Bemus Point · New York
A Disabled Veteran’s Retreat and Wooded Oasis 501(c)(3)
A veteran-run nonprofit helping those who served heal through nature, camaraderie, and community. Always free for veterans.
Created by veterans, for veterans
A message from Tom Nelsen · President and CEO
Our mission
To serve and support our Veteran community through offering free, nature and camaraderie based programs, events and retreats. We focus heavily on providing a safe space with the steady company and camaraderie of Veterans who understand one another.
Some of the healing happens at a table with Veterans sharing coffee, donuts and stories. Some happens at a family BBQ or beside a bonfire, and some of the healing happens in a more intimate retreat setting.
What happens here
Everything on the calendar comes back to four things: healing, camaraderie, nature, and togetherness. Some days that looks like a hunt at first light. Some days it is a sauna in February, or coffee poured for a full table.
Turkey and deer hunts, archery, and outdoor skills days across our wooded acres. Time in the field, at your own pace, with people who get it.
Winter wellness days, survivor skills workshops, and quiet time by the fire. Programs built around healing for body and spirit.
Coffee and donuts mornings, veteran luncheons, bowling nights, and holiday parties. Sometimes healing is just a full table.
Potlucks on the porch, families at the long tables, and evenings at the fire pit that run past dark. Togetherness is the quiet engine of this place.
A walk around the place
The front walk, the great room, the loft, the deck, the fire circle, and the woods beyond. Scroll through, or open any photo to see it full size.
On the calendar
Hunts when the season opens, wellness days when the snow is deep, and coffee mornings all year round. Here is what is coming up next. Every event is free for veterans.
Fri, Oct 30 to Sun, Nov 1, 2026
Paradise Lodge · 4752 Slide Joslyn Rd, Bemus Point, NY 14712
Three days of archery hunting at the retreat during the whitetail rut, Friday morning through Sunday evening. Space is limited, and priority is given to service connected and disabled veterans. Email hfhbemuspoint@gmail.com to apply.
The retreat
Our fully renovated cabin sleeps a family in comfort: log railings, a stone fireplace, and two porches that look straight into the trees. Stays are free for veterans and their families.
Every branch. Every era. All who served are welcome here.
Find us
The retreat sits on 30 peaceful, wooded acres in Bemus Point, New York, minutes from the shores of Chautauqua Lake. Trails wind through the trees, deer wander past at dusk, and most evenings end around the fire. It is a quiet corner of Chautauqua County built for rest, and the door is open to veterans from anywhere.
4752 Slide Joslyn Rd
Bemus Point, NY 14712 · (716) 758-1500 or (716) 758-1499
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