Hitesh Tolani was seeking richer queer travel connections, so he hit the National Parks
Gays of National Parks turns America's wild spaces into chosen-family hubs.
Mark
Hitesh Tolani founded Gays of National Parks after weekend hikes with his straight friends revealed a growing gap: While they were building families, he was seeking richer queer connections.
To bridge that divide, he launched an Instagram page showcasing hikers and inviting others to join the conversation. What started as a few posts to meet fellow outdoorsy people evolved into a movement when his DMs overflowed with raw, powerful stories that begged for real-world connection.
A public-health expert by training, Hitesh recognized he wasn’t alone: The Surgeon General has called loneliness an epidemic, with LGBTQ+ people among those most affected. Time in nature and public lands can transform isolation into community.
Determined to make the outdoors feel welcoming to all queer travelers, Tolani created GoNP retreats — which were a silver winner at this year’s Best of GayCities — that turn America’s wild spaces into chosen-family hubs.
Today, GoNP experiences combine expert-led hikes and campfire storytelling under the stars with intentional community building. Proceeds fund stipends and scholarships, so cost never keeps anyone from joining the journey.
“Our retreats blend hiking, community building, and a bit of luxury,” Tolani told us. “They’re safe, affirming spaces to rediscover nature and meet chosen family.” Some of their upcoming excursions this year include Yosemite ahead of San Francisco Pride; Joshua Tree with a stop in Palm Springs; the New York Catskills; and even Croatia and Montenegro. You can learn more here.
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Ahead of their busy year, GayCities chatted via email with Tolan and Marko Bajzer, the trip organizer, about GoNP, the outdoor lifestyle, and forging queer community.
Why did you form the Gays of National Parks?
Hitesh: “One afternoon on a hike with my straight friends, I realized I was the odd one out. They were deep in au pair and school-district talk — topics I couldn’t muster much to say about. That’s when it hit me: Our lives were drifting apart. I suspect many queer folks know that feeling. So, on a whim, I launched an Instagram called Gays of National Parks. What started as a joke quickly became something more when people began sharing how nature changed their lives — think ‘Humans of New York,’ but on the trails.
That’s how I met Marko Bajzer at Great Basin National Park, where he was working. We bonded over the upcoming 2024 solar eclipse. What if we gathered everyone from the account for one big trip? Before long, we were in Texas, exploring Big Bend and watching the eclipse near San Antonio. Magic doesn’t even cover it. We wanted more.
When we got back, Marko, who’d been organizing hiking trips for years with friends, and I sketched out a calendar of adventures. Neither of us came from a travel background; our crew spans medicine, music, marketing, data analytics, and, yes, full-on data nerds. We never set out to build a travel brand. We just wanted to create fun, meaningful, joy-filled experiences for our community. And honestly? It’s become one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done.”
How does GoNP combat political oppression, discrimination, and isolation?
Hitesh: “Gay bars are disappearing. Queer spaces are under threat. But nature? Nature is still there, and it’s everywhere. It doesn’t care who you love. And it can be reclaimed as queer space. Being outdoors helps turn loneliness into solitude, and solitude into healing.”
Marko: “I think nature gives people a chance to recharge their batteries before going back into the fray, and there is a lot of fray these days. We do not discriminate based on which letter of the alphabet you identify as or on any other basis, and we welcome all adults who are up for an adventure to join us.
Combatting isolation is really at the core of what Gays of National Parks is all about. The popularity of dating/hookup apps in the last decade has quickly transformed gay culture. Obviously, there are many successful relationships and marriages that started from the apps (including mine), but there are many downsides as well. Behind a smokescreen of varying levels of anonymity, some people are, for whatever reason, more likely to treat each other sh*tty, and a lot of people face body shaming, racism, transphobia, ghosting, getting stood up, etc., on the apps. Additionally, there’s been a decrease in in-person interaction, and this is essentially what we’re solving for: creating a positive, healthy, and friendly environment for like-minded queer people that provides space for meaningful and authentic connections.”
What’s your dream trip?
Hitesh: “The dream trip is one where strangers become friends, where we hike during the day and laugh under the stars at night, and where everyone leaves feeling more grounded, both to nature and to each other. We’ve already seen that happen, and it never gets old.
