For NWA leadership teams
A Leadership Offsite an Hour From Northwest Arkansas
For leadership teams in Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville: a midweek offsite on ten acres of Ozark forest, a community room for about 20, a fire ring for the real conversation and rooms for everyone, about an hour's drive away.
Check dates- From Bentonville
- About 1 hour
- Working room
- Seats about 20
- Best days
- Midweek
- Pricing
- Contact us
Close, but not too close
Far enough from the office to think differently
Leadership teams in Northwest Arkansas have plenty of meeting rooms within ten minutes of the office, and that is the problem. When the offsite is down the road, someone always leaves for a 2 PM call. An hour's drive into the Ozarks puts real distance between the team and the building without a flight or a lost travel day.
Forest Springs Resort sits on ten acres of forest five minutes from downtown Eureka Springs. Teams drive in on the morning of day one, work in the community room, spend the evening at the fire ring and sleep on site, then have a full second day before driving home in time for dinner.
Why midweek
The case for a Tuesday to Thursday offsite
Most leadership offsites here run midweek. It protects people's weekends, which matters when the team has young families. It also means the property is quieter, and midweek dates are usually easier to place on short notice.
A one-night format suits a strategy refresh or quarterly planning. A two-night format suits annual planning, a new leadership team getting to know each other or a hard reorganisation conversation that needs a night to settle.
Sample agenda
A sample two-day leadership offsite
Here is an agenda that uses the property well for a team of 8 to 20. Adapt it freely; your facilitator owns the content.
| When | Day one | Day two |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Drive in from NWA, coffee, opening session in the community room | Early walk on the forest trails, then the hardest decision of the agenda |
| Midday | Catered lunch on site | Catered lunch on site |
| Afternoon | Two working blocks, then a sauna and cold plunge round | Commitments, owners and dates; close by 3 PM |
| Evening | Dinner in downtown Eureka Springs, then the fire ring | Drive home, about an hour |
The working room
A community room for about 20, plus the fire ring
The community room seats about 20 for working sessions. It is a straightforward room: bring a portable screen, flip charts and markers, and plan to set up when you arrive. For a team of 8 to 12 it feels spacious; for 20 it is full and focused.
The fire ring is where the second half of the offsite happens. Many leadership teams hold their most candid session there on the first evening, with beer and wine from the Forest Lounge and no slides.
Logistics
Rooms, food and travel for a leadership team
Each attendee usually gets their own king room; we have 28 kings, 16 double queens and 6 suites with a kitchenette and sofa bed. A room block covers most leadership teams, and a full buyout of all 50 rooms is available when you want the property to yourselves.
There is no restaurant, breakfast service or catering kitchen on site, so plan meals early. Most teams hire a licensed caterer for lunches (we can recommend local ones) and take dinner in downtown Eureka Springs, five minutes away.
- Check-in from 3 PM; ask us about early access for a morning start
- Own king room per attendee is the usual setup
- Catered lunches on site, dinner in town
Agenda ideas
Sessions that work well in this setting
Some sessions benefit from the setting more than others. A walking one-to-one on the forest trails works well for difficult feedback or a mentor pairing. A retrospective at the fire ring tends to be more honest than the same conversation around a conference table. A shared sauna and cold plunge round after the afternoon block gives the group a reset before dinner.
Keep the hardest decision for the morning of day two, after a night on site. Teams usually arrive at it with clearer heads and a shared evening behind them.
- Walking one-to-ones on the trails
- Fire ring retrospective on the first evening
- Contrast round in the sauna and cold plunge
- Decision session on the morning of day two
Getting there
The drive from Northwest Arkansas
The drive from Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville takes about an hour, through the hills east toward Eureka Springs. Many teams carpool to make the drive part of the offsite, with a planning conversation on the way in and a debrief on the way home. Parking is on the property.
More for planners
Related pages for company offsites
For larger teams and longer formats, see the corporate retreat venue in Arkansas. The retreat planners page has every fact in one table, and the retreats hub covers day, overnight and buyout formats.
FAQ
Leadership offsite questions
How far is Forest Springs Resort from Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville?
About an hour by car from most of Northwest Arkansas, including Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville, and about an hour from XNA. Close enough to drive in on the morning of day one, far enough that nobody pops back to the office.
What size leadership team fits the community room?
The community room seats about 20 for working sessions, which suits most leadership teams. Larger groups of up to 60 can stay on site and split into breakouts.
Why hold the offsite midweek?
Midweek dates leave weekends free for family, are usually easier to place, and the property is quieter. A Tuesday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Thursday offsite is the most common shape.
How much does a leadership offsite cost?
Contact us for pricing. We quote by dates, number of nights, number of rooms and whether you book a room block or the whole property.
Is food included?
No. There is no restaurant, breakfast service or catering kitchen on site. Teams bring a licensed caterer (we can recommend local ones) or eat at restaurants in downtown Eureka Springs, five minutes away.
Is there Wi-Fi for the working sessions?
Yes. Every stay includes Wi-Fi via Starlink. Connect on site, no password needed. Speeds are usually strong, but our forest setting means it can slow down or drop briefly. If you have an important meeting, plan a backup (hotspot or cellular).
Do you provide a facilitator?
No. Your own facilitator or team lead runs the agenda. We provide the rooms, the community room, the fire ring and the grounds, and we help with timing and logistics.
Can we book only one night?
Yes. A one-night, two-day offsite with a room block is a common format for leadership teams from Northwest Arkansas. A day retreat with no overnight stay is also possible.
What do attendees do after the sessions?
The glass forest sauna and cold plunge, red light therapy, pickleball, ping pong, cornhole, the forest trails (dawn to dusk) and the fire ring, with beer and wine from the Forest Lounge.
Can a leadership team start the offsite in the morning?
Yes. Many NWA teams drive in early and start with a morning session in the community room, then check into rooms from 3 PM. Tell us your start time when you inquire so the room is ready.
Plan the offsite
Check midweek dates
Tell us your team size and preferred days. We reply with availability and a quote.
• About an hour from Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville
• Community room seats about 20
• Contact us for pricing
Related
Related retreat pages
Corporate retreats
Team offsites with a working room, the forest and the fire ring.
Explore →Retreats
The retreat hub: day retreats, overnights and full buyouts for up to 60.
Explore →Retreat planners
The quick facts sheet for planners and facilitators: rooms, spaces, food, Wi-Fi.
Explore →Group stays
Room blocks and whole-property buyouts explained, with a group-size guide.
Explore →