Salmon
Creek
Arts
Come to Salmon Creek...
- CABIN RENTALS: Now available through April 5th, 2026 for one or two week stays.
- WORKSHOPS: Applications now open for one week Land Project Skillshare and two or four week Ceramics workshops.
- SCHOOL: Applications open January 4th for the next two month season of Schools of Salmon Creek Aug 24th to Oct 16th, 2026.
- EMAIL office(at)salmoncreekarts(dot)org.
Salmon Creek Arts is a non-profit organization offering year round programs at Salmon Creek Farm, a sanctuary of precious riparian and coast redwood habitat on Central Pomo land established as a counterculture commune in 1971, now a long term living art project shaped by many hands.
We cultivate expanding communities of artists, each coming with something to offer the commune, learning from each other and the land. There is time to slow down, space to take a step back, the chance to live close to the land, to participate in its cycles, dwelling in modest hand-crafted spaces within a communal free-range wild wooded environment.
Annual programs include two month sessions of Schools of Salmon Creek and various 1 to 4 week workshops and skillshares focused on the living arts related to body, craft, food, land, shelter, and stewardship.
Salmon Creek Farm is located on 33 acres of second and third growth redwoods two miles from California’s Mendocino Coast. Old logging roads and foot trails criss-cross south facing slopes from sunny meadows, gardens, orchards, communal outdoor kitchen, and dance deck on top, to eight original commune cabins each nestled in their own nook of the terrain, across a ravine that bisects the land to abandoned off-grid cabins, and finally down to Big Salmon Creek in the valley. It is an especially good spot to feel your small place in the big cycles of life on earth.
Salmon Creek Farm has been informally offering arts programs in a similar spirit since 2014, and now as an independent self-sustaining 501(c)3 non-profit organization, SCA takes over year-round operations and programming - and eventually ownership - of Salmon Creek Farm.
Check out the Salmon Creek Collection at Heath Ceramics with a portion of the proceeds go to Salmon Creek Arts.
Check out the Salmon Creek Collection at Heath Ceramics with a portion of the proceeds go to Salmon Creek Arts.
Salmon Creek
RETREATS 🌲
This is a time to slow down, become familiar with the place and it's rhythms, to quiet the mind, and really be present on the land. This may be a time to take a step back for some critical distance from your daily life, a chance to create something new, or even a pause from projects and productivity altogether.
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Once on the land we put everyone on a whatsapp party line, where the community can be directly in touch with each other, to announce meals, invite each other over, ask for help with something, organize an event, say “hey I’m going to town if anyone needs anything,” etc. On Tuesday mornings we lead a comprehensive tour of the entire property, including visits to all cabins and a hike down to the creek. This is also a chance to meet the group and a critical orientation to life on the land (outhouses, compost, wood stoves, etc). The resident host makes everyone feel safe, welcome, and at home.
If you’ve stayed with us before you’ll see some improvements every year, including: new roofs, hot water at the OK, new wood stoves & water heaters, plus rebuilt orchard gates that still say “hippie commune” but actually work!
Our seven self-sufficient modest homespun guest cabins are reached by foot trails across 33 acres of south-facing coastal redwoods. Each occupies a unique secluded nook in our south-facing wooded slope. They were lovingly built, rebuilt, repaired, furnished, and embellished by many hands over the years with scavenged local materials. They are cute, cozy, comfortable, well appointed, and pretty rustic (ie. an occasional mouse may find it’s way in and something will have to be done). All feature equipped kitchenettes, new wood stoves, bedding/towels, hot outdoor showers, outhouses, and yes fast wifi.
If you haven’t stayed with us before, read about our cabins and life with the land at Salmon Creek.
- One or two week stays.
- Arrivals exclusively Mondays 1:30-4:30pm. Full SCF tour/orientation Tuesdays 10:30am. Departures by 11am Sundays.
- You'll need a car to reach us and for the duration of your stay.
- Accessibility issues with all cabins, remote from cars and reached on foot.
- We are unable to host children under 10 or pets (except ADA Service Animals).
- Wood burning stoves are the only source of cabin heat. We are in a mild coastal climate with occasional frosts, but tending your fire is a big part of daily life.
- Also open for communal use: Dance Deck, Outdoor Kitchen, and trail down to Salmon Creek.
- All cabins have wood stoves, bedding/towels, hot outdoor showers, outhouses, fast wifi, and equipped kitchens with small fridge, sink, and cook stove, but most do not have ovens.
