Down to Earth EcoShire is an an off-grid, sustainable neighborhood & camp conference center in Southern California. The space is 35 acres of land surrounded by hills, boulders, mountain views and an open sky. The sunsets and sunrises are spectacular year round. It is 15 minutes from Temecula wineries, 40 minutes from the artsy town of Idyllwild in the San Jacinto Mountains, and just 15 minutes from downtown Hemet. The best camping from late summer to lush springtime. They offer camping of three different types through hipcamp.com. They have a group campground, drive in sites, and walk-in tent sites. For Pagan Community Retreat 2024 we have reserved all 3 portions. Outside of PCR, only staff and members of the EcoShire community will be on site.  Check out the map for an overview. 

At this time (January 2024), we will not be requiring masks to attend any workshops or rituals at the event. It is completely your decision if you wish to wear one. Guidelines may change as conditions change.

EcoShire Facilities

EcoShire has 1 flush toilet, 2 compost toilets, and one shower. Showers will cost $5 per camper/per shower and may be timed to minimize water consumption. They have plans to install 2 additional compost toilets before our event. We encourage you to consider the facility placement when choosing a campsite. Down to earth EcoShire is a self sustainable community. Although they do have running water it all comes from the land and is recycled to the land. Water conservation is of the utmost importance. Be mindful of taps and careful to be certain they are off when not in use. They do have trash and recycling service but please do not bring camping gear in original packaging as it increases the costs of their disposal. A pack-in-pack-out mentality is appreciated.

Camping Spaces

The primary camping areas are the group camp spaces. While some picnic tables and seats are available in the common areas they are not in the group camping space. You will need to bring your own camp chairs and tables for food preparation and eating meals. The special sites available for purchase are more likely to have picnic tables, campfire rings and privacy. Please don’t forget you will need to being all of your own camping supplies and fire cooking is likely to be banned.

The EcoShire is a 35 acre facility. While you won’t be needing to run from one side to the other there is plenty of space to explore. Some committee members will be bringing bicycles to make moving around the space quicker. You are welcome to do so as well.

EcoShire Amenities

We will have a full schedule of programing but there is a lot to do at EcoShire as well. They have goats, chickens, and cats to observe (and feed). There is a cooling off pool to enjoy. They have an axe throwing, archery area, and cornhole tossing games. The surrounding area is also gorgeous to wander through.

You will almost always find something happening at their camp kitchen and mini market. You can buy ice there, get a cool drink, or just sit and chat with others while you watch the chickens and goats. Their large food garden is a sight to behold as well.

Pets are welcome at EcoShire but must remain on a leash. There are other domestic animals on the property and the cats, ducks, chickens, and goats don’t want to play chase. There is also wildlife to be mindful of with your pets not being leashed.

The Weather at EcoShire

We sure learned our lesson and we heard your feedback in 2021. For our April event we anticipate the temperatures during the height of day to be in high 70’s and the night to drop into the mid 40’s. The meadow is at the base of the mountains and cooler than many low desert areas. At 3 pm each day you will find some wicked wind storms. Make sure everything is staked down with some good sand appropriate stakes.

If you have a question, please feel free to ask on the Facebook event page or email us at yourfriends@pagancommunityretreat.org