# Legendary Retreats

> Legendary Retreats designs and leads experiential executive and leadership retreats for CEOs and leadership teams of roughly 5 to 12 that need to work as one: teams in conflict, newly merged or reorganized teams, and teams that need trust rebuilt. Trust is earned through shared experience (off-road, winter survival, sailing, wilderness, remote lodges), then carried back to work through a 30-day challenge with a measured day-30 report. Five-star strategic planning retreats are also offered. Every tier is turnkey, and Focused and Signature retreats come with a written proposal within 72 hours. Founded and led by James Carter, with 25 years inside executive teams. Legendary Retreats is a Be Legendary company; ongoing executive team coaching and consulting is at https://www.belegendary.org/.

## What makes it different
- **Function before format.** Each retreat starts from two questions: "What do you want your people walking away feeling, thinking, and saying to one another?" and "If you could achieve only one thing on this retreat, what would it be?" Everything else is engineered to serve that answer.
- **Format follows function.** Off-road immersion, winter survival, sailing and open water, wilderness expedition, remote lodge ("cabin fever"), five-star estate: interchangeable tools chosen for the outcome, never for how they photograph.
- **Measured, not just felt.** Included with every retreat: a baseline before travel, one tracked commitment per leader, daily check-ins for 30 days, and a written day-30 report. Published 30-day gains range from 113% to 268%; the method and every result with its source are at https://www.legendary-retreats.com/how-we-measure/.
- **Led by James Carter.** Hundreds of leadership teams; more than 250 engineered days. Co-author alongside Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Deepak Chopra and Brian Tracy. Featured by CNN, CNN Money and Business Insider.

## Who it's for
CEOs and executive teams of roughly 5–12, plus the executive assistants and chiefs of staff who plan the retreat for them.

## Where
Across the United States (40 of 50 states to date), with select retreats in Central America and worldwide on request.

## Investment (per retreat)
- Focused: $35,000–$50,000. Content-led, one of four focus areas, at a luxury venue.
- Signature: $45,000–$150,000. Ready-to-run formats at curated 4–5 star venues with a tailored content core.
- Bespoke: $75,000–$500,000+. Designed from scratch around one outcome, fully turnkey.
- Executive Immersion (one engineered day, where the team already is): see the Executive Immersion page.