But the dream doesn’t stop there. We hear from folks all the time who want to visit places like Alaska, Patagonia, Iceland, the Galápagos Islands, the Himalayas, and the Norwegian fjords — bucket-list destinations that feel too remote or complicated to do alone. We also hear excitement about the lesser-visited national parks, like Great Basin, where I bonded with my friend Marko over the idea of creating these trips. Our dream is to help make those places feel possible — and not just possible, but joyful and welcoming. Whether it’s through our trips or simply through the stories we share, we want queer people to know: these wild, beautiful places are for you, too.”
Marko: “Really, any trip that has the ‘magic’ is a dream trip. As far as specific locations, honestly, the trips that we’re doing in Croatia and Joshua Tree are some of my dreams coming true! Besides that, ones that I’d love to do in the future are Great Basin (another park I’ve lived in), Dinosaur National Monument in Utah/Colorado (because it’s spectacular, more spectacular than most national parks, and no one ever goes there), and something way up north like Greenland, because it’s so remote.”
What’s been the most rewarding part of building GoNP?
Hitesh: “The messages. The ‘we met through you’ DMs on our Insta! Getting photos of couples who met on our trips. It’s seeing online connections become real-life friendships, and personally meeting some of the people who have written to the account. Seeing a digital idea come alive in the real world and knowing we helped create that magic. Those moments make it all worth it.”
How do you ensure inclusivity and safety?
Hitesh: “Every trip is designed by and for LGBTQ+ folks. Our guides are queer. Our itineraries are curated with local voices. For example, our Maui trip is led by a queer local who grew up on the island.”
Marko: “Inclusivity is really at the heart of what we do, and well… that’s the whole point! All LGBT+ adults who are up for varying levels of adventure are welcome to join! All races, gender identities, ethnicities, religions, ages (over 18), etc. We also have our Anita Vacation Memorial Grant, which gives stipends to people who wouldn’t be able to afford the trip.
One of my most gratifying experiences was with a trans guy who came with us. At the end of the trip we were reflecting, and he said that it was such a burden off his shoulders to not have to constantly worry about whether he was ‘passing’ or not. From my trans friends, I know that whether they are passing in their gender expression occupies such a staggering amount of mental headspace/energy, that for him to have this little weeklong oasis where he didn’t have to worry about it, brought me so much joy.
One of our trips included a guest who was in his mid 60s, alongside most of our travelers who are between their late 20s and early 50s. In a culture that so idealizes youth and sex, it was so lovely to have some healthy, intergenerational interaction, and his presence brought a perspective that I think most guys don’t often hear much of. Having him with us made the journey richer, reminding everyone of the deep value queer elders bring to our chosen family.
As far as physical safety, we always have the person in front and the person in back with a walkie-talkie so no one gets left behind, and we also have a GPS beacon, which allows us to send texts to the outside world basically as if we had cell service, even when we don’t. We’ve never had any safety incidents and don’t plan on it!”
What sets GoNP apart from other groups?
Hitesh: “We don’t think of ourselves as a travel company, although I guess we are — we’re a movement to reclaim nature as a space for queer joy. Many people think the outdoors isn’t ‘for them.’ We’re here to rewrite that story.”
Marko: “Some people come on these trips with anticipation, either due to social anxiety about ‘fitting in’, or they’re nervous about camping because they haven’t done it in a while, or worried that the hike might be too hard. I’ve had to coax, encourage, and help folks take that leap across a stream or squeeze between those two boulders, or even set up a tent. And then they realize that they can do it, and that, ya know, that wasn’t so bad. The next time, they won’t need my help. That’s always really cool to see.
People connect in a special way. It’s a combination of being on long hikes without a cell signal that sort of forces people to get to know each other. The sense of SHARED accomplishment through struggle brings people closer together; when you climb this mountain and are so proud of yourself, and the others were in the same boat, and you guys did it together, that brings you closer together. Also, there’s something about hanging out around a campfire at night, where people’s guard comes down and allows them to go beyond the daily bullshit of small talk. As gay people, we have a lot of defenses that we’ve needed to build up out of necessity, and settings such as this allow people to let them down a bit and get past the vapidness of day-to-day life.
