Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy was a family-centered wilderness therapy provider based in Durango, Colorado, serving early adolescents (12-14), adolescents, and young adults (18-30) through approximately 70-day intensive clinical programs in Colorado and Utah wilderness settings from 2006 until its closure in February 2024.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersDurango, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Open Sky Wilderness Therapy does
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy was a privately held, for-profit wilderness therapy provider founded in 2006 in Durango, Colorado by Aaron Fernandes, Danny Frazer, and Emily Fernandes. The company delivered family-centered therapeutic wilderness programs for early adolescents (ages 12-14), adolescents, and young adults (ages 18-30), combining evidence-based clinical modalities (individual therapy, family therapy, psychiatric services) with holistic wellness practices (yoga, meditation, mindfulness, equine-assisted learning) in outdoor wilderness settings across Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah. Field operations were supported by a hybrid base-camp/wilderness model providing tipis, wall tents, and shower facilities, with students enrolled for approximately 70-day intensive programs.
The business operated a direct admissions model (led by a Director of Admissions & Professional Relations) supported by an educational consultant referral channel, with go-to-market centered on clinical credibility, research-proven outcomes, and family-systems differentiation. Pricing was not publicly disclosed but treatment was financed through 529 Plans, insurance reimbursement, and the Sky's the Limit Fund scholarship partnership (over $1.3M granted to 250+ families). Open Sky was the first organization to receive Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH) Accreditation in 2014 through a partnership with the Association for Experiential Education and the OBH Council, and operated as the only OBH-accredited program measuring outcome results for every student.
The company reported 150+ employees as of its 2016 10th anniversary, making it one of the largest employers in Durango and the only wilderness therapy program in Colorado. The company held its final graduation on February 14, 2024, concluding 18 years of operations. No parent company, venture capital, or private equity ownership was disclosed; ownership appeared founder-controlled with initial capitalization from Region 9 Economic Development.
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
- Legal name
- Open Sky Wilderness
- Website
- https://openskywilderness.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Open Sky Wilderness Therapy was a family-centered wilderness therapy provider based in Durango, Colorado, serving early adolescents (12-14), adolescents, and young adults (18-30) through approximately 70-day intensive clinical programs in Colorado and Utah wilderness settings from 2006 until its closure in February 2024.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wilderness Therapy Services
- NAICS
- Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)
- SIC
- Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO)
Keywords
Where Open Sky Wilderness Therapy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durango
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Wilderness Therapy Program Fees: Primary revenue stream from intensive wilderness therapy programs serving early adolescents, adolescents, young adults, and families. Programs provide residential-style therapeutic intervention in wilderness settings with clinical therapy, family services, and holistic wellness components.
- Family Programming Services: Additional services including Family Quest experiences, Wellness Weekends, and parent support programming offered alongside the primary wilderness therapy program.
- Wellness Retreats: Post-graduation alumni family retreats providing ongoing support and continued skill development, with separate registration and lodging fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Wellness Weekend - Parent retreat experience |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Wellness Retreat Single Occupancy |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Wellness Retreat Double Occupancy |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy delivered residential wilderness therapy programs for early adolescents (ages 12-14), adolescents, and young adults (ages 18-30) in Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah, combining evidence-based clinical modalities, mindfulness practices, and outdoor experiential learning. Treatment was anchored by a Family-Systems Approach that engaged parents and families in parallel therapeutic work, with supporting offerings including Wellness Retreats, Academic Credit, Equine-Assisted Learning, Psychiatric Services, and Adventure Expeditions.
Product overview
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy offers a family-centered wilderness therapy experience with distinct programs for Early Adolescents (ages 12-14), Adolescents, and Young Adults (ages 18-30). The core offering combines evidence-based clinical modalities with holistic practices including yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. Family involvement is central through the Family-Systems Approach with services like Family Quest and Wellness Weekend. Supporting offerings include a Parent Portal for ongoing communication, Academic Credit programs for college enrollment, Equine-Assisted Learning for early adolescents, Psychiatric Services, and Adventure Expeditions across Colorado and Utah course areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Early Adolescent Program (Ages 12-14) Wilderness therapy program designed for students ages 12-14, combining clinical treatment with holistic wellness practices, Equine-Assisted Learning, the Crow Canyon Partnership, and family involvement; for early adolescents and their families.
- Adolescent Program Therapeutic wilderness program for adolescents with separate boys and girls groups, offering evidence-based clinical modalities integrated with mindfulness and holistic healing practices, academic credit and college enrollment options, and the Crow Canyon Partnership.
- Young Adult Program Wilderness therapy program for young adults ages 18-30, providing therapeutic support for substance use, process addictions, transition-age issues, and life skills development in outdoor settings of Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah.
- Family Services / Family-Systems Approach Comprehensive family-centered programming including Family Quest experiences, Wellness Weekends, parent support calls, communication, skills development, cornerstone experiences, and alumni connection; designed to treat the whole family rather than just the individual student.
- Wellness Retreats Post-graduation retreat programming for alumni families offering yoga, meditation, group activities, and continued personal development, with separate single-occupancy ($190/weekend) and double-occupancy ($360/weekend) pricing.
- Academic Credit and College Enrollment Programs Concurrent college enrollment and academic credit options allowing students to earn college credits while participating in wilderness therapy.
