Orion Suite

Reconnect With All That Really Matters In Life In the Exquisite Beauty and Peace That Is…Adytum Sanctuary

Guests first feel the awe of the Castle Adytum on Birley Mountain when they drive through the iron gates. Thrusting three stories into the sky above Lake Mayfield and the Tilton and Cowlitz Rivers, above acres of blueberries and tulip farms, Adytum floats above the clouds and raptors fly below.

With 75 windows, it is a house of light and full of peace. Guests feel Adytum herself extends a gracious welcome and draws like-minded individualists who love the spectacular rugged, natural beauty, and abundant hikes and day-trips nearby or forays into the World of the interior as Adytum Sanctuary provides times to think, to plan, to create… Luxuriously appointed suites, fine art and sculpture, romance and indulgences, magnificent natural beauty viewed through this castle of glass, this is Adytum within…magical and healing. Surveying the serene Lake Mayfield framed by mountains and endless sky from your suite, you feel suspended between heaven and earth…as though you were living inside of a painting.

Out of doors, Adytum offers opportunities for endless creativity, pleasure, and connection with nature; it will always be a work in progress, the loving work of a lifetime. While the Star of the North Suite and The Orion Suite have largely fulfilled the romantic and spirit-nurturing visions we have for them- encompassing every extravagance, the 16 acres will always be evolving as we respond to Adytum’s own inspiration. We and our staff are committed to working by hand or machine, forgoing chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides, carving walking and meditation paths out of dense, thorny brush and supplanting weeds with natives. The vineyards, nuttery, orchard, berries, and gardens around Adytum Sanctuary continue to evolve and the Pinot Noir vineyard will one day supply guests with a lovely reminder of reconnecting with all that really matters in life, here at Adytum…meantime, we have made peace living on the edge of wildness in the Pacific Northwest.

Starting the morning with a walk in the woods overlooking the lake and valley is sumptuous in the extravagant privacy of the land. The air is full of birdsong, croaking frogs, the wind in the ancient Fir and Maple, and the air is fresh and clean…Celebrating the spectacular sunsets at days’ end in the hot tub with a glass of wine is an honored ritual at Adytum. Nights are simply extravagant here. With the absence of light pollution, the stars explode overhead. The Milky Way and constellations you’ve never seen light up the sky, particularly in the winter. The summer sky is intense as well especially after enjoying a crackling fire and s’mores. Reconnecting with the beauty of the night is such an amazing venture.

After a self-catered breakfast in the privacy of your suite, Lake Mayfield beckons so bring your kayak (or use ours with your transport), canoe or fishing gear as this area is known for World-class fishing and even white-water rafting at the mouth of the Tilton. The Tilton, which feeds into the lake, is heavily stocked with Rainbow Trout and Mayfield is full of Chinook, Bass, Steelhead, and Sea Run Cutthroat Trout, Tiger Muskie, and more.

Kayaking into the mouth of the Tilton – into whitewater- is the best-kept secret of the area. Along the way…waterfalls, a beach for picnics, Water Ouzels, Eagles, and rivulets of rainbow colored water cascading down ferns embedded in the ravine. A Pterodactyl could fly by and it would seem perfectly natural. You are alone. We’ve never been in this area with another…a transformational experience…

Adytum is a registered wildlife habitat, bird sanctuary, and a working Fir and Alder plantation, so bring your binoculars. The plantation is home to many nesting birds who return year after year. We have the highest recorded numbers of Evening Grosbeaks. Because we use no chemicals, Robins pull worms from every inch of friable soil. Hawks and Eagles soar, along with local ultra-light pilots right outside the windows. If you’re into mountain biking there are many trails nearby. Ride around the DeGoedes Bulb Farm fields and through the little town of Mossyrock. Ike Kinswa is 5 minutes from Adytum and has some lovely hiking trails, even a rope swing to jump off into the glacier-fed Cowlitz water. The Mossyrock Dam attracts visitors from all around. Further east is Morton where the Logger’s Jubilee is held every August and the Packwood Flea Market draws visitors from all around. And, of course, Mt. St. Helens and Mount Rainier are the crowning jewels of this area that welcome people from all over the world; just 60 miles away. Our favorite time to go is when the lupine and wild flowers are blooming so profusely that the air smells like heaven…July through late summer.

When it’s raining, we love to sit by the fire. We’ve stocked Adytum with DVD libraries to watch on 4G-TVs, or enjoy books on a multitude of topics, chess, and board games. When the sun comes back out, there is bocce ball, croquet, football, Frisbee golf, enjoying the salt water hot tub with a glass of champagne or making s’mores around the fire pits.

We love to read and sip iced tea under one of Adytum’s signature orange umbrellas while we watch the boaters on the lake. The magical beauty here captures everyone’s hearts, and guests always linger, reluctant to leave the deep peace and relaxation that emanate from the house and land. Adytum is sacred space. It is a world unto itself…a destination.

Reservations can be made through This Link. We look forward to meeting you and know that you’re in for an unexpected indulgence that will become a new ritual in your life.