We pride ourselves in planning trips that aren’t just the top 10 most popular trails on Alltrails, and I’m always looking for that X factor of spots where you can reminisce and think, ‘Goddamn, that view/sunset/whatever was so incredible!’ I love it when people’s jaws are on the floor, in a spot we have all to ourselves, unbothered by hostility, and we can just wallow in amazing views. It’s as close to a spiritual experience as I know.”
First transformative park experience?
Hitesh: “On a road trip with my friend Adam, we hit Badlands National Park. I grumbled about paying $25 to see ‘dirt and mountains.’ But once we got inside, I was floored. It was breathtaking. Then we went to Yellowstone. And I was hooked. That $25? Best investment of my life.”
How has queerness shaped your relationship with nature?
Hitesh: “I realized — just like every tree, stream, or desert bloom — I belong here too. Nature is diverse. And queerness fits right in.”
Marko: “In my 20s, I used to go out to the bars and clubs like most gay guys in their 20s in San Francisco did, but at a certain point, I realized that I was doing it because my friends were, not because I enjoyed it. I would often come home from the club feeling lonelier than when I arrived. I stopped going, but then I was in a bit of an identity crisis: if I wasn’t following my friends to parties and bars and clubs, who was I, and where were my people?
A year or so later, I went on a life-changing 2-week solo road trip from Omaha to Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, where I visited several national parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Great Basin) for the first time. I was blown away by the sense of freedom and the time and space to reflect on what I was doing with my life. It made so stark how rarely in our lives we experience three things: silence, darkness, and solitude. Like many queer folks, my 20s were turbulent: dealing with coming out to very conservative parents, career instability, the trials and tribulations of 21st-century dating, peeling through the layers of myself to figure out what was a mask and what was truly me, etc. On this road trip, I felt a sense of freedom, beauty, and peace that I’d never felt before in my life. I felt comfortable in my skin out there in the middle of absolutely-f*cking nowhere in western Utah while sitting on the roof of my car and watching the sun cresting over the mountains.
As soon as I got back home to San Francisco, I researched which parks were in California, and I’ve been obsessed ever since! Now, nearly 10 years later, I’ve acquired a wealth of wilderness knowledge and hope that I can give this gift to others, as they’ve given me.”
How do outdoor adventures foster community?
Hitesh: “The outdoors has a way of humbling you. You’re not at a rooftop bar — you’re climbing a hill, catching your breath, asking someone what snacks they packed. It’s humanizing. And in that space, we drop the armor and have the kind of conversations that don’t always happen when the music’s blasting and the lights are low.”
How do you hope GoNP changes perceptions?
Hitesh: “Visibility matters. When queer people see themselves thriving in the outdoors, it empowers them to try it too. Social media may make it seem like gay life belongs only in a few cliché destinations —but adventure awaits everywhere, from beach parties to mountain trails to off-the-map hideaways. Celebrating one corner of queer culture never excludes another — every path adds richness to our shared community. Go out there and be gay your way: anything is possible, and you belong.”
What would a queer-friendly national park look like?
Hitesh: “Just a day where people are invited, celebrated, and fully seen. Nature will do the rest.”
Marko: “You know, nature is inherently somewhat queer, and I think it’s less a matter of the parks not being queer-friendly as much as it is that queer people don’t know that they’re queer-friendly! It’s more of a marketing problem than a park problem.”
Most unexpected or funny moment on a trip?
Hitesh: “While in Joshua Tree, we crossed paths with another group of queer hikers. We started chatting, and one of them asked, ‘Have you heard of Gays of National Parks?’ Then they said, ‘That account inspired us to come out here together — you should check it out!’ They had no idea who we were. It was one of those surreal, full-circle moments where I just stood there thinking, wait… is this happening? To see that something we started online could ripple out into real life — that a post could lead to a trip, and a trip could lead to community — that’s the magic.”
What’s your advice for hesitant adventurers?
Hitesh: “Nature is yours. Start small. Go for a walk. You don’t have to summit a peak — just step outside and let the outdoors show you what it can do for your soul. And don’t just take our word for it. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, spending time in green spaces has been linked to lower anxiety, improved sleep, a better mood, and even reduced blood pressure. That kind of healing belongs to all of us — and queer folks deserve to enjoy it, too.”
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The above conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
