Finding Strength, Connection, and Healing Through the Outdoors

Higher Ground USA - Sun Valley, ID

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For more than 27 years, Higher Ground has been transforming lives through therapeuticrecreation and outdoor adventure. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Sun Valley, Idaho, Higher Ground bridges the gap between disability and belonging by creating opportunities for individuals to overcome challenges, discover new strengths, and reconnect with their communities. Through outdoor experiences combined with therapeutic support, participants build confidence and develop skills that improve their quality of life.

In 2005, Higher Ground expanded its mission to serve veterans and first responders facing the lasting effects of their service, including PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and other visible and invisible wounds. The organization understands that healing often comes through connection with nature, peers, and a community that shares similar experiences. These programs help participants regain confidence, reduce isolation, and take meaningful steps toward recovery.

Higher Ground’s therapeutic recreation programs provide opportunities for participants to challenge themselves in supportive environments. Whether hiking through the mountains, navigating rivers by kayak, or engaging in other outdoor adventures, individuals focus on their abilities rather than their limitations. These experiences help build resilience, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Every Higher Ground veteran program includes a mental health professional as part of the program team, providing participants with individualized support throughout their experience. Our team meets each person where they are, recognizing that every participant arrives with different needs, experiences, and goals, and creates a supportive environment where they can feel safe, connected, and empowered to participate.

The work of Higher Ground demonstrates the powerful impact that compassionate support and innovative programming can have on people’s lives. The JTMF Foundation is proud to support Higher Ground’s efforts to expand access to these life-changing experiences for veterans and their caregivers throughout the Pacific Northwest.