True North Wilderness

Location

The Beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont

Helping families chart the course

Summer Program

Field & Facilities

The Green Mountains, for which the state of Vermont is aptly named, is a year-round destination known for its quaint New England towns, scenic roads and a verdant wilderness famous for its beauty and recreational opportunities.

From balmy august nights under clear starry skies to brisk fall mornings with freshly fallen snow stippling the landscape, True North’s summer program takes advantage of the stunning local surroundings.   From May to November, students are hiking through and camping in the Vermont State and national forest land in the Mad River Valley and surrounding Green Mountains. True North students have access to tens of thousands of acres of beautiful forest throughout central Vermont to hike and camp.

 

Beauty & Solitude

The solitude offered by the Green Mountains gives True North students the chance to hike and camp in pristine wilderness settings that facilitate an experience to get away from technology, social pressures, distractions and the hustle of daily life. This solitude can also allow for grounding and introspection that can rarely be attained in the traditional home, school or independent living environment.

Winter Program

Field & Facilities

As the days get shorter and the air gets colder, True North adjusts appropriately and students move to a base camp called Windridge. From November to May, students stay warm even on the coldest and snowiest nights as they sleep in rustic indoor cabins or platform tents. Each cabin is fully winterized and outfitted with Rinnai heaters and bunk beds.   Platform winter tents are also outfitted with bunk beds and heated with wood stoves.

Our main Windridge winter property boasts over 250 acres of lush forest with a carefully maintained trail system as well as manicured walkways and open fields.  Students also have regular access to the remote and forested state forest for day use expeditions in the winter months. Windridge offers a variety of indoor facilities to give students a reprieve from the elements, including heated winter cabins, indoor mixed sports arena, and a charming historic inn with nine full bathrooms for weekly showers.

 

 

Accessibility

Whether students are hiking and camping in secluded wilderness areas or camped at Windridge, the New England mountains have a unique combination of solitude and accessibility that is rarely found among wilderness programs in the U.S.

The accessibility of the field areas enables therapists to visit groups for twice-weekly individual sessions and ensure the therapeutic process is well integrated throughout their wilderness experience. This accessibility also ensures that students are able to access all that our community has to offer while never being too far from definitive care or medical professionals should a situation arise requiring such interventions.

Local Amenities

The Mad River Valley and the surrounding area boasts a wide variety of options for lodging, dining, and activities. For more information about local amenities or directions to our headquarters, please click below.

Local Info

Illustration of Outdoor Mountain Scene

 Contact Us

True North logo shield

 

PO Box 857 (mailing)
5354 Main Street
Waitsfield, VT 05673

Tel: 802.583.1144
Fax: 802.583.1104
[email protected]

From the Blog

CEU and Networking Event

True North Wilderness Program is looking forward to hosting a networking opportunity for professionals in the Northeastern United States.  The event will take place on March 24 from 9:00 AMmore »

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