Planning a National Park Adventure Made Simple: Tips for 2021 Travel

We’re currently witnessing what many are calling the Golden Age of national‑park travel. The 2016 centennial anniversary and the post‑pandemic shift toward outdoor, socially distanced getaways have propelled the U.S. national parks to the top of family vacation lists.

But the surge in popularity has brought its own challenges. Many visitors have found that the most famous parks and their flagship lodges can become crowded, and the idea of a simple family road trip into the wilderness often turns into a logistical puzzle. Fortunately, a wave of new services and policy changes is making park travel in 2021 smoother than ever.

From nonstop flight routes to national‑park gateway cities to group tour offerings from Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, and REI, a new National Park Service app, and expanded reservation capabilities, there are abundant ways to make visiting America’s national parks one of the best—and easiest—family vacation ideas of the year.

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New Air Routes

Leisure travel is poised to rebound ahead of business travel, and airlines are adjusting their networks to meet that demand. Major hubs that provide convenient access to national parks and ski areas—such as Denver—are seeing increased attention from carriers. A wave of new routes from JetBlue, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and others are now serving outdoor‑adventure regions.

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During a recent virtual industry conference, Shane Hodges, Vice President Western Division & International Sales at American Airlines, noted that it’s a smart time for destinations to bid for new airline routes. “We’ve got the capacity, we’ve got the planes, so where we feel there is potential future demand … we’re going to put the planes.” This means travelers could see more nonstop flights to smaller airports in outdoor‑focused destinations beyond 2021 if the demand materializes.

“We may be taking a little more risk as an industry … to see if we can actually create demand,” Hodges added. Janet Lamkin, Senior Vice President Market & Community Innovation at United Airlines, said, “Our network teams are doing lots of research and studying where people want to go and we’re just being very nimble, frankly, in a way that we’ve never been before.”

Here are a few highlights of new air routes making travel to U.S. national parks easier in 2021.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole sits just outside Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, making it a perfect gateway. American Airlines announced new seasonal service to Jackson Hole from Boston, and Alaska Airlines is adding San Jose, California, to its nonstop Jackson Hole routes (joining existing service from Seattle and San Diego). Allegiant will also begin serving Jackson Hole from Los Angeles, Phoenix‑Mesa, Las Vegas, and Reno, starting in June.

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Fresno, California

Fresno is the closest airport to Yosemite National Park. Southwest will launch new routes from Denver and Las Vegas on April 25. View all cities serving nonstop flights to Fresno here, and remember that there are plenty of hotels near Yosemite that are full‑fledged vacation spots in their own right.

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Bozeman, Montana

In May, Southwest will fly to Bozeman—about two hours from Yellowstone—from Denver and Las Vegas, adding to newly launched routes from JetBlue (from Boston) and Alaska (from Los Angeles). View all cities serving nonstop flights to Bozeman here.

More New Nonstops to National Park Gateways

• For Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: New York/LaGuardia (LGA) to Rapid City, South Dakota (RAP) on American Airlines (June 5 to Sept. 4). See existing nonstop routes to RAP here.
• For Glacier National Park: New York (JFK) to Kalispell/Glacier Park, Montana (FCA) on JetBlue (July 1 to Sept. 7). See existing nonstop routes to FCA and Glacier National Park here.

In addition to these national‑park gateways, airlines are also ramping up service to other outdoor destinations in the United States, with new destinations like Boise, Idaho (JetBlue, Alaska); Asheville, North Carolina (Allegiant, American); Wilmington, North Carolina (American); Traverse City, Michigan (American); and Key West, Florida (American Airlines, Allegiant) from departure cities like Boston and New York.

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New Small Group Tours

Planning your own trip to a national park can be daunting. Small‑group tour operators now offer a convenient alternative, responding to a surge in traveler demand with expanded 2021 itineraries that take you straight into the heart of the wilderness.

These tours provide unique experiences, such as sharing a meal with a Navajo family on Intrepid’s four‑day Zion Ranch Stay in Zion National Park or biking rugged terrain on Intrepid Travel’s six‑day Cycle Maine and Acadia National Park tour. G Adventures added new U.S. trips, including six under the National Geographic banner. REI, the largest adventure‑travel operator in the U.S., added 17 new tours, including a five‑day Rocky Mountain National Park Family Adventure and a Yosemite Valley Hiking & Camping Under 35.