- Meals not included.
Price is total for one/two weeks:
- Solo at Salmon ($1000/$1600)
- Solo or couple in 1 bed at Moonlight, Walden or River ($1200/$2000)
- Solo, couple, or 2 friends in 2 beds at Rainbow ($1750/$2800)
- Solo, couple, or 2 friends in 2 beds at Cedar ($1900/$3000)
- Up to 3, in 3 beds at Dawn, with upstairs bedroom plus separate loft ($2200/$3500)
* Full payment to book. Non-transferable. Cancel with full refund within 48 hours. 50% refund up to 8 weeks before arrival and none thereafter. Reschedule within the season if alternate date/cabin available up to 8 weeks before arrival for 15% fee.
These retreats are a critical source of support for Salmon Creek Arts, work-trade arrangements are not available during this period. Email office (at) salmoncreekarts (dot) org any time.
WORKSHOP:
Land Project
Convening,
Dreaming &
Skillshare 🌾
Monday, January 26th to Sunday, February 1st, 2026. Read below and apply here.
It was a leap of faith into the unknown world of un-programmed living, a crucial step in breaking away from a bondage so familiar we didn't even know there was another way. (Sometimes the only way to begin something new is to stop what you're doing. Just stop - without knowing what comes next.) ...Now that I'm here I can say with conviction that I know of no way of preparing to live on earth short of jumping in and doing it, and doing it as simply as possible.
- River, co-founder of Salmon Creek Farm, from Dwelling, 1974
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For the first time we are hosting a special week long program for folks anywhere on the path to setting down the roots of a land project - from modest homestead to ambitious commune. We have learned so much from our experiences here since 2014 at Salmon Creek Farm, and from the original communards - a few of them now neighbors - who established the commune in 1971. Over the years we have heard from many of you who are dreaming and plotting to live closer to the land in some way yourselves. It seems to be a ripe moment to re-examine this back-to-the-land impulse and provide the space for those on their way to come together to share our stories and skills. As artists we are interested in imagining new worlds and ways of living, the entire spectrum from the practicalities of daily survival to the aesthetic possibilities of our environments, from the philosophies that guide us, to the cultural nature of our seasonal chores, routines, and rituals.
We start with a tour and detailed orientation to the history and current life on the land at Salmon Creek Farm: the Coastal Redwoods we are under, the Central Pomo land we are on, the counter-culture commune remains that we live in, and today’s non-profit land-based arts program. We’ll spend time with the Salmon Creek Farm archives, including the original charter, weekly meeting minutes, legal documents, and correspondence - a fascinating insight into daily communal life and the struggles of consensus group decision making. A few of the original Salmon Creek communards - now in their 70’s and 80’s - will join us to share their stories from the early days.
Each participant offers an informal presentation of their own land projects, future plans, or dreams. Together we’ll create a plan for the month based on the workshops, field trips, and reading discussions proposed by each participant.
General topics may include:
Before arrivals we’ll post a reading list comprised of the publications, resources, and references proposed by each of the participants to prepare for our time. The week living on the land together will be an illuminating introduction to all of the various joys and complexities of communal living: taking turns cooking and cleaning dishes, tending fires and compost, and so on…
It was a leap of faith into the unknown world of un-programmed living, a crucial step in breaking away from a bondage so familiar we didn't even know there was another way. (Sometimes the only way to begin something new is to stop what you're doing. Just stop - without knowing what comes next.) ...Now that I'm here I can say with conviction that I know of no way of preparing to live on earth short of jumping in and doing it, and doing it as simply as possible.
- River, co-founder of Salmon Creek Farm, from Dwelling, 1974
For the first time we are hosting a special week long program for folks anywhere on the path to setting down the roots of a land project - from modest homestead to ambitious commune. We have learned so much from our experiences here since 2014 at Salmon Creek Farm, and from the original communards - a few of them now neighbors - who established the commune in 1971. Over the years we have heard from many of you who are dreaming and plotting to live closer to the land in some way yourselves. It seems to be a ripe moment to re-examine this back-to-the-land impulse and provide the space for those on their way to come together to share our stories and skills. As artists we are interested in imagining new worlds and ways of living, the entire spectrum from the practicalities of daily survival to the aesthetic possibilities of our environments, from the philosophies that guide us, to the cultural nature of our seasonal chores, routines, and rituals.
