Active travel operator Backroads is seeing a noticeable uptick in demand for trips that visit U.S. national parks. While national parks are always a popular choice for summer vacations, the company also says it has seen greater interest in North American departures in general as a result of this year’s ongoing global uncertainties.
National parks where Backroads is seeing a year-over-year increase include Death Valley, Great Smoky Mountains, Arches, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Saguaro and Joshua Tree. The operator says that sales are up 10%-20% for select parks, with Death Valley and Great Smoky Mountains up as much as 30%-60%.
The uptick has driven Backroads to boost its 2026 roster of national park departures by 12%, as well as to introduce new itineraries.
"I led guests on Backroads' very first trip in Death Valley, so the national parks have always meant a lot to me personally," said Tom Hale, Backroads founder, president and CEO. "There's nothing better than connecting our guests to these incredible places in the ways we love to experience them — like hiking alongside the hoodoos in Bryce or biking the legendary Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier. Those are the moments that make the parks unforgettable."
New itineraries for 2026 include glamping trips in Maine’s Acadia National Park and Yellowstone National Park (covering both Montana and Wyoming), plus a multi-adventure tour in Utah’s Arches National Park.
