Dan Austin

Based in Billings, Montana, Dan Austin is a T+L top travel advisor and U.S. national parks specialist. As the founder of Austin Adventures, he has designed dozens of getaways to the Yellowstone, Teton, and Glacier National Parks area. Currently, his primary focus is on curating multi-sport guided adventures for both adults and families across North America and helping people maximize their vacation time by visiting multiple national parks in one go. Dan was born into the outdoor life in the hills of California. His passion for adventure travel was first sparked in 1976 when he joined a rafting company in the Pacific Northwest as a partner. In 1994, Dan and a partnership group bought Backcountry Tours of Bozeman, Montana, an established purveyor of small group, multi-sport tours throughout the western U.S. Over the next 25 years, Dan evolved the brand to what it is today, Austin Adventures, a leader in all things adventure travel, which merged with New Zealand-based Active Adventures. Dan is also the driving force behind Wheels of Change, a not-for-profit that gathers and ships donated bicycles to Africa. When not in the office, he can often be found traveling the world, biking, hiking, fishing, climbing, and exploring new destinations with his family.

• Named the “Best Tour Operator in the World” by Travel + Leisure magazine readers
• Awarded the Global Vision Award for Corporate Innovation by the editors of Travel + Leisure
• Served as president of the Southeast Montana Tourism Board, on the State of Montana Governor’s Advisory Council on Tourism, and as president of Zoo Montana
• Educator for the Adventure Travel Trade Association and one of 15 ATTA Champions, founding members of the ATTA