We start with a tour and detailed orientation to the history and current life on the land at Salmon Creek Farm: the Coastal Redwoods we are under, the Central Pomo land we are on, the counter-culture commune remains that we live in, and today’s non-profit land-based arts program. We’ll spend time with the Salmon Creek Farm archives, including the original charter, weekly meeting minutes, legal documents, and correspondence - a fascinating insight into daily communal life and the struggles of consensus group decision making. A few of the original Salmon Creek communards - now in their 70’s and 80’s - will join us to share their stories from the early days.
Each participant offers an informal presentation of their own land projects, future plans, or dreams. Together we’ll create a plan for the month based on the workshops, field trips, and reading discussions proposed by each participant.
General topics may include:
- Communal Organizing
- Community Relations
- Climate Considerations
- Design & Planning
- Financial & Legal Arrangements
- Indigenous Awareness
- Land Search Criteria
- Publishing & Sharing Stories
- Role of Art, Culture, and Ritual
- Construction & Carpentry
- Compost & Humanure
- Firewood Processing
- Food Cultivation
- Habitat Restoration
- Land Stewardship
- Solar & Off-grid Systems
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
- Water Systems
Before arrivals we’ll post a reading list comprised of the publications, resources, and references proposed by each of the participants to prepare for our time. The week living on the land together will be an illuminating introduction to all of the various joys and complexities of communal living: taking turns cooking and cleaning dishes, tending fires and compost, and so on…
Photos from the Salmon Creek Archives
Welcoming those of any skill/experience level and anywhere on their path to land...
- A dream for the future
- Starting to scheme
- Looking for land
- Have land but not there yet
- On the land and doing it
...come prepared with something to share with the group.
Stay in our seven self-sufficient modest homespun guest cabins are reached by foot trails across 33 acres of south-facing coastal redwoods. Each occupies a unique secluded nook in our south-facing wooded slope. They were lovingly built, rebuilt, repaired, furnished, and embellished by many hands over the years with scavenged local materials. They are cute, cozy, comfortable, well appointed, and pretty rustic (ie. an occasional mouse may find it’s way in and something will have to be done). All feature equipped kitchenettes, new wood stoves, bedding/towels, hot outdoor showers, outhouses, and fast wifi. Also open to guests: communal outdoor kitchen/dining, triangle dance deck, and hiking trail down to Salmon Creek.
Workshop activities will be scheduled for around four hours per day on weekdays, leaving afternoons open for exploring, resting, reading, writing, and dreaming.
Stay in our seven self-sufficient modest homespun guest cabins are reached by foot trails across 33 acres of south-facing coastal redwoods. Each occupies a unique secluded nook in our south-facing wooded slope. They were lovingly built, rebuilt, repaired, furnished, and embellished by many hands over the years with scavenged local materials. They are cute, cozy, comfortable, well appointed, and pretty rustic (ie. an occasional mouse may find it’s way in and something will have to be done). All feature equipped kitchenettes, new wood stoves, bedding/towels, hot outdoor showers, outhouses, and fast wifi. Also open to guests: communal outdoor kitchen/dining, triangle dance deck, and hiking trail down to Salmon Creek.
Workshop activities will be scheduled for around four hours per day on weekdays, leaving afternoons open for exploring, resting, reading, writing, and dreaming.
Price is total for single, couple, or group for one week stay, there is no workshop fee:
︎ Solo at Salmon or loft at shared cabin Dawn ($1000)
︎ Solo or couple in 1 bed at Moonlight, Walden, River or private bedroom at shared cabin Dawn ($1200)
︎ Solo, couple, or two friends in 2 beds at Cedar ($1900)
- Couples/friends encouraged to apply, each applies separately.
- You’ll need a car to reach us, located near remote coastal village of Albion, California.
- Arrivals from 1:30-4:30pm Monday.
- All SCF kitchens are vegetarian.
- We are not able to host pets or children.
- Accessibility issues with all cabins, remote from parking & reached on foot.
More info: SCF website // Coast redwoods // Indigenous Pomo // Mendocino Coast // Commune history // Cabin accommodations // Life with the land at SCF // Further reference, articles, and videos.
Our programs are offered as affordably as possible while we fundraise for a scholarship fund. In the mean time we invite those who can afford more to contribute towards discounts for applicants of historically marginalized communities (especially BIPOC).