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A hiker in a red cap with a lantern on their pack, on a trail above a river valley of pines and snow-capped mountains
Switchback: A Tiny Hiking and Park Simulator Get it on the App Store What is it? Out now, iPhone & iPad
The park's printed trail map: contour lines, a blue river, coloured trail routes and a legend for viewpoints, campsites and the ranger station Building a trail: an orange placement ring on a green hillside, a suspension bridge over a gorge behind, and a Building trail / Switchback / Stop toolbar The first-person ride along, looking up at a waterfall from the trail, with Jog, Hop, Lamp, Map and Pick up controls

A cozy hiking sim about building a national park.

RollerCoaster Tycoon, except it is a national park. You lay the trails, you build the camps and the viewpoints, you give the hikees the views — and they give you the money. Then you walk the whole thing yourself.

What you do

Six things, roughly

Lay the trail

Switchbacks up the ridge, a boardwalk over the marsh, a bench where the view opens. Grade and distance are real numbers here, so a path that is too hard is a path nobody enjoys.

Every hikee has a plan

Each one arrives with an intent and an ability. A long punishing ridge with a payoff view. A family after the nearest waterfall and a night at camp. Somebody who is only here to fish.

Camp for the night

Build a campsite and they sleep in it, build a fire and have a genuinely good time. An overnight is worth more than a day trip, if the walk in was fair.

Staff it and sign it

Hire volunteers to build paths and pick up after the hikees who could not find a trashcan. Put up signage so people arrive prepared and hike responsibly. Gate a path as fee‑only to pay for the upkeep.

Ride along

Drop into first person and hike the park you just made, at ground level, at hiking speed. Double jump to fly. Jump again to fall. It is the honest test of a trail.

Every biome its own

Pine forest, high desert, coast. The light, the plants and the whole interface shift with the ground you are standing on.

How it plays

Three minutes, one trail
The Switchback trail tutorial: the park seen from above mid-build, with the trail tools open along the bottom

Laying a route up a slope that is too steep to take head on, and what the switchbacks are actually for.

Biome packs

More on the way
Coming soon Mojave Pack key art
Mojave Pack — coming soon. Joshua trees, red rock and long sunsets.
Sonora Pack key art
Sonora Pack. Saguaro country, monsoon skies, desert bloom.

A look around

Real parks, mid-build
A high alpine basin in autumn: grey ridges, turquoise tarns, larches turning gold, with the park's objectives listed down the left
Maple Pass in the fall. Every objective on the left is a place a hikee wants to stand.
Hikees crossing a stone arch bridge between two waterfalls, a boardwalk trail switchbacking up the slope beside them
Benson Bridge, between the upper and lower falls. The boardwalk was the only fair way up that slope.
A built-out campsite in a river meadow: fire rings, a shelter, a ranger cabin, benches and tents, reached by a suspension bridge across the river
The camp on the flats. They sleep here, build a fire, and an overnight is worth more to you than a day trip.
A canyon of waterfalls seen from above, with the build palette open along the bottom: signs, curios, flags, ruins, services, food, comfort, camping, waterfront, viewpoints, fire, barriers and utilities
Everything you can put in a park, along the bottom. Signs and benches do as much work as the viewpoints.

Common questions

Asked and answered

What is Switchback?

Switchback is a cozy hiking sim and national park management game for iPhone and iPad. You lay out the trails, build the camps, viewpoints and fishing spots, and keep the hikees happy — then hike the park yourself in first person.

Is Switchback free?

Yes, it is free to download. Most parks open after one short ad you choose to watch, and a single purchase turns ads off everywhere. There are also biome packs and an optional tip.

Is Switchback on Android or Steam?

Not yet. Switchback is on iOS and iPadOS only at launch. Android and Steam are both things I would like to do, and neither is announced.

Is it like RollerCoaster Tycoon or Zoo Tycoon?

That is exactly where it came from. The difference is what you are selling: not rides, but a good day outside. There is no fail state and nothing catches fire — you are managing a park, not defending one.

Can you walk the park yourself?

Yes. The ride along drops you into first person at ground level and hiking speed, so you find out whether the climb you drew is actually fair. Double jump to fly, and jump again to fall.

Does Switchback need an internet connection?

No. There are no accounts and no sign-in, and your parks are saved on your device and never sent anywhere. A connection is only needed to load an ad or make a purchase.

Does it work on iPad, and with a controller?

Yes to both. Switchback runs on iPhone and iPad, and a connected controller is picked up on its own — Xbox, PlayStation and Switch Pro pads all show their own button labels.

Out now on iPhone and iPad

Free on the App Store, on iPhone and iPad. Search Switchback: A Cozy Hiking Game, or tap through.

Open the App Store Read the launch post
iOS & iPadOS · Android and Steam, we will see