Solo Retreat Stay (per night)
Two to seven nights, self-directed. Includes your room, morning tea service, and full…
Rest on your own terms.
Guided Autumn Immersion (4 nights)
Four nights, six participants maximum. Includes all facilitated sessions, dawn forest…
Writing and Solitude Retreat (5 nights)
Five nights for up to four writers. Includes exclusive use of the writing studio, daily…
REAL REST IS NOT A WEEKEND AWAY. IT IS A DELIBERATE RETURN TO WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED, AND WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING THAT SPACE SINCE 2000.
The story behind Cedar Rain Crest
SILENCE IS THE FIRST THING WE PROTECT.
EVERY PROGRAM IS BUILT AROUND THE LAND.
TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF KNOWING WHAT WORKS.
Janet Marsden bought the property in the spring of 2000, when it was still a working cedar-cutting operation. The main structure was a timber-frame house with no insulation worth mentioning and a well that ran slow in August. She spent…
From the journal
Recent writing
2026-10-03
Why autumn is the best season for a Hill Country retreat
The Hill Country does not have a dramatic autumn in the way that New England does. The color change is subtler, the temperature drop is gradual, and the shift is easy to miss if you are not paying attention. But for a retreat, the autumn conditions in this part of Texas are as good as it gets, and the reasons are specific.
Read more →2026-10-01
How the Cedar Rain Crest writing retreat actually works
The Writing and Solitude Retreat gets described incorrectly fairly often. People assume it is a workshop with craft sessions and manuscript feedback. It is not. It is five nights of time, quiet, and a daily walk, with the writing studio reserved for your group and Janet Marsden checking in once during the stay. This is a description of what that actually looks like.
Read more →2026-09-04
How to choose the right retreat length for you
Most people arrive at the question of retreat length by guessing. They pick two nights because it feels manageable, or five nights because they think they should. Neither instinct is wrong, but there is a more useful way to think about it, and it starts with understanding what actually happens to a person across the first few days of a retreat.
Read more →Founder
Janet Marsden
Founder, est. 2000
Janet Marsden has run Cedar Rain Crest since she opened it in the autumn of 2000, converting a former timber-family property in the Hill Country outside Austin into a working retreat. She oversees the program calendar, leads the early-morning forest walks herself, and is the person who reads every guest inquiry before it goes anywhere else. She started with two guest rooms and a single meditation pavilion; the property now holds eight rooms and three dedicated practice spaces. Her background is in landscape design, which still shapes how the grounds are maintained and how guests move through them.
Frequently asked
Common questions
How do I pay, and when is payment due?
We accept bank transfer and major credit cards. A fifty percent deposit is due within five days of your booking confirmation. The remaining balance is due fourteen days before your arrival date. For full property buyouts, the payment schedule is discussed during the initial conversation.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellations made thirty or more days before arrival receive a full refund of the deposit. Cancellations between fifteen and twenty-nine days before arrival receive a fifty percent refund. Within fourteen days of arrival, deposits are non-refundable, though we will work with you to reschedule if the dates can be filled.
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