Western National Parks (WNP), a Tucson-based nonprofit with nearly 90 years of public lands experience, opened retail operations at Sabino Canyon Recreation Area's visitor center and the Palisades Visitor Center on July 17, 2026 — its first collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service after decades of working exclusively with the National Park Service.
A New Forest Service Frontier
The move expands WNP's nonprofit retail footprint into Coronado National Forest, where the organization will sell books, maps, locally inspired gifts, and educational merchandise. Sabino Canyon Crawler tram tickets will also remain available at the visitor center counter. WNP plans to introduce new interpretive materials developed in partnership with the Forest Service to help visitors engage more deeply with the area's natural and cultural heritage.
"It is with tremendous gratitude that we begin this new partnership with the U.S. Forest Service at two of Tucson's most cherished public land sites," said Marie Buck, President and CEO of Western National Parks. "As a Tucson-based nonprofit, it is especially meaningful to invest in these remarkable places."
Santa Catalina District Ranger Donato DelMastro described the arrangement as integral to a broader "Sabino Reimagined" vision: a long-range effort to improve every dimension of the visitor experience at the canyon, not just its physical infrastructure.
The Nonprofit Retail Model
WNP's structure sets it apart from conventional concession operators. Rather than extracting a margin for private shareholders, the organization reinvests store revenue into education, interpretation, research, community engagement, and visitor services within Coronado National Forest. Every transaction at either location directly funds stewardship of the lands that generated it — a model that resonates with the growing consumer appetite for purpose-driven retail documented across the hospitality and retail sectors.
The nonprofit retail approach also carries practical implications for the foodservice and visitor-services industry. As national parks and forests face funding pressures, mission-aligned operators like WNP offer land managers an alternative to traditional concession contracts — one that keeps revenue local and on-site rather than routing it to distant corporate parent companies. Operators tracking experiential retail trends in restaurants and hospitality will recognize a parallel: guests increasingly expect the places they visit to reflect the values of the communities around them.
WNP acknowledged the work of its predecessor at the sites, the Public Lands Interpretive Association, as well as the volunteers, staff, and community partners who have supported Sabino Canyon and Palisades Visitor Center for decades.
Founded in 1938, WNP supports national parks across the American West through products, programs, and philanthropic investment. The Sabino Canyon and Palisades openings represent a meaningful expansion of that mission into U.S. Forest Service territory — and a model worth watching for hospitality operators interested in public-private stewardship partnerships.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
