About Us
eXplore Brown County at Valley Branch Retreat is located in historic, scenic, southern Brown County, Indiana. We offer over 500 acres of year-round adventure featuring: zip line canopy tours, paintball, off-road vehicle tours, arrow tag, mountain biking, hiking trails, camping, and cabins.
Extend your adventure; stay in one of our rustic camping cabins, all with heat and AC, bring your own sleep bedding. Our campground features primitive and full-hook up sites. Rowboats and canoes are available to rent on our 4 acre fishing lake.
Our Gallery Banquet Hall is available to celebrate your wedding, special occasion, corporate retreat, reunion, or school/social function. We host many events here at eXplore Brown County, large groups are always welcome. Plan your next adventure with us today. Request a quote. groups@explorebrowncounty.com
Free Wi-Fi is available at the Gallery on porches.
Creating a Family Adventure Destination
Gary Bartels and his two sons, Lance and Christopher, began clearing an area for the lake in 1994. Using local timber and a WoodMizer portable saw mill, they created the Harvest Hall which hosted its first wedding in 1998. From there, Gary built the campgrounds and the paintball field, then slowly began adding the camping cabins which now sleep about 60 people and can accommodate large group events.
In 2011, eXplore Brown County opened their “world class” canopy zip line adventure... including the longest, fastest, and highest twin zip line in Indiana. Our family owned facility continues to add activities such as arrow tag, off-road vehicle tours, and improvements and additions to our zip line canopy tours.
Come eXplore with us today!
Charitable Giving Policy - eXplore Brown County at Valley Branch Retreat Inc. supports many charitable and philanthropic organizations with in-kind contributions. We frequently receive requests for gift certificates, which non-for-profit organizations then sell or auction to raise cash. We remain committed to building ties with our community family. However, we cannot honor every request for assistance. If you are a philanthropic organization and desire a contribution from us, we would like you to first review our Charitable Giving Policy. Only mailed requests will be reviewed.