Gatehouse Wilderness Program provides a vigorous 90-day addiction and substance abuse treatment program set in the rugged high Sonoran Desert of Central Arizona at our Mesquite Canyon Ranch and the pristine and scenic wilderness of Northern New Mexico. These remote wilderness environments serve as dramatic backdrops for a unique kind of 12 step recovery program. In the wilderness, residents will engage in a life-changing process through activities such as:

• Backpacking
• Horseback riding and horse care
• Camping
• Primitive (Survival) Skills
• Canoeing
• Dog Sledding
• Cross Country Skiing

When residents arrive at these locations, they will participate in the orientation component of the program, where staff will be focusing on helping residents make an easy transition into treatment. Here we can begin to assess, stabilize and provide essential structure and training that will get them on their way to recovery and a fulfilling wilderness experience. Orientation will be devoted to the preparation of necessary skills needed in embarking into Arizona’s rugged and physically demanding wilderness. During this period they are also trained in the care and maintenance of a horse which each resident is issued, which includes learning how to ride, and handling the horse's tack (saddle, bridle, reins, etc.). Residents are also taught essential survival skills such as how to make a bow drill fire, the proper treating of water in the outdoors, and taking care of their environment and campsites.

Outdoor adventure which causes a subject to "rise to the occasion", is proven to increase self-concept and self-efficacy as well as decrease anti-social behaviors. Mesquite Canyon Ranch, through its horse and outdoor emphasis, offers a powerful personal experience with the first 3 steps and their principles: Powerlessness, Trust/Faith, and Decision/Commitment. The residents live out a “return to basics” philosophy for 90 days, separating themselves from former programming, which can include poor images and ideas. Wilderness Base Camp Living is sustenance living that emphasizes basic essential processes in daily tasks such as: gathering wood for meals and heat; daily water retrieval and use monitoring; meal planning and cooking over open fires, which may take several hours to prepare.

The stark reality and back-to-basics quality of nature give residents immediate and differential feedback on themselves and their situation. By stepping out of their comfort zones and into the challenges presented by the great outdoors of the west, they will confront limited beliefs and long-standing emotional patterns in a real and active way. The beautiful environment and the focus on nature allows residents to experience an unparallel spiritual experience which is abundantly available in such a natural setting. The focus on nature and recovery allows residents to start their lifelong journey to a new life.