Seven Places to Book Ahead for 2025

As you begin to plan this year’s adventures, we wanted to share some of those top spots that you’ll want to book well in advance. Due to the increased demand for domestic U.S. travel and how competitive smaller, bespoke, private experiences can be, we do expect availability in the most popular destinations to be challenging. Although it may seem early to be thinking about this now, the more time you allow, the more choices you’ll have.  

Summer in the National Parks

Despite the travel challenges immediately following Covid in 2020, in the past few years national parks saw record visitor numbers. The Grand Canyon saw 4.7 million visitors, second only to Great Smoky Mountains National Park which saw 13.3 million visitors. Since it’s looking like that trend will continue in 2025, there are a few parks in particular that are essential to plan ahead for this year.

Summer is the most popular time to visit most National parks, so it’s key to book in advance. July and August in particular bring the best weather and it’s a fantastic time to take in one of the most spectacular landscapes in North America. The Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, The Great Smoky Mountains and Yosemite are all in the top five most popular American national parks to visit so if you’re hoping to visit these during peak season, planning ahead is crucial.

In an effort to manage the mass amount of visitors and preserve the pristine wilderness in these areas, many parks have implemented new reservation and timed-entry systems. Mountain Rainier, Glacier, Arches, Rocky Mountain, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arches, and Acadia National Parks are some of the more popular spots that require reservations during peak season, with many more starting pilot programs this year.

National Park Road Trip Inspiration: Yellowstone and Grand Teton Road Trip 

Fall in New England

It’s no secret that New England shines in autumn. Every September, visitors trek from all over the country to witness the fall foliage change from bright greens to golden-reds. But the charming trait of New England is its small-town feel and with such a small window (sometimes only two weeks) to drive the fall colored highways, room availability and timing are limited. 

Reservations at some of our favorite boutique getaways and luxury inns are quickly filling up, so if you fancy spending your autumn amongst bright falling leaves, winding between cheddar creameries and cider mills, and enveloped in the salty air of coastal Atlantic towns, start the planning of your custom journey through New England soon.

New England Fall Road Trip Inspiration: Luxury Holiday to New England

Alaska

As a general rule, an exploration through the wild terrain of Alaska is not an adventure that you want to enter into haphazardly. It’s a huge state with miles of remote frontier, so you need to have a strategy for how you’ll get where and who will be guiding the way. 

Plus, because of the extreme weather, there’s a short window of opportunity in the warmer months to access much of Alaska, meaning high demand for the best places. Not-to-mention, the surge of extreme weather in recent years can be an impediment to seeing certain National Parks (Denali Park Road, in Denali National Park, remains closed through 2026 do to a landslide). For all of these reasons, it’s always best to plan ahead.

Our Alaska luxury travel specialists have handpicked the finest wilderness lodges, expert private guides, and standout experiences so as to design a luxury Alaska vacation to remember. From aquamarine glaciers, steep-walled fjords, majestic grizzlies, endless snow-capped mountain ranges, and breaching humpbacks; there’s an abundance of ‘bucket-list’ Alaska experiences spread across a vast geography. 

Alaskan Road Trip Inspiration: Luxury Alaska Vacation: Adventures on the Kenai Peninsula

The Harvest in California Wine Country

Around late September, California wine country bustles with energy during the harvest. Vineyards race to pick their grapes at their peak ripeness, the weather begins to cool and the smell of harvest fills the valleys. This is always an exciting time to visit, but finding reservations in this small wine region can be competitive. The already limited rooms at our favorite boltholes, like the Inn at Newport Ranch in Mendocino or Sonoma’s Farmhouse Inn, won’t last long. 

Likewise, the harvest being a time of great culinary celebration, tables will quickly fill up at the many acclaimed (and Michelin-starred) restaurants in California’s wine country region. A key part of All Roads North’s trip planning services is making sure you get the reservations you want and we’ll be keeping an eye on openings at legends like Napa Valley’s French Laundry or Sonoma’s SingleThread Farm for those hoping to indulge their taste buds this year.

Wine Country Inspiration: Napa and Sonoma in Style

Spring Break

It’s always a good idea to plan ahead for spring break, but especially this year. Domestic travel in the U.S. during March is increasing and, in fact, in 2024 airlines saw their busiest March ever. In 2025, numbers are expected to increase even more.

Arizona is a beautiful place to visit in the spring, whether finding rest and relaxation amongst the sacred red rocks of Sedona or searching out adventure in the saguaro cactus-studded desert surrounding Tucson. Or, take advantage of the sun and sea in Southern California. From surfing to hiking to fine dining to art exhibits, you’ll never have to suffer a dull moment. For spring breakers looking for a cultural immersion, look no further than New Orleans. Dynamic and diverse, this city is larger than life in almost every area; not least food, music and history.

Southwest Road Trip Inspiraiton: The Red Rock and Canyon Country of Arizona and Utah

Luxury Ranches

Blending authentic ranch life with luxury bells and whistles is something that the U.S. does best. From Montana to Arizona, many of our favorite ranches consist of several stand-alone cabins with a main lodge centered in their midst– a setup that became popular during Covid due to its inherent socially distanced structure. 

Not only the accommodation but also the accompanying activities allow for seclusion. Most luxury ranches, like the Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana or Smith Rock Ranch in Colorado, offer endless outdoor activities, like horseback riding, fishing and hiking, all from one secluded base.

Luxury Ranch Road Trip Inspiration: A Private Ranch Road Trip in West Texas

Mountain Towns

Whether you are planning to ski in the winter, raft in the summer or hike amongst golden aspen in autumn, mountain towns never go out of season. The difficult decision isn’t deciding if you want to get away for some alpine fresh air, it’s more of a question of where you’ll go. Here are some of our favorites (and the ones that will book up the fastest):

Jackson, Wyoming is a bit of a dichotomy. On one hand, Jackson is an old western town with wooden boardwalks, swinging saloon doors and its signature elk antler arches in the main square. On the other, it’s a chic mountain town that has become a playground for the well-heeled and adventurous. Aspen, Colorado is similar in that way– with perhaps a little more glitz than grit. What most defines Aspen though is its exceptional natural beauty. Walking down Main Street in Telluride, Colorado, you’ll understand why it’s often described as the quintessential mountain town. The spunk of its mining town origins is miraculously preserved and its location nestled in the valley of a box canyon causes just about any angle of the town to be picture perfect. Taos, New Mexico is a mountain town infused with the blend of Mexican, Spanish and Native American culture that New Mexico is known for. It’s rich in cultural experiences and full of adventurous outdoor activities as well.

Mountain Towns Road Trip Inspiration: Luxury Family Adventure in Colorado