Locations
Nature as a therapeutic partner
Second Nature is located in Duchesne, Utah, where two remarkable landscapes become part of the therapeutic experience. Throughout the year, students move between the towering pines and alpine meadows of the High Uinta Mountains and the red rock canyons and wide-open vistas of the Uinta Basin.
This unique location allows us to follow the seasons, providing comfortable conditions year-round while giving students the opportunity to experience the beauty, challenge, and restorative qualities of two very different environments. It also allows our field support teams to easily access every group, delivering fresh food, water, supplies, and ongoing clinical and medical support.
At Second Nature, nature isn't simply where therapy happens. It's an active partner in the healing process.
Fall & Spring in the Uinta Basin
During the cooler months, students explore the lower elevations of Utah's scenic Uinta Basin. Surrounded by juniper-covered hills, sandstone cliffs, and expansive desert landscapes, this environment offers comfortable temperatures and a peaceful setting for reflection and growth. This area is home ancient rock art. The history, beauty, and quiet of the landscape naturally encourage curiosity, perspective, and meaningful conversation.
During the cooler months, students regularly return to thoughtfully designed semi-permanent basecamps located throughout our fall and spring field areas. Unlike traditional basecamp models where groups remain in one location, Second Nature has established a network of basecamps across the region. Students continue hiking and exploring new areas before arriving at a different basecamp, allowing them to experience the adventure of backpacking without returning to the same camp week after week.
Each basecamp includes heated wall tents, wood-burning stoves, heated shower tents, and dedicated spaces for therapy, academics, meals, games, and community. This seasonal model provides additional comfort during the colder months while preserving the adventure and immersive experience that define nature-based therapy.
Summer in the High Uintas
As temperatures warm, groups transition to the cooler elevations of the High Uinta Mountains. Here, students hike through forests of lodgepole pine, spruce, and quaking aspen, camp beside alpine meadows, and experience the beauty of Utah's high mountain wilderness.
The changing landscape offers new experiences and challenges while maintaining the same therapeutic structure, clinical support, and sense of community that define the Second Nature experience.
Thoughtfully Designed for Every Season
Our seasonal model allows students to experience the restorative benefits of nature in environments that are well suited to the time of year while ensuring consistent clinical support throughout treatment.
Throughout every season, Second Nature follows Leave No Trace principles and works closely with public land partners to help preserve these remarkable places for future generations.
Second Nature
| Serving Ages: | Adolescents 13-17 |
| Mailing Address: | 382 West Main Street Duchesne, UT 84021 |
| Admissions: | (877) 701-7600 |