- Psychiatric Services Psychiatric evaluation and medication management services integrated with wilderness therapy programming.
- Adventure Expeditions Extended wilderness expeditions including backpacking, hiking, and skills training across the mountains of Southwest Colorado and the canyon country of Southeast Utah.
- Equine-Assisted Learning Horse-assisted therapeutic activities for early adolescents to build trust, responsibility, and emotional awareness, delivered as a specialization within the Early Adolescent Program.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students achieve 62-point improvement average on assessment scores after 70 days (vs. 12 months typical for residential treatment)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- IONS EarthRise Retreat CenterminorLocated on 194 acres of rolling hills in Northern California, hosted first Open Sky Wellness Retreat. Known for healthy organic meals, hiking trails through live oak woodlands, and panoramic vistas. Venue for alumni family programming.
- Crow Canyon Archaeological CenterminorPartnership program for adolescents providing cultural and archaeological learning experiences. Open Sky offers specialized Crow Canyon Partnership programming for early adolescents and adolescents.
- U.S. Forest ServiceminorFederal land management partnership allowing Open Sky to conduct field operations in designated wilderness areas of Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah.
- Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH) CouncilcoreIndustry leadership organization representing over 20 wilderness programs throughout North America. Co-created OBH Accreditation with Association of Experiential Education. Founded in 1996, the council leads funding independent research projects, developed first OBH Accreditation, and secured insurance revenue code for the field. Open Sky CEO Aaron Fernandes served as committee chair for Wilderness Therapy Symposium for five years.
- Association for Experiential Education (AEE)corePartnered with OBH Council to develop and conduct OBH Accreditation process for therapeutic programs. AEE has long-standing reputation for accreditation of experiential and adventure programs. Open Sky was first organization to receive accreditation in 2014.
- Sky's the Limit FundcorePartnership program where Open Sky matches all scholarships granted to Open Sky families through Sky's the Limit Fund, a non-profit dedicated to providing grants to families of youth in crisis with financial need. Sky's the Limit Fund has provided over $1.3 million in grants and helped over 250 families nationwide.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anasazi Foundation: Arizona-based wilderness therapy nonprofit for adolescents and young adults emphasizing family healing and outcome research; comparable therapeutic philosophy and target demographic.
- Evoke Therapy Programs: Multi-program wilderness therapy provider for adolescents and young adults with field operations in Utah and Arizona; geographic and demographic overlap with Open Sky.
- RedCliff Ascent: Utah-based wilderness therapy program serving adolescents and young adults; geographic overlap with Open Sky's Southeast Utah operations and similar clinical methodology.
- SUWS of the Carolinas: Wilderness therapy program for adolescents and young adults with strong clinical and family-systems orientation; long-standing OBH-accredited competitor in the same category.
- Second Nature Wilderness Programs: Multi-state wilderness therapy program for adolescents and young adults; direct competitor serving the same consultant-driven admissions funnel and outcome-focused positioning.
- Pacific Quest: Hawaii-based wilderness and sustainable-garden therapeutic program for adolescents and young adults; directly comparable clinical model and target demographic, competing for out-of-state enrollment.
- Trails Carolina: Direct wilderness therapy competitor operating adolescent and young adult programs in North Carolina with a similar family-systems orientation; competes for the same educational consultant referral pool.
- New Visions Wilderness Treatment Center: Wisconsin-based wilderness therapy program for adolescents and young adults with family-centered programming; comparable clinical positioning and consultant-referral acquisition model.
- Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness: Residential wilderness therapy program for adolescents in North Carolina with strong family involvement component and outcome measurement, closely mirroring Open Sky's clinical positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Outward Bound: National experiential education nonprofit offering wilderness-based programs (Danny Frazer previously worked there); adjacent provider serving overlapping adolescent/young adult market but with a broader outdoor education remit.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy social profiles
Digital presenceOpen Sky Wilderness Therapy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
What does Open Sky Wilderness Therapy do?
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy delivered residential wilderness therapy programs for early adolescents (ages 12-14), adolescents, and young adults (ages 18-30) in Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah, combining evidence-based clinical modalities, mindfulness practices, and outdoor experiential learning. Treatment was anchored by a Family-Systems Approach that engaged parents and families in parallel therapeutic work, with supporting offerings including Wellness Retreats, Academic Credit, Equine-Assisted Learning, Psychiatric Services, and Adventure Expeditions.
Is Open Sky Wilderness Therapy a public or private company?
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Open Sky Wilderness Therapy founded?
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Open Sky Wilderness Therapy based?
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy is headquartered in Durango, United States, in the North America region.
How does Open Sky Wilderness Therapy make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wilderness Therapy Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are family Programming Services and wellness Retreats.
Who are Open Sky Wilderness Therapy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anasazi Foundation, Evoke Therapy Programs, RedCliff Ascent, SUWS of the Carolinas, Second Nature Wilderness Programs, Pacific Quest, Trails Carolina, New Visions Wilderness Treatment Center and Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness. Outward Bound is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Open Sky Wilderness Therapy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open Sky Wilderness Therapy.
What industry is Open Sky Wilderness Therapy in?
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy's product category is Wilderness Therapy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAOAG, Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs, with a secondary code of THAAAOAA, Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning). Its NAICS code is 62322 and its SIC code is 8090.