Some of the best hiking trailheads in the US start near a tiny regional airport. Getting to that airport is the hard part: Acadia, the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, Telluride and Moab are each served by only a handful of scheduled routes, so most trips from a big city mean a connecting flight somewhere along the way.
Flying private cuts those connecting flights and layovers out, making the trip simpler. Here are four routes where it makes a real difference.
How a Charter Gets You Closer to the Trailhead
A private jet charter can fly closer to a national park than the nearest major hub. You set the departure time, fly direct from your home city and land a few miles from the park, which often means you can be out on a trail the same afternoon you leave home.
The aircraft works well for group trips, too. Light jets usually seat four to eight people and can fly up to around 1,500 miles before refueling, which covers every route in this guide. Turboprops are another good option for shorter hops into smaller airfields.
Hold space varies from one aircraft to the next, so if you have bulky items like trekking poles or camping gear, mention them when you book and the right aircraft can be matched to your luggage.
1. New York to Bar Harbor for Acadia National Park
Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport is in Trenton, Maine, about 9 miles northwest of downtown Bar Harbor. Its year-round scheduled service is a nonstop to Boston, so flying private from the New York area, a trip of roughly 380 miles, is the easiest way to arrive in one go. The airport has a full-service FBO (the private aviation terminal) and a 5,200-foot main runway, which is a good fit for light jets and turboprops.
From the airport it’s a short drive onto Mount Desert Island, where most of the park sits. A great first hike is the Cadillac North Ridge Trail, a 4.4-mile round trip to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. At 1,530 feet, it’s the highest point on the US eastern seaboard, with wide views over Frenchman Bay and the islands below.
2. Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim
Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Tusayan is just 7 miles from the South Rim and 2 miles from the park entrance. It’s best known for sightseeing flights and private aircraft rather than airline routes, so a charter from Los Angeles, around 380 miles, lands you about as close to the rim as you can get by plane. The airport’s 9,000-foot runway was recently resurfaced and handles most business jets.
That proximity means you can check into your hotel and still catch golden light at the rim on day one. For a first hike, the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point is under 2 miles round trip and opens up huge views early on. Carry plenty of water, as the climb back up always takes longer than the walk down.
3. Dallas to Telluride for Summer Hiking
Telluride Regional Airport sits on a mesa about 5 miles west of town at roughly 9,070 feet, making it one of the highest commercial airports in North America. Scheduled service is limited to a few regional routes, including Denver and Phoenix, so a charter of around 715 miles from Dallas gets you there in one flight. Aircraft choice matters at this altitude, so it’s worth talking through when you book.
Summer is the season for trails here. Bridal Veil Falls, Colorado’s tallest free-falling waterfall at 365 feet, sits at the end of the box canyon east of town, and the 2-mile hike to its base takes around an hour and a half. It’s an easy morning out before lunch back in town, with plenty more wilderness to explore around the falls if your group wants a longer day.
4. Chicago to Moab for Arches and Canyonlands
Canyonlands Regional Airport is about 15 miles northwest of Moab and has a 7,360-foot runway. Scheduled flights link it with Denver year-round and with Salt Lake City seasonally, so a charter from Chicago of roughly 1,175 miles is the way to fly straight in. That means both Arches and Canyonlands national parks are nearby, with the Arches entrance about 5 miles north of town.
Start with the Delicate Arch Trail, a 3-mile round trip across open slick rock to Utah’s most recognizable arch. There’s no shade along the way, so an early start or an evening walk is the most comfortable choice in the warmer months.
Smarter Travel Gives You More Time on the Trail
Each of these routes works for the same reason: the closest airport is only minutes away from the places you actually came to see, and a single flight is all it takes to get there. Because you’re flying in directly, the first day of the trip can be spent hiking instead of in transit, and the last day can end with one more viewpoint before the flight home. For a group trip to any of these parks, that extra time on the trail makes the whole trip feel more special.
