Registration now open for 2026 Climb for Heroes - Click here!
Registration now open for 2026 Climb for Heroes - Click here!
VETERAN retreat Center
The Purpose
A sanctuary where wounded veterans reconnect, recharge, and reignite their inner strength. This one‑of‑a‑kind facility is being built in the local mountains of Southern California just 45 miles east of downtown Los Angeles for the men and women who’ve carried the heaviest burdens of war.
Nature does what hospitals can't. From Everest to Denali to the peaks of California, our heroes push past their limits and discover that the strength they earned in service never left them.
Stand With Them
Through powerful partnerships with organizations like, Home for our Troops, Tunnel to Towers, the Gary Sinise Foundation, and others dedicated to serving our nation’s heroes, this retreat center fills a critical gap by offering what no other place in California can.
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Built on a legacy
When this land became a national forest in 1908, the U.S. Forest Service offered 99-year leases for vacation cabins tucked into the canyon. The lodge was first built by Clarence Chapman around 1921, and by 1938 more than 100 cabins stood beneath these peaks.
The Great Flood of 1938, along with the fires and mudslides that followed, destroyed many of them. Still, the Ice House Lodge endured, a beloved Friday-and-Saturday-night gathering place a mile above sea level until it burned down in March 1988.
What's coming
High on the mountain, the Veteran Retreat Center is taking shape, one careful step at a time. The terrain is rugged, the weather is unpredictable, and the location brings challenges that only a mountain can. But through it all, we’re making steady, intentional progress. From grading the land to create safe, level platforms for each structure, to removing old, dilapidated buildings to make room for stronger, safer ones, every phase is done with precision and purpose.
Our team is also working to protect the Ice House Canyon Trail, reinforcing the area against soil runoff and erosion so the natural landscape stays untouched and thriving. This retreat center isn’t just being built, it’s being stewarded. We will continue to keep both the site and the trail safe, stable, and protected, ensuring that the mountain remains exactly what it has always been: A place for veterans to heal, reconnect, and rise.
Today, The Heroes Project plans to rebuild on the very same spot with a veteran initiative behind it.
FAQ
Our community values clarity, not fluff, and so do we. If you have a question we haven’t answered, we want to hear it.
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The Veteran Retreat Center (VRC) is California’s first nature‑based retreat center built specifically for veterans recovering from the physical and emotional impacts of service. Located in Mt. Baldy, it’s a sanctuary where healing, community, and the outdoors come together in a way traditional facilities can’t.
California is home to more than 1.6 million veterans, yet it has never had a dedicated, wilderness‑based retreat designed for them. Existing services, hospitals, counseling, job programs are vital, but they don’t fully address deeper needs like quiet, connection, identity rebuilding, and nature‑driven recovery. The VRC is built to fill that gap.
The VRC will welcome veterans from across the United States, expanding access beyond Southern California. Participation is focused on veterans seeking healing, community, and nature‑based recovery, regardless of branch or era of service.
No. The VRC is not a hospital or clinical treatment center. It is a nature‑based retreat that complements traditional care by offering community, challenge, and the healing power of the outdoors, elements often missing from clinical environments.
The Veteran Retreat Center is located in Mt. Baldy, California, a mountain community just 45 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles which will offer quiet, elevation, and direct access to trails and wilderness, ideal for reflection, challenge, and recovery.
Our Ask
Our veterans need a place to heal, reset, and rise, and we cannot get there without bold supporters who act now. If this mission moves you… If you believe our veterans deserve a place built with honor, dignity, and purpose… If you want to be part of something that will stand for generations… Step into the story.
HELP US FINISH THIS RETREAT CENTERBuild
Scott Youngren and his team have built homes for Homes for Our Troops since 2010 and have been pivotal in building homes for THP alumni. When we searched for a contractor to build our Retreat Center, it was an obvious choice.
Design
An award-winning architecture and planning firm guided by the belief that a building or community plan only succeeds if it enhances the lives of people. By partnering with The Heroes Project, they are doing exactly that.
From hospital bed to summit. We take injured U.S. military veterans from recovery to the mountain — and honor every step between.
© 2026 The Heroes Project. A 501(c)(3) non-profit. All contributions tax-deductible.
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