All operators are working within current pandemic guidelines, offering reduced group sizes and flexible rebooking terms.

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A New National Park

In the past three years, four new national park designations have been announced: Gateway Arch, Indiana Dunes, White Sands, and most recently New River Gorge. The new National Park designation for New River Gorge, which previously held a national‑river status, could see visitation rise by 20%‑25%, according to Roger Wilson, CEO of Adventures on the Gorge.

Highlights of the new park in West Virginia include world‑class rafting and mountain biking. If you’re planning a visit, don’t miss nearby National Park Service units such as Gauley River National Recreation Area and Bluestone National Scenic River, as well as Hawks Nest, Pipestem Resort, and Carnifex Ferry Battlefield state parks.

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Improved Booking

Sleeping in nature is a highlight of any national‑park trip, but reserving a campsite can be a challenge. Many campgrounds open their six‑month reservation window well before summer, and the pandemic has shifted availability patterns, converting many first‑come, first‑served sites into bookable slots.

Recreation.gov now offers booking for 280 campgrounds within national parks, including three newly added Yellowstone sites in March. The platform hosts roughly 3,500 bookable campsites, giving travelers plenty of options for family camping both inside and outside park boundaries.

Over the past year and a half, the National Park Service has added 1,800 new campsites across 130 park units for advanced reservation access, said Tamara Delaplane, project manager with the NPS, during a recent virtual webinar.

Funding from the Great American Outdoors Act is driving improvements at campgrounds in Yosemite, Mount Rainier, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, and others. Grand Teton, Everglades, and many Alaskan parks now offer family‑glamping accommodations in canvas tents or cabins, broadening the range of lodging options.

Private campgrounds and RV resorts remain plentiful around national parks, with an estimated 50,000 new campground sites slated for 2021, according to Al Johnson, executive at Recreational Adventures Co., KOA’s largest franchisee. For those preferring non‑traditional camping, glamping brands such as Autocamp and Under Canvas announced new locations for 2021 and 2022 near parks including Joshua Tree, Yosemite, and Zion.

Hotel guests can also look forward to new luxury properties adjacent to national parks, such as Montage Big Sky and The Cloudveil, an Autograph Collection Hotel, opening this year.

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New Scenic Byways Near National Parks

Even with new air routes, a car is essential for most park visits. The Federal Highway Administration added 49 new designations to America’s Byways collection this year, including 15 All‑American Roads and 34 National Scenic Byways across 28 states— the first additions since 2009. Several of these byways—such as the Zion Scenic Byway in Utah and the Cascades Loop in Washington—run close to popular national parks.

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Tips for National Parks Visits in 2021

While overall visits to National Park Service sites dipped in 2020 due to closures and travel restrictions, the pandemic era still saw national‑park travel surge relative to other vacation types. Recreation.gov added 2 million new user accounts in the past fiscal year—a 45% increase compared to 2019.

Last year, 25% of total recreation visits occurred in the top six most‑visited parks—just 1.5% of all parks in the system—and 15 parks set new visitation records. Popular parks are therefore experiencing overcrowding, so consider lesser‑visited national parks as well as state parks, Bureau of Land Management sites, and other public lands.

Traveling in the shoulder season—outside the peak summer months—can help spread visitor numbers. For example, Zion National Park’s surrounding towns, promoted by the Greater Zion tourism board, encourage trips to nearby gems like St. George and Snow Canyon State Park.

When planning a 2021 trip, use tools like the new NPS app, which offers up‑to‑date visitor information, lodge listings, and activity searches. Recreation.gov’s trip planner lets users discover nearby attractions, campgrounds, and guided tours, providing insights you might not otherwise find.

Smith advises checking real‑time ratings and comments from travelers and staying current on park conditions, especially during pandemic travel times. Repanshek notes that parks are still adjusting to post‑COVID staffing levels, which will affect lodging, dining, programming, and visitor center availability.

To ensure a smooth experience, research individual park websites for the latest updates before you travel.