Amphitheater (outdoor) 250; Mountain Laurel / Jim Henry Auditorium 214; Ivy has 11 classrooms of 45-50. A $250 meeting-space package covers groups under 20 (projector, whiteboard, podium).

Outdoors

Hiking trails open to registered guests; mini golf $5, fire ring $90 per use; high ropes ($45 per person) and climbing/zip line ($30) are summer only; laser tag year-round for groups of 10-25.

Accessibility

Accessible rooms listed: 7 in Mountain Laurel East, 6 in Mountain Laurel West, 3 in Rhododendron.

Pets

No pets in any facility. ADA service animals are allowed; emotional support animals are not.

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and fireworks are not permitted; clothing or objects advertising alcohol are also prohibited.

Season

Ropes and climbing are summer only; the pages we read do not state an overall booking season.

Group rules

Ridgecrest states religious standards based on its faith and mission; guests may not engage in activities or publicly declare views contrary to its Statement of Faith while on site. Dress guidelines (no bare feet in public areas, modest clothing). Tobacco is prohibited ($250 cleaning fee per incident). Firearms prohibited. Quiet hours 11:30 PM-6:30 AM. No bikes, skateboards or hoverboards. Check-in about 4 PM, check-out 10 AM; all charges due before leaving.

Ask before you book

Built from what the operator's page left open when we checked.

1. Is your stated capacity the permitted occupancy, or a count of every bed and sofa?
2. Is there a kitchen your group can use, and how many people can it feed at once?
3. Can a church bus or coach reach the building, and how many cars fit?
4. What is the minimum stay?
5. What is the full price, with cleaning fees and taxes?

Copy these questions

Also read what "sleeps 30" really means and the full question list.

Where this came from