## Retreats
- [Home](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/): The offer, the three ways to run a retreat, formats, the four intensity dials, case studies, and FAQ.
- [Ways to Work Together](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/ways-to-work-together/): Focused, Signature and Bespoke compared.
- [Colorado retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/colorado/): Executive and corporate retreats in Colorado from a Denver-based team: Vail, the San Juan Mountains and the Front Range; airports, seasons, altitude, costs and FAQ.
- [Vail retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/vail-colorado/): Executive retreats in Vail for teams of 5 to 12: five-star lodging in Vail Village or Beaver Creek with backcountry huts, Camp Hale and winter survival nearby; Eagle (EGE) or Denver (DEN); sample agenda, costs and FAQ.
- [Costa Rica retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/costa-rica/): Executive retreats in Costa Rica for teams of 5 to 12 built around two lodges with no road to the door: Pacuare Lodge on the Pacuare River (reached by raft, 4x4 or helicopter) and Tortuga Lodge & Gardens in Tortuguero (boat or short flight); seasons, access from San José, five-day agenda, cost and FAQ.
- [Utah retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/utah/): Executive and corporate retreats in Utah for teams of 5 to 12: Moab red rock, a one-day off-road immersion from Salt Lake City (Five Mile Pass, American Fork Canyon, Little Moab), and Park City or southern Utah on request; airports, seasons, costs and FAQ.
- [Arizona retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/arizona/): Executive and corporate retreats in Arizona for teams of 5 to 12: Sedona red-rock retreats, the One Crazy Day expedition from Sedona to the Grand Canyon, and a one-day Sonoran off-road immersion from Scottsdale (Bulldog Canyon, Four Peaks, Box Canyon); PHX hub; seasons, cost and FAQ.
- [Montana retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/montana/): Executive retreats in Montana for teams of 5 to 12, based at The Resort at Paws Up in Greenough (about 37,000 acres on the Blackfoot River, about 35 minutes from Missoula, MSO) and The Ranch at Rock Creek near Philipsburg (Relais & Châteaux, about 90 minutes from Missoula) and around Big Sky and Paradise Valley, with Yellowstone days via the year-round North Entrance at Gardiner.
- [Jackson Hole retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/jackson-hole-wyoming/): Executive and corporate retreats in Jackson Hole for teams of 5 to 12: Teton ranch lodges, Grand Teton National Park on the doorstep, Yellowstone’s South Entrance about 75 minutes north in summer, and winter formats near Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; JAC airport inside the park.
- [Lake Tahoe retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/lake-tahoe/): Executive and corporate retreats at Lake Tahoe for teams of 5 to 12: North Shore vs South Shore lodges, Rubicon Trail off-road days from the West Shore near Tahoma, winter snow formats; Reno (RNO) about 1 hour, San Francisco 3.5 to 4.5 hours by car or about an hour by private aircraft to Truckee (TRK).
- [Napa Valley retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/napa-valley/): Executive and corporate retreats in Napa Valley and Sonoma for teams of 5 to 12: Napa and Yountville vs up-valley St. Helena and Calistoga vs Sonoma; team building beyond tastings (culinary challenge, harvest work, dawn balloon flight, trail or bike day); wine optional; about 50 miles from San Francisco; best for board offsites, strategy resets and trust work.
- [Death Valley retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/death-valley/): Executive retreats in Death Valley for teams of 5 to 12: guided off-road days through Titus Canyon and Lippincott Pass, Badwater Basin (282 ft below sea level), Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park (Bortle Class 2 even at Furnace Creek), the historic Furnace Creek Inn (now The Inn at Death Valley, opened 1927); November to March only; about 120 miles from Las Vegas; the online auto retailer case (two days stranded on the western side of Lippincott Pass, inside the park) measured a 178% teaming-behavior gain at 30 days.
- [Alaska retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/alaska/): Executive retreats in Alaska for teams of 5 to 12: fly into Anchorage, then a float plane to a five-star wilderness lodge with no road access; June to September; five-day shape, cost, safety and FAQ; links the Fortune 100 Alaska case study.
- [AlUla retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/alula-saudi-arabia/): Executive retreats in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, for teams of 5 to 12: desert canyons, Hegra (first Saudi UNESCO site), luxury desert resorts; October to March; flights via Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai or Dammam to ULH; the Champion Iron retreat measured a 209% mindset lift at 30 days.
- [British Virgin Islands sailing retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/british-virgin-islands/): Liveaboard sailing retreats for teams of 5 to 12 on crewed boats with professional captains: Norman Island, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke; December to April; nonstop Miami to Beef Island (EIS) or via St. Thomas; no sailing or swimming skills needed; passports required.
- [Las Vegas executive team building](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-immersion/las-vegas/): One engineered off-road day in the Mojave 30 to 75 minutes from the Strip (Nellis badlands, Nelson Hills, Eldorado Canyon, Logandale), two executives per Jeep, breakfast departure and dinner return, October to April; led by James Carter; fits around a conference.
- [Destinations](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/): Where we take teams, with detail pages for the [San Juan Mountains, CO](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/san-juan-mountains-colorado/), [Moab, UT](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/moab-utah/), [the Sierra Nevada](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/sierra-nevada/), [the Great Basin Desert](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/great-basin-desert/), [Death Valley](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/death-valley/), [Sedona, AZ](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/sedona-arizona/), [Napa Valley](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/napa-valley/), [Lake Tahoe](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/lake-tahoe/), [Jackson Hole, WY](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/jackson-hole-wyoming/) and [Montana](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/destinations/montana/).
- [Formats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/formats/): Each format and the outcome it is built for, with pages for [Cabin Fever](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/formats/cabin-fever/), [Winter Survival](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/formats/winter-survival/) and [Wilderness Expedition](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/formats/wilderness-expedition/).
- [Luxury Executive Retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/luxury-executive-retreat/): Five-star retreats designed to change the team, not just pamper it.
- [Board Retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/board-retreat/): Facilitated board and board-plus-executive retreats built around one agreed outcome, with a sample two-day agenda.
- [Strategic Planning Retreats](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/strategic-planning-retreat/): Planning retreats built on the Planning focus area, with a two-day agenda and 30-day reinforcement.
- [For Executive Assistants](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/for-executive-assistants/): A white-glove path for EAs and chiefs of staff planning a retreat for their principal.

