Backpackers spread out across a wide golden meadow at dawn, walking toward a dark pine forest and a hazy, tree-covered hill.

A veteran outreach organization in Utah

Find your footing.
Find your peace.

We get Utah veterans outdoors, hiking, camping and climbing together, for the clarity and calm that come from time in nature.

Join us on the trail Donate

Coming home brings its own challenges. Nearly 3 in 10 veterans from recent conflicts experience mental health challenges at some point in their lives. Time outdoors, shoulder to shoulder with people who understand, helps.

  • 111,760Veterans call Utah home
  • 29%Fewer PTSD symptoms a week after a wilderness trip
  • 21%Less stress after time in the wild
  • 10%Stronger social connections

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024; Anderson, Monroy & Keltner, Emotion (2018), UC Berkeley study of veterans and youth on wilderness river trips, including Utah’s Green River; U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD.

Our mission

Getting veterans outside, moving, and at peace

Peaks to Peace is a Utah-based veteran outreach organization, and Utah is where we serve veterans today. Our mission is to get veterans outdoors and physically active in nature, and to help them find the mental clarity that comes from time spent on the trail, around the fire, and on the rock.

What we do

Hiking, camping, and climbing for those able

We meet veterans where they are. Every outing is about getting outside together at a pace that works for the group.

A group of backpackers with full packs walking single file up a sunlit forest trail through thick green brush.

Hiking

Hiking is the heart of what we do. We walk trails together, one steady step at a time, with room to talk or simply take it in.

A tent glowing from inside at night, pitched beside a huge boulder under tall pines.

Camping

Nights under the stars slow everything down. Setting up camp, sharing a fire and waking to quiet mornings give the mind space to settle.

A roped climber working up a steep, sunlit rock face.

Climbing, for those able

For those who are able and interested, we add some climbing: a focused challenge that builds trust, patience and confidence.

Steam drifting over a narrow stream that winds through a grassy meadow, past an orange lichen-covered rock outcrop and evergreen forest.

Why nature

There's a peace that comes from being outdoors

Being active is part of it, but our main focus is the mental clarity that comes from time in the natural environment. Fresh air, open sky, the rhythm of walking and the quiet of the backcountry help clear the noise and make room to breathe.

A hiker sits quietly on the edge of a canyon rim, looking out over red-orange rock spires and forest under a cloudy sky.

Resilience

Strengthening resilience, from the inside out

Time outdoors opens the door. Alongside it, we share simple, practical skills that help each person build their own mental resilience, one step at a time.

  • Steadying yourself in the moment. Slowing down, breathing and coming back to the present when things get loud.
  • Knowing what sets you off. Spotting triggers early and seeing how the way we read a moment shapes how we feel and react.
  • Reframing setbacks. Stepping back for a wider view, keeping things in perspective and working out a good next move.
  • Resetting your focus. Trading spinning thoughts for clear, useful ones, and knowing how to shift gears when you need a break.
  • Starting the day with intention. Setting a clear aim, leaning on your strengths and noticing what's going right.
  • Speaking up and connecting. Saying what you need, listening well and lifting up the people beside you.

The goal is simple: tools that come home with you after the trip is over, for the trail and for everyday life.

Come build them with us

Voices from the trail

What time outside can mean

A group of backpackers wading single file across a wide, shallow river, seen from behind.

“Peaks to Peace is a fun group of active vets. I love a good hike and it feels like being in nature lets me clear my mind. It’s even better with people you can connect with.”

Justin, Air Force veteran

“I surprised myself with how easily I opened up to the folks at Peaks to Peace. It’s almost like being outdoors softened my shell.”

Chris, Navy veteran

“More people should be out here doing this. Camping is something I always enjoyed as a kid. Being around a campfire brings back all those memories.”

Frank, Army veteran

Get involved

There's a place for you here

A jagged granite peak rising above a clear alpine lake, with golden grass along the rocky shore.

Veterans

If you're a veteran in Utah who wants to get outside, we'd love to hear from you. No experience is needed. Tell us a little about yourself and what interests you, and we'll be in touch.

I'd like to join

Volunteers

If you love the outdoors and want to support veterans, there are ways to help, on the trail and behind the scenes. Reach out and let us know how you'd like to be involved.

I'd like to volunteer

Get in touch

Questions, ideas, or ready to get outside? Send us a note and we'll get back to you.

hello@peakstopeace.org