Grants for Trail Organizations 2026: RTP and Foundations

Trail groups sit between public land managers and private donors. Public programs pay for building and repairing trail; foundations and members pay for the crews, tools and coordination that keep a trail open year after year.

Trail source review, Grantsights, October 29, 2026: Grantsights checked FHWA's Recreational Trails Program overview (opens in a new tab) and state contact list (opens in a new tab), the National Park Service's LWCF state and local grant page (opens in a new tab), AmeriCorps' FY2027 State and National notice page (opens in a new tab), USAspending.gov totals and 990-PF filings naming trail groups. Where official sources stop: FHWA explains what states may fund. It doesn't say whether your state funds nonprofits, how its scoring works or when its next round opens.

The Recreational Trails Program: $68.12 Million in FY2025, Run by Each State

According to FHWA's program overview (opens in a new tab), the Recreational Trails Program gives money to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and nonmotorized uses, from hiking and horseback riding to snowmobiling and off-highway vehicles. The money comes from the federal motor fuel tax paid on off-highway recreational fuel.

Figures are USAspending.gov (opens in a new tab) obligations.

The 2026 timing question

The authorization FHWA describes runs through fiscal year 2026, which ended September 30, 2026. That doesn't mean your state's program has stopped, but it does mean you should ask your state administrator, by name from the FHWA contact list, whether a 2027 round is planned and under what funding. Don't promise a board or a land manager RTP money until the state confirms a round.

How the 30/30/40 split helps hikers and riders

The use split means a state can't spend all of its money on one kind of trail. Nonmotorized groups compete for the 30% share and the 40% diverse share. FHWA notes that some states give extra credit to projects that serve several uses, so a hiking and equestrian trail, or a shared trailhead, can score better than a single-use project.

7 Things RTP Money Can Pay For

FHWA lists 7 main eligible uses, and trail groups should match each request to one of them.

1. Maintenance and restoration of existing trails
2. Trailside and trailhead facilities and trail linkages
3. Buying or leasing trail construction and maintenance equipment
4. Building new trails, with limits on new trails on federal land
5. Buying easements or property for trails and trail corridors
6. Assessing trail conditions for accessibility and maintenance
7. Safety and environmental education, capped at 5% of the state's money

States may also contract with qualified youth conservation or service corps, which is one way a trail club