## Experiences
- [Executive Immersion](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-immersion/): One engineered day built where the team already is, formerly "One Crazy Day" (run more than 250 times). Formats: [Expedition](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-immersion/expedition/), [City](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-immersion/city/), [Ownership](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-immersion/ownership/), [The City Never Sleeps](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-immersion/the-city-never-sleeps/).
- [Executive Off-Road Immersion](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-off-road-immersion/): A private off-road day near major Western cities where the terrain becomes the lesson.
- [Sailing Team Building](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/sailing-team-building/): Sailing for executive teams as a test of command under pressure.

## Ideas and planning guides
- [Executive Retreat Planners](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-retreat-planners/): The four types of retreat company (venue, logistics planner, facilitator, full-service designer), what each owns, and seven questions to ask before you sign.
- [Best Executive Retreat Companies](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/best-executive-retreat-companies/): Eleven named firms compared by type (experiential designers, planning facilitators and coaches, logistics planners), with who each is best for, format and public pricing. Written by Legendary Retreats with its bias disclosed.
- [Retreat Cost Estimator](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/retreat-cost-estimator/): An interactive estimate of a facilitated executive retreat from team size, length, setting and season, based on the published tiers, with a shareable one-page brief.
- [Vendor & Procurement Kit](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/procurement/): W-9, certificate of insurance, sample services agreement, NDA, scope (included and excluded) and how an engagement runs.
- [Free Retreat Planning Kit](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/retreat-planning-kit/): PDF with the design principles, sponsor-alignment questions, agenda shape, venue checklist, countdown, budget worksheet and 30-day follow-through.
- [How to Plan a Leadership Retreat](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/how-to-plan-a-leadership-retreat/)
- [How to Plan an Executive Offsite](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/how-to-plan-an-executive-offsite/)
- [Leadership Offsite Agenda Template](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/leadership-offsite-agenda/)
- [How to Choose a Leadership Team Offsite Facilitator](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/leadership-team-offsite-facilitator/)
- [Why Leadership Offsites Don't Stick](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/why-leadership-offsites-dont-stick/)
- [Leadership Retreat Ideas](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/leadership-retreat-ideas/), [Executive Offsite Ideas](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/executive-offsite-ideas/), [Corporate Retreat Ideas & Locations](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/corporate-retreat-ideas/)
- [Offsite vs. Executive Retreat](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/offsite-vs-executive-retreat/) and [Offsite vs. Team Building](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/offsite-vs-team-building/): direct-answer comparisons.
- [Field Notes](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/field-notes/): Essays by James Carter, including whether retreats work, retreat cost, the two questions that define a retreat, 30-day reinforcement, and retreats for new or merged teams.

## Proof
- [How We Measure](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/how-we-measure/): The measurement method (baseline, daily tracking, day-30 report), every published result with team, what was tracked and source, and the limits of the data.
- [Case Studies](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/case-studies/): Anonymized engagements, each with its measured result: [online auto retailer](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/case-studies/online-auto-retailer-leadership-team/) (teaming +178% at 30 days), [San Juan Mountains work-ethic divide](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/case-studies/san-juan-mountains-work-ethic/) (+268%, the largest measured), [Everglades abundance mindset](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/case-studies/everglades-abundance-mindset/) (+113%), [federal fiscal leadership team](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/case-studies/federal-fiscal-leadership-team/) (one team from four rival branches, ~$1B budget), [Alaska executive vulnerability](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/case-studies/alaska-executive-vulnerability/) (deliberately unmeasured).
- [The Experience](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/experience/): Films and photography from real retreats.
- [Press](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/press/): Coverage in CNN (2012), CNN Money (2018), Business Insider (2018) and Business Destinations. Coverage before 2026 names Be Legendary, the parent company.
- [About James Carter](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/about/)

## Contact
Plan a retreat (15-minute call with James): https://meetings-na2.hubspot.com/jcarter28
Phone: +1-800-513-8759 · Denver, Colorado, USA · [Contact page](https://www.legendary-retreats.com/contact/)