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Travel + Leisure
The wildlife-viewing opportunities peak in winter. Speaking of wildlife, experts say it only gets easier to spot animals in the winter. Kevin Jackson, the cofounder of EXP Journeys and a T+L A-List Advisor, shared, “Winter in Yellowstone is amazing for seeing wolves. The visibility is much easier, and they are more active throughout the day than in the summer months.”
December 1, 2025
Robb Report
“As long as I have a heat source, I can cook,” chef Shon Foster told me as we sat 5,200 feet atop Tower Butte looking out to the sprawling Arizona desert. We’d just finished up a grilled brunch—banana bread french toast, rabbit, and rattlesnake sausage with salmon rillette—courtesy of the native Utah chef on the sandstone summit that required a helicopter landing. Still, Foster, who operates as a culinary consultant for luxury experiences in remote locations, doesn’t consider this the wildest place he’s curated a meal. In recent years, he’s traveled with EXP Journeys to sate guests by whipping up guanacan stew on the side of a Patagonian glacier, or roasting a whole hog in the midst of Fort Charlotte in the Bahamas.
November 28, 2025
Forbes
How To Protect National Parks This Winter
The recent government shutdown may be over, but its after-effects may linger in many national parks. Staffing shortages and maintenance backlogs likely persist.As parks work to catch up, “the best way travelers can support reduced staff is simply by being responsible and doing all the things you should usually do, including staying on trails, packing out all trash, knowing and sharing your route beforehand, and avoiding pushing beyond your abilities when search-and-rescue resources are thin,” says Maxie Johnson, lead guide at EXP Journeys, in an email interview. When visiting parks this winter, go in with a stewardship mindset: leave no trace, travel smart and respect the landscape.
November 25, 2025
Forbes
By the end of November, bison herds at Yellowstone National Park begin leaving high meadows as frost and early snow reduce the grass they can graze on. However, an even better location is the geyser basins, says Andrew Roberts, co-founder of EXP Journeys, a travel company offering privately guided luxury vacations, in an email interview. Bison on the Madison River in Winter, Yellowstone National Park. Bison along the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park during winter. “They (bisons) have also learned that typically there is less snow in the geothermal regions of the park due to the heat that the ground holds, so heading toward one of the geyser basins is a guaranteed spot to witness the herds in full winter coats and moving snow with their heads to get down to grasses,” he adds.
November 19, 2025
Travel + Leisure
At the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a new thermal wellness facility, Basin Glacial Waters, will introduce cutting-edge practices at the historic property. Calgary’s Glenbow Museum, which spotlights Western Canadian and Indigenous art and history, is also slated to reopen in 2026 after a $120 million renovation. Jasper, which suffered devastating, deadly wildfires in July 2024, is bouncing back, according to tourism insiders who spoke with T+L; the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is unveiling a major renovation in 2026. For all the change, some of Alberta’s classic draws remain as compelling as ever. “The fly fishing is world-class, and the mountain-bike scene has come leaps and bounds,” says Kevin Jackson, an A-List advisor who specializes in trips to national parks. “I also love heli-hiking to get away from the crowds.”
November 18, 2025
New York Post
Kevin Jackson, of high-end outdoors specialist EXP Journeys, raved about the family-friendly service and the terrain, which is primed more for first timers than other, more challenging mountains.
If you’re not keen to be among the first to road test the new look at Deer Valley, head over to Park City instead, which adds a 10-passenger Sunrise Gondola this winter in place of the old Sunrise chairlift, pumping up capacity from Canyons Village. It’s well-timed, too, with the arrival of Elevation at Canyons Village, the confusingly named but handily located five-bedroom townhomes right at the base of the gondola — book them via the adjacent Hyatt Centric Park City.
November 12, 2025
The Wall Street Journal
To test six buzzy winter jackets—in the fall—our writer visited a resort’s snow room and a restaurant’s walk-in freezer. The handsome, cold-proof winner came in under $400.
November 7, 2025
Neiman Marcus
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Embark on an 11-day odyssey through the expansive American West with EXP Journeys, a bespoke luxury travel outfitter specializing in privately guided experiences. You and up to three guests will trace a cinematic passage from Yellowstone National Park’s untamed wonders to the architectural serenity of Amangiri, a serene desert resort in Utah’s Canyon Point.
October 23, 2025
Forbes
From a $135,000 Bugatti for your child to an opulent Mediterranean yacht voyage and an exclusive America West expedition, this year, the retailer brings fantasy for all ages. Luxury Expedition From Yellowstone to Amangiri: This exciting offering makes the American West your personal playground for an 11-day adventure for four people. It was designed by EXP Journeys, specialists in bespoke luxury expeditions.
October 22, 2025
Robb Report
This week’s trio of experiences take you from the Brazilian rainforest to Tanzania’s southern reaches.
You don’t have to roam the world to find the ultimate outdoorsy adventure, somewhere that humdrum nine-to-five concerns seem an inconsequential concern. Pause and consider, for a moment, the sheer scale of the Vermejo Reserve. The 920-square-mile backcountry wilderness straddles the New Mexico-Colorado border, it’s a rugged, isolated swathe of land right here in America, a place so vast that it’s like a private national park.October 14, 2025
AFAR
Five-star hotels, private guided tours, and exclusive dining—the Great American Road Trip is no longer just for budget-minded van lifers. Luxury travelers want in, and travel companies are stepping in to craft high-end itineraries on the open road. Other companies deliver a creative take on the road trip vacation. That’s true of EXP Journeys, a tour operator specializing in national parks and immersive luxury travel. Kevin Jackson, co-founder of EXP Journeys, said they’ve been “seeing more guided and curated road trip experiences,” including one where travelers get behind the wheel of classic cars like Porsches, Thunderbirds, and Corvettes, and drive down the coast along Hwy 1 to Big Sur, all for $1,500 per person per day.
October 1, 2025
Telegraph UK Online
Whether they’re skydiving to dinner at the North Pole or racing up volcanoes, the elite now compete for the most extreme ‘luxepeditions’ This new kind of upscale amateur adventurer travel niche has an awful name: luxpeditions. Research conducted by travel consultancy Grand View, shows that the sector is already worth more than $1.4 trillion globally, and is poised to grow by 7.9 per cent every year. The number of zeroes on the bill matters less than the promise of the ultimate challenge. “If there’s a price limit, we haven’t seen it yet,” says Kevin Jackson, chief executive of EXP Journeys, who is working with the Navajo Nation to create the first climb up Tower Butte, a 1,000ft tall rock tower in Arizona overlooking Lake Powell, to camp on top. “It’s your private mountain top,” he says. “No one’s done it before. The views at dawn and sunset are some of the best in the world.”
September 25, 2025
Southern Living
From packing hacks to tech tricks, seasoned travelers share the smart little habits that keep stress low and trips running smoothly. Kevin Jackson, co-founder of EXP Journeys, relies on his guiding background to keep trips smooth. He and his team always check the weather forecast two days in advance to prepare for potential storms or rain. “If so, I try to adjust what makes sense to avoid cancellations,” he explains. They also look for closures that might derail an itinerary, whether it’s a road washed out or a national park temporarily off-limits. “For example, if you were headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this summer, you needed to reroute due to the fires in the area,” Jackson says.
September 17, 2025
Forbes
When asked what makes Katmai such an amazing place for bears, Maxie Johnson, lead guide at EXP Journeys, a luxury travel company specializing in small, private guided tours shared in an email that “By having such a rich food source close by, coastal bears don’t travel as much to meet their daily dietary intake needs. Not only do they travel less and thus burn fewer calories than their foraging inland brethren, they also consume much more protein and fat versus an inland bear relying more on berries, grasses and roots.”
September 16, 2025
Robb Report
A new class of vacation rental is drawing travelers away from even the plushest of hotels and resorts. Here’s what makes them worth it. The emergence of this category is driven by a newfound focus on “celebration travel”: trips organized for milestone birthdays, family reunions, and the like. Accordingly, most supervillas have at least six bedrooms and sit on ample plots of privacy-enhancing land— which also makes it easier to outfit them with hotel-style facilities. “They’re built for hospitality, not necessarily as homes,” says Kevin Jackson of EXP Journeys, another Travel Master, who has booked five supervilla vacations for clients this year. The appeal is understandable: “There’s just something about being on your own timetable and doing whatever you want,” he adds. “For the luxury traveler, that’s gold.”
September 15, 2025
Condé Nast Travel
On a vacation with EXP Journeys—which plans bespoke adventure trips—writer Jen Murphy gains a unique perspective on the beloved destination. “It’s a late afternoon in early June and Zion National Park is the first stop on my four-day trip with EXP Journeys, a tour operator specializing in bespoke, high-touch adventure trips. I’m shocked that we have the paved Pa’Rus trail in Zion to ourselves, with the exception of a few lizards and wild turkeys that scamper into the rabbitbrush as our e-bikes near. But that’s the magic of EXP Journeys. Their guides have spent years scouting these wildly popular places and know how to deliver solitude.”
August 29, 2025
Observer
Forget renting an RV. Exploring the American wilderness has never been easier or more comfortable thanks to a new breed of high-end outfitters and properties. “The whole point for us is to connect people with nature,” Kevin Jackson, CEO and founder of EXP Journeys, tells Observer. “People go back to Africa year after year because of the feeling it gives them; that’s what we’re trying to accomplish. We want to share our national parks and natural resources with people in a comfortable but authentic way.”
August 20, 2025
Travel + Leisure
When planning your trip, consider a glamping company with a commitment to supporting conservation. Our camps at EXP Journeys, for example, operate under Leave No Trace principles—meaning we’re committed to leaving the environment exactly as we found it. We also utilize solar energy, biodegradable products, and other sustainable practices. “These high-end campsites offer luxe comfort and awe-inspiring natural scenery” Kevin Jackson of EXP Journeys
August 9, 2025
Forbes
Will Surcharges Scare Foreign Tourists Away? Kevin Jackson, CEO and founder of EXP Journeys, a travel company offering bespoke road trips, guided hikes, private camping, corporate retreats and family adventures through U.S. national parks, at first welcomed the idea of using higher entrance fees to fund much-needed staffing and infrastructure. “My initial reaction was that the increase in fees would help support additional staff needs for the parks and infrastructure improvements. On the flipside, I am concerned about the reduction in international visitation, as it is already down in 2025,” he said in an email interview.
July 14, 2025
Martha Stewart
It may seem harmless, but roadside food waste creates dangerous situations. Spending months of the year in national parks, Kevin Jackson, founder and lead guide for EXP Journeys, has seen firsthand how even small actions—such as tossing an apple core out of a car window—can have unintended and negative consequences for wildlife and their fragile ecosystems. “The bottom line is, even with good intentions, tossing an apple core out the window can contribute to wildlife roadside fatalities, human-wildlife conflicts and ecological disruption,” he says.
July 1, 2025
The Times
High-net-worth ‘thrillionaires’ are spending a fortune on unique trips and high-adrenalin experiences to make their life feel — briefly — like an action movie. The California-based adventure travel firm EXP Journeys regularly stages White Lotus meets Punk’d-style trips. Kevin Jackson, the owner, says these are growing in popularity — this year he’ll run four of them, up from one or two five years ago. Jackson’s speciality is less white knuckle than Shift + Alt’s nailbiters: he has thrown a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed trip for a family in the Bahamas, with a retrofitted pirate ship and a custom map for Blackbeard’s treasure, while he time-warped a trio of Hong Kong-based businessmen back to the cowboy era, buying out Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch as a backdrop and hiring hundreds of extras who were kitted out in period costumes.
June 28, 2025
Condé Nast Travel
Named after the natural phenomenon in which Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall is illuminated in a fire-like orange glow just before sunset (typically in February), Firefall Ranch is the region’s newest luxury resort. The 300-acre space opened in the spring of 2024, offering a mix of private luxury cottages and villas. Rush Creek Lodge and Spa, which is located just minutes from the park’s west entrance, is another luxury option with standard rooms, suites, and villas. The lodge also offers guided trips and daily on-site activities, perfect for families. EXP Journeys, which organizes luxury travel experiences, is debuting a new “glamping” experience at Yosemite in 2025.
June 9, 2025
Robb Report
A week at the 600,000-acre Vermejo Reserve rounds out this week’s lineup. Ted Turner is one of the largest private landowners in the country, and Vermejo Reserve is one of his biggest fiefdoms, an almost 600,000-acre expanse of outdoor wilderness that straddles the border of New Mexico and Colorado. Covering that terrain comprehensively, and diving deep into the fishing, hiking, and mine-exploring that it offers, is almost impossible—at least, without The Vault’s help. Even better, you can crisscross that landscape on a dirt bike or an UTV, curated by EXP Journeys.
May 21, 2025
Robb Report
Not even members of the Navajo Nation, on whose land it stands, have climbed the sacred 5,287-foot sandstone formation; only brief helicopter tours have been allowed. “Nobody has slept up there,” says Kevin Jackson, founder of EXP Journeys. What’s Involved: Following a night on a houseboat on Lake Powell, your group will begin the journey with a 2.5-mile hike along a sandy path through the narrow Antelope Canyon. Then, the proper challenge will commence: You’ll spend three to four hours ascending Tower Butte, using a fixed rope (a.k.a. the jumarring technique) to propel upward. At the top of the empty flat-topped rock, a fancified mobile tented camp will await. While the sun sets, you’ll soak up uninterrupted views of the moonlike landscape and Lake Powell. “There aren’t many places on the planet where you can feel this type of isolation,” says Jackson. The following morning, a helicopter will shuttle your party to Amangiri in Utah.
April 26, 2025
Boston Herald
If you’re unsure where to go during the nine-day celebration, EXP Journeys, the leaders in luxury travel experience curation, picked their top national park destinations. Their selections combine exclusivity, exploration and conservation, highlighting the most pristine and lesser-known corners of the country’s truly breathtaking landscapes.
April 22, 2025
Travel + Leisure
From Yosemite and Yellowstone to Acadia and Big Bend, these are the best national parks in the country. Those who have experienced the wonder of Yellowstone can attest to the grandeur and awe-inspiring nature of the park, a majority of which is located in Wyoming. According to Kevin Jackson, the CEO of luxury travel company EXP Journeys, Yellowstone stands out due to its hydrothermal features and amazing wildlife.
October 10, 2024
Scary Mommy
EXP Journeys founder Kevin Jackson has an affinity for visiting the Southcentral Alaskan city of Girdwood during the fall travel season. “Not only can you see the changing leaves of the Chugach Forest, the northernmost rainforest in the U.S., but you can also catch the aurora borealis. In autumn, the Alaska weather hits a cool sweet spot ideal for hiking while fall foliage is on full display,” he explains. “Alyeska Resort is a great base camp for this family adventure, with over 12 hiking trails on Mount Alyeska. The Winner Creek Trail is a great option for a more family-friendly hike. Beginning at the base of the aerial tram, the trail takes hikers across a boardwalk surface and into a dirt path, winding its way through the lush rainforest with minimal elevation gain. About halfway into the 5-6 mile hike, a river gorge with a bridge and hand tram allows you to pull yourself across the creek.”
September 28, 2024
Wall Street Journal
Many people choose to mark major milestone events with luxury vacations that are all about pampering. But for a select few, it can be an opportunity to push themselves to their physical limit on epic hikes.
August 9, 2024
Financial Times
“Then again, you could set out to find one for yourself. Kevin Jackson runs EXP Journeys, a luxury travel firm that specialises in adventure vacations. He has started offering palaeontology-themed trips to his customers in the US dinosaur zone — roughly, the Mountain Time Zone.”
July 13, 2024
Robb Report
We have compiled a select list of luxury properties that have ascended to a rarefied pantheon: classic hotels around the world that transcend trends to achieve genuine—and sustained—greatness. Amangiri. Kevin Jackson of EXP Journeys says the GM of this property is the reason he recommends it to so many clients. “The guests have a sense of luxury in a remote place with spectacular food and scenery,” Jackson raves.
July 10, 2024
Insider Travel Report
EXP Journeys has been working for years to change the way ultra-luxury travelers see the United States by departing from the norm and creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences. In a country as vast and beautiful as the U.S., there has long been a lack of luxury accommodations and high-touch ground operators. But now EXP has put together programs with great guides and great accommodations near such national parks as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, Moab, Yosemite and Monument Valley.
June 10, 2024
Robb Report
When money is truly no object, EXP Journeys comes in. Jackson and his team create bespoke, one-time-only events in extraordinary locations, often with six-figure budgets or higher. Take the dinosaur dig in the southwest, for instance, in which guests helped discover a new species with a well-known paleontologist. Another standout was a dinner arranged in partnership with Navajo Nation that saw travelers break bread with the last living Navajo Code Talker from World War II.
March 13, 2024
Robb Report
Robb Report has compiled a select guide to the very best suites—from penthouses to train carriages—available now throughout the world. Grand Teton Suite, Amangani, Wyoming, USA. “Perched on top of the butte overlooking the valley floor, it’s one of the only suites that has an unobstructed view of the Grand Teton, one of the most iconic peaks in the region,” says Kevin Jackson of EXP Journeys. “For exclusivity and privacy, it’s perfect.”
December 27, 2023
Business Insider
“When Kevin Jackson, the owner of California-based luxury-tour operator EXP Journeys and a family friend, asked if he knew of a videographer who could tag along with some private clients on an adventure trip to Blackberry Farm, in Tennessee, Agrimis threw his hat in the ring — and thus began his career of following the 1% around the globe and documenting their adventures.”
May 26, 2022
Brides
The red rocks, mesas, and buttes of Arches and Canyonlands National Park make for a decidedly different kind of elevation experience, but it’s absolutely one worth exploring. “Moab is a great option for clients who want a totally isolated location,” says Stone. “But because of the cost, I wouldn’t spend an entire week.” Nightly rates at celeb-loved Amangiri (pictured) were, at one point, the highest in the world, but Stone has also arranged upscale private glamping experiences for clients through EXP Journeys. If hiking the desert terrain isn’t high adrenaline enough for you, know that mountain biking is also extremely popular in the region.
January 6, 2022
Wall Street Journal
Travel companies are seriously upgrading the old-fashioned road trip—devising itineraries so deluxe and detailed all you have to do is get behind the wheel
July 12, 2018
Town & Country
No resorts where you dream of going? No villas? No problem. For all their vast plains, canyons, and rushing rivers, America’s national parks don’t offer much of one luxury— privacy—especially in their crowded lodges. The best way to take in all that primal beauty—Zion, Bryce, Arches, Monument Valley, etc.—is to camp along the parks’ edges. EXP Journeys caters to your party alone—“this is not glamping,” EXP owner Kevin Jackson points out, referring to the luxe tents you can book like hotel rooms. Each camp comes with a private chef, guides, a raft of customized activities, and an unbeatable guarantee: No one else’s vacation will spoil your view.
March 13, 2018
