Active Heroes Retreat Center – Shepherdsville, KY
The Active Heroes Retreat Center is the first retreat in America designed by military families to help military families heal! The retreat center is located in Shepherdsville, KY and open to military families free of charge. Visitors can schedule a day to visit the grounds during hours of staffing, schedule a cabin vacation or sign up for selected camping dates with cookouts.
Activities currently include:
- Cabin Vacation
- Camping w/cookouts – Specific Dates available
- Archery – Olympic Range
- Hiking Trails
- Children’s playground
Veterans and Military Families: Free
Public Adults and children: $22 for a Day Pass
Wedding or Events Rentals Available
The Active Heroes Retreat is located within 40 minutes of Louisville, Fort Knox and Bardstown, Kentucky. This gives visitors the chance to visit many historical and entertaining venues.
Within 20 minutes From Retreat:
- Bernheim Forest
- Jim Beam Distillery
- Slow Poke Farm – Hay Rides and more
- Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery
- Four Roses Distillery
- Forest Edge Winery
- Golf Courses
- My Old Kentucky Home
- My Old Kentucky Home Dinner Train
- Over 40 Restaurants within 12 Miles
40 minutes From Retreat:
- The Active Heroes Community Center
- Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby)
- Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory
- Museum Row
- Water Front Park
- 4th Street Live and Downtown Louisville
- Cherokee Park
- Hundreds of Restaurants
- and more…
The Active Heroes Retreat Center was acquired on veterans day, November 11th, 2013. Since then, hundreds of volunteers have removed over 60 tons of debris and cleared out sections of land for future development. “Phase One Development” will continue through 2018. Once completed, the retreat will shift to hours of operation to allow weekly visitors.
Next Development at the retreat:
- Main Entrance Roads
- Welcome Center
- Wedding/Event Pavilion
- Larger Cabin w/ Wounded veteran access
- Bridges
HEALING THROUGH INTERGRATION
Integration is the first step towards healing. Many veterans and military families dealing with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) struggle with going out into the public. The Active Heroes Retreat and Nature Park is designed to give these families a safe place where they can intermingle with the public and visit “Healing Areas” to find solitude.
HEALING THROUGH NATURE
The Active Heroes Retreat and Nature Park is located on 147 beautiful acres seated in between rolling hills and valleys with four dedicated flat activity areas. The retreat embodies healing by giving military families a place where they can leave their personal problems behind and step into the warm embrace of nature, whether it be a green, mossy grove, the military family garden or the rocky hills. Visitors can expect to see deer, turtles, hawks, black racer snakes, fish and in the future a petting zoo with mini horses and goats.
The retreat has four main creeks that bend through the rolling hills and valleys. The creeks are named Leadership, Valor, Integrity and Loyalty, and inspirational signs are featured along the trails. The forest hides away 3 springs that also have tiny waterfalls. The sound of water can often be heard as you walk around the 147 acres, making the area an ideal place for rest and relaxation!
HEALING THROUGH OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Many adults enjoy the serenity of spending time relaxing with outdoor activities as a way to escape the stress and craziness of everyday life. Not only can fresh air and natural scenery have a positive impact on adults, outdoor activities for children can also improve the overall quality of kids’ lives. The Active Heroes Retreat and Nature Park will have several outdoor activities that will comfort every member of the military family. Kids will enjoy the lake for swimming, canoeing and paddle boats but there are also 5 separate streams or ponds for fishing. Other outdoor activities include the honor hiking trail that follows the outer edge of the retreat, archery, biking, rope and rock climbing walls and a kids playground.
HEALING THROUGH FITNESS AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES
Active Heroes is a charity that is all about getting active! In the future, the retreat will introduce sports and fitness activities as an additional way to relieve stress, have fun and to build upon physical fitness. The future sports activities will include Louisville Slugger batting cages, a basketball court, tug of war sand pit, horse shoes, bocci ball, football, ultimate frisbee and soccer field, sports toss and a slack line for balancing.HEALING THROUGH FAMILY BUILDING CHALLENGES
The Active Heroes Retreat and Nature park is designed with the military family in mind. As phases of the retreat are built, we will introduce additional challenges to inspire the families to work together to complete. These challenges include geocaching, a rope climbing course and a hide and seek mystery.
