An Unforgettable
Experience

We exist to bridge the gap between the sacrifices made by America’s combat veterans and the peace, rest, and recognition they have earned. Founded by a combat veteran who understands firsthand the unique bonds and burdens that come with serving in harm’s way, our foundation is driven by a simple but powerful belief — that veterans healing alongside veterans, in the beauty of God’s creation, is one of the most powerful forms of restoration there is.

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The need has never been more urgent. Each day, up to 18 combat veterans lose their lives to suicide — lives that could be saved through connection, community, and the simple knowledge that someone cares. If Paradise In The Pines Veterans Foundation can make a meaningful difference in the life of even one of those warriors, we will know we are on the right path.

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We are not a clinical program or a government service. We are friends — fellow veterans who have walked similar roads through deployment and combat — offering a welcoming place free of judgment where struggles with depression, hopelessness, financial hardship, family crisis, addiction, or any other burden can be set down, if only for a little while. We believe that the friendships formed around a shared fire, on a mountain trail, or under the vast South Dakota sky can become lifelines that veterans lean on long after the retreat has ended.

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Our retreats are held in the breathtaking Black Hills of South Dakota — known to the Sioux people as the Paha Sapa, a sacred place of reflection and healing that has offered solace to warriors for centuries. Surrounded by the natural beauty of this remarkable landscape and welcomed by the warm and patriotic residents of west river South Dakota, our veterans will feel appreciated, respected, and at home from the moment they arrive to the moment they depart — leaving with new friendships, unforgettable memories, and perhaps a renewed perspective on the fragile and precious gift of life.