Friday September 11th – Sunday September 13th 2026 (Check-in begins at 4PM)
Happy Valley Conference Center
2159 Branciforte Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95065

Happy Valley Conference Center is located in the mountains between Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, approximately three miles from downtown Santa Cruz. Redwoods and Ferns cover most of the 73 acres of property. Settled in a semi-rural community, the atmosphere is secluded and peaceful.

We will be using the cabins and tent sites. “The Cabins consist of five separate blocks of rooms – Redwood, Fir, Laurel, Madrone, and Pine – with 27 rooms total. The blocks share a quad in the middle. All cabins have electricity, are winterized, and are furnished with bunk beds, dressers, and nightstands. They each have closet space and a full bathroom, some of which are shared with the adjoining room. The cabins range from sleeping 4 people to 8 people in bunk beds, both twin and full sized.”

You will select an available room when you arrive on a first come, first served basis. If you wish to share a room with others please arrive together — there will be no saving of beds or cabins for participants who are not present.  Our agreement with Happy Valley is a minimum of double-occupancy per room, so if after all the campers have arrived you find yourself in a room by yourself you will be asked to move and share a room.  Any single-occupancy rooms will violate our agreement with Happy Valley.

Happy Valley does NOT provide bedding or towels, so please pack accordingly. Be sure to bring sheets and blankets or a sleeping bag, pillows and towels. If you are camping at a tent site, please bring any necessary camping gear. Here are some additional suggestions of items you might consider packing:

• Bedding, pillows, & towels

• Toiletries and personal items

• Medications – refrigeration is available in the main lodge

• Refillable bottle or canteen

• Flashlight or headlamp

• Sunscreen and bug repellent

• Layered clothing for warm days and cool nights

• Hiking shoes & socks

• Earplugs

• Cash for 7th tradition/donations

Yes. The Happy Valley Conference Center can accommodate vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free diets, as well as some exclusion allergies as long as we notify them in advance. Please send any special dietary requests at the time of registration, or by the registration deadline (two weeks before the retreat) by emailing 11thstepretreat2026@sfna.org.

Gluten-free? Please note that while HVCC can provide gluten-free options for our guests making that dietary choice, we do not have a gluten-free kitchen. They bake bread and desserts fresh every day, and so there is flour in our kitchen. Guests with extreme celiac or other conditions should alert us to your needs so that we can discuss those fully in advance.

Only service animals that are trained to assist a person in completing a specific task are allowed on the property – any other pets or emotional support animals are NOT allowed.

Physical Task Requirement: The animal must be actively trained to take a specific action or do work to assist with the handler's disability (e.g., pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, bracing to help someone stand).

Please inform the planning committee in advance if service animals will be present by emailing info@11ssr.org

Probably not. Mobile phone reception in the Valley in unreliable – if you have service with Verizon, you will likely have a signal – all others will not. The Happy Valley Conference Center does provide Wi-Fi internet and recommends using Wi-Fi Calling for users without a cell signal. Please check with your cell provider for instructions on activating Wi-Fi Calling.

There is a landline for guest use in the office, available 24/7. The planning committee will designate a contact liaison who can receive either phone calls or text messages from other participants during your stay.