Wild At Heart Wisconsin 2025

4 - Day Men's Retreat

Written on every man's heart is a yearning for adventure, battle, and a beauty.

What is BASIC?Wild at Heart BASIC is Wild at Heart Boot Camp led by John Eldredge and his team through video session.

Why do I need BASIC?

A man needs a deeper understanding of why these longings govern him—and why God made him just like that. And he needs a deeper understanding of why women long to be fought for, to be swept up into adventure, and to be the beauty.

What if? What if those deep desires in our hearts are telling us the truth, revealing to us the lives we were meant to live? God gave us eyes so that we might see; he gave us ears that we might hear; he gave us wills that we might choose; and he gave us hearts that we might live. The way we handle the heart is everything. A man must know he is powerful; he must know he has what it takes.

This is not a retreat about the “seven things a man ought to do to be a nicer guy.” It is a four-day quest into the recovery of a man’s masculine soul, the release of a man’s heart—his passions and his true nature—all given him by God. It’s an invitation to rush the fields at Bannockburn, to go West, to leap from the falls and save the beauty. For if a man is going to know who he truly is as a man, if he is going to find a life worth living, love a woman deeply, and not pass on his confusion to his children, he simply must get his heart back.

Join us.

Location:

Our location is an old 80 acre family farm in Lakewood, WI. This land is surrounded by the Nicolet National Forest. We will be camping outside with no running water or electricity. It will be an amazing experience of unplugging from the modern world.

Start Time:

Noon to 6pm is your time to set up camp. Dinner will start at 6pm on Thursday with our first session following.

What Should I bring:

Bring a notebook/journal and pens. Camping gear. If you need something, just ask.

Watch with an alarm. Because you don't want to be looking at your phone.

Accommodations:

Bring your own tents, campers and gear. If you don't own any of these items, please let me know and we will find what you need.

Registration Fee:

The fees for this event is to help pay for fresh water, gasoline for the generator, snacks, toilet paper, etc.

There is an option to buy the meal plan option. We will be having a local restaurant cater to us.

Airports:

Closest airport is Austin Straubel in Green Bay, WI. (1.5 hours drive to Lakewood)

General Mitchell in Milwaukee, WI (3 hr 15 min drive to Lakewood)

Other Activities:

There is free time each day. Currently, we will be offering map and compass (orienteering) training and archery training as added activities.

FOOD:

You can bring your own food, but you can also purchase food with the group. If you bring food, plan on keeping preparation time to a minimum. (I recommend bringing some snacks and letting the food prep to the professionals.) Food orders will be collected before the event via email and payment will be made when you register. The menu for this trip is below.

Vegetarian and other dietary needs can be accommodated. Please share any dietary needs on the sign up form. The chefs will be in contact with you to make sure their plans fit your needs.

Total Food Costs: $125.00 (This is included in the $155 registration)

Our Chef's are still preparing this year's menu, but here is an example menu from the past.

Thursday

Dinner - burgers, brats, chips, salad and pasta salad

Dessert - root beer floats

Friday

Breakfast - made to order omelettes, fruit, yogurt, grilled potatoes and onions

Lunch - grilled fajitas and elote corn salad, chips and salsa

Dinner - shish kebabs, pita bread, hummus

Dessert - peach cobbler

Saturday

Breakfast - baked French toast, sausage, fruit, yogurt

Lunch - charcuterie board

Dinner - pulled smoked pork, roasted corn on the cob, grilled veggies

Dessert - cookies

Sunday

Breakfast - breakfast burgers, grilled potatoes and onions, fruit, yogurt

Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Lakewood, Workshops in Lakewood, Food & Drink events in Lakewood.