Forget bunk-bed curfews and mandatory lights-out — Camp Rewind is bringing back the best parts of Girl Scout camp for grown women, with a cocktail in hand. The adults-only weekend getaway runs Oct. 16-18 at Camp Silver Brook, a 275-acre property in West Bend, and blends classic camp nostalgia with self-care and a little bit of mischief.
Camp Rewind is an adults-only camp getaway for women hosted by Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, offering what organizers describe as girl scout camp activities with a grown-up twist, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The event doubles as a philanthropic fundraiser for the organization, which counts more than 140,000 alumni in its community.
Jaymee Harvey Willms, vice president of philanthropy at Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, leads Camp Rewind and told the paper that the weekend is designed to let women reconnect with who they used to be. “Women can have a great time and find their younger self,” Harvey Willms said, adding that the getaway also gives people time to themselves.
What's Actually on the Schedule
The weekend kicks off Friday with check-in, unpacking and settling in from 4 to 6 p.m., and wraps up the night with s'mores and spirits under the stars. Saturday mornings start with breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m., followed by activities that run all day until 10 p.m. — plenty of time to fit in canoeing, hiking, lakeside yoga, crafts, a scavenger hunt and watercolor painting on the beach.
A section of the weekend billed as Bars & Recreation ups the ante with axe throwing, archery, slingshots and campfire karaoke bingo, plus a cookies-and-cocktails hour for anyone who wants dessert with a kick. Attendees can opt in or out of activities as they please and are free to spend time alone if that's more their speed. The full-weekend package also includes two gourmet dinners, two breakfasts and one campfire lunch, before a slow Sunday sendoff with free time, beachfront yoga and a farewell breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m.
Where the Money Goes
A full weekend at Camp Rewind costs $275, while a Saturday-only day camp option runs $125. Every full-weekend registration includes a $50 charitable contribution that goes directly to Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, and registration is available online.
Ana Simpson, chief executive officer at Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, said the event creates space for adults to experience camp magic again while investing in experiences for girls. The organization has said it wants to use Camp Rewind to connect with its broader alumni community, many of whom presumably spent their own childhood summers at a Girl Scout camp not unlike this one.
The Setting: Camp Silver Brook
Camp Rewind takes place at Camp Silver Brook, located at 2561 W. Decorah Road in West Bend. The property sits less than five miles west of Highway 45, according to Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, and features a 2.5-mile Lucas Lake Trail that follows the shoreline — the same waterfront that will host beachfront yoga and watercolor sessions during the weekend. Outside of Camp Rewind, the site's seasonal rentals, including cabins, pavilions and day-use sites, are typically available in September, October and May.
Adult-oriented camp experiences have been gaining traction well beyond West Bend. Travel outlets have written about hotels designed to feel like adult summer camp, and other coverage has spotlighted rustic-chic retreats such as Camp Wandawega in Wisconsin as part of a broader appetite among grown-ups for a nostalgic escape. Camp Rewind offers a more local, cause-driven version of that same pull — trading a hotel pool for Lucas Lake and a room-service menu for a campfire lunch, all in service of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast rather than a hospitality brand.
