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Trend watch: Wilderness, Puerto Rico, and second cities

If it feels like everyone you know is suddenly planning a trip to a national park, remote mountain lodge, or city you’d never have pegged as a travel destination two years ago—you’re not imagining it.

With so much of the world feeling uncertain, Americans are betting on their own backyard. In the first few months of 2026, according to booking data, travelers have shown increased interest in adventure and nature travel, with up 170% year over year and the Mountain West and National Parks corridor (Utah, Wyoming, Montana) up more than 100% each. Puerto Rico has emerged as a popular Caribbean escape, and a number of second cities—namely Bentonville, Tulsa, Omaha, and Baltimore—have become established leisure destinations.

Here's a closer look at what the data is telling us.

Inside the wilderness boom

Alaska is up more than 170% year over year, while Montana and Wyoming are both more than doubling. Idaho and South Dakota are right there too. The Mountain West and national park corridor isn't just a vibe. It’s where a huge portion of bookings are landing, and it’s growing at nearly twice the pace of the overall travel market.

It’s also worth noting that travelers aren’t necessarily roughing it. Instead, they’re gravitating toward and that deliver both comfort and stunning scenery, and they don’t mind paying a bit more to find that balance.

The Canadian Rockies: Beloved resorts as gateways to rugged nature

If you’ve been eyeing Alberta, trust the pull. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is the most-booked property across every region we track, perhaps owing to its enviable location. (It sits inside a national park with a glacier-fed turquoise lake practically at its front door.) Its sister property, Fairmont Banff Springs, isn't far behind in booking volume. These properties sell out early, especially in the summer and fall, and for good reason.

From there, Jasper National Park offers a quieter, more expansive version of the same Rocky Mountain magic, with Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge as the go-to lodging. On British Columbia’s Pacific coast, you’ll find the beloved Wickaninnish Inn in remote, rainforest-flanked Tofino. A seaplane ride away, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge feels even more removed amid the old-growth forest of Clayoquot Sound.

Montana: The US wilderness leader

Montana is outpacing nearly every other U.S. state right now, and at the city level, Big Sky is up more than 215% year over year. That’s not a fluke. One&Only Moonlight Basin and Montage Big Sky have quietly become two of the most in-demand mountain properties in the country on the strength of their food, service, and spas—not to mention their majestic setting in the shadow of Lone Mountain.

But the allure goes beyond one specific destination or resort. Sage Lodge sits on the Yellowstone River near the park’s northern entrance, while Ranch at Rock Creek, The Resort at Paws Up, and Triple Creek Ranch offer the kind of all-inclusive experiences where you show up, put your phone down, and don’t check your email for the entire week. Glacier National Park is increasingly in the mix, too, with Under Canvas Glacier and the historic Glacier Park Lodge drawing more bookings each season.

Wyoming and Alaska: 2 different flavors of remote

Image courtesy of Caldera House

Wyoming’s story centers on Jackson Hole. The Four Seasons Resort and Caldera House in Teton Village are consistently among the most in-demand properties in the region, and the broader collection of hotels in town (Hotel Terra, The Cloudveil) gives travelers solid options at different price points. The deeper gems are inside the parks themselves—Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton is one of the most intimate properties in the American West, and the in-park lodges at Yellowstone (Canyon Lodge, Lake Yellowstone Hotel) give you an experience no day trip can replicate.

Alaska is the most dramatic growth story in the data, up more than 170% year over year. The Denali area is the gravitational center, and the Alaska Railroad is genuinely one of the world’s great scenic rail journeys. If the Last Frontier has been on your list, the data suggests you’re not alone, which means booking windows are getting shorter.

Puerto Rico’s luxury moment

Puerto Rico’s overall numbers are strong, but the real story is what’s happening beyond San Juan. The Río Grande corridor—a stretch of coastline near El Yunque rainforest, about an hour east of the capital—is up more than 300% in bookings.

Two properties are anchoring the growth: the Four Seasons Resort Puerto Rico and Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. The former puts guests at the doorstep of the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system—think waterfall hikes, zip-lining, and serious beach access all-in-one trip—while the latter is set on a former Rockefeller estate on the island’s north coast, with highly regarded spas in the Caribbean and a level of unhurried luxury that's especially appealing when life feels extra demanding.

The second-city surge

The other story hiding in the data: travelers seeking urban destinations with walkable neighborhoods, great independent restaurants, boutique hotels, and real cultural depth are increasingly choosing domestic cities you might not have on your radar yet.

Bentonville has long been drawing movie buffs for its Geena Davis-founded film festival, but it’s also one of the best art and mountain biking destinations in the country, thanks to Crystal Bridges Museum and 300-plus miles of trails, respectively. Tulsa’s art deco architecture, Blue Dome District, and thriving music scene are starting to resonate in a real way.

Omaha’s Old Market neighborhood and food scene have earned it a following among travelers who prioritize culinary experiences.

And Baltimore—up 179% year over year, making it the fastest-growing city in this group by a wide margin—is having a full moment, with broad-based growth across the Inner Harbor corridor that doesn’t appear tied to any single event or property.

Traveler’s takeaway

The common thread across all of these trends is that the most-in-demand destinations are also the ones that require the most lead time. Wilderness lodges, in-park hotels, and remote properties have limited inventory and tend to fill up months ahead of when you’d expect.

And whether you’re craving an off-the-grid adventure, luxe beach escape, or under-the-radar city break, your travel advisor can match you to the right destination and property based on your travel style—and make sure you’re not locked out of the places that fit you best. Reach out and tell them what’s calling you. The wilderness will still be there. The rooms are another story.

Methodology: Findings are based on Fora internal booking data covering non-canceled, transient hotel bookings from Jan. 1–April 15, 2025 vs. the same period in 2026.

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