A Path for Seekers
"Zen Buddhist teachings and practices deepen our experience and can transform our life."
- Zentatsu Richard Baker
See what's waiting.
Crestone Mountain Zen Center is the Dharma Sangha Center for Monastic Zen Practice and for Personal Retreats, led by Abbot Tatsudo Nicole Baden Roshi. It was founded by Zentatsu Baker Roshi, the Successor of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. Suzuki Roshi founded the San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Monastery, and he is the author of 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind’.
Ways to Practice and Stay
Crestone Mountain Zen Center is a living monastery. There are three ways to be here.
Personal Retreats
People come here for different reasons.
Here are seven ways a stay at Crestone can look.
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One of the darkest skies in Colorado. No phone signal. 8,000 feet.
Crestone sits in a designated Dark Sky area in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. There's no signal on the grounds. The silence here isn't manufactured — it's geographic.
8,000 ft
Elevation
Dark Sky
Designated area
3 meals
Daily, included
No distractions
By design
Online Offerings
If you cannot come to Crestone, you can practice online through the Dharma Academy.
YOUR HOME, YOUR MONASTERY
A Free 16‒Day Journey to Bring Zen Practice Into Daily Life – Just 10‒20 Minutes a Day
Each day, receive a short video with a gentle teaching, reflection, or simple practice – guided by Nicole Baden Roshi, Abbot of the Crestone Mountain Zen Center.
Learn more
Craft of Zen
A Zen-Study Programm: Craft of Zen is a progressive path of Zen practice, unfolding across nine chapters — from understanding to embodiment to realization.
Chapter 1 will begin in Fall 2026. Join the waitlist to receive updates as soon as registration opens.
Learn more
Musings with Baker Roshi
A journey from culture & art through the use of language to the heart of Zen Buddhism.
Join Zentatsu Richard Baker Roshi in exploring the mind of meditation.
Learn more
How to Support
Dharma Sangha
A monastic practice center cannot survive without vital support from the community. By becoming a member or making a donation, you are helping us to maintain the practice center, provide student financial support when necessary, give our residents a small stipend, and keep the lights on. Thank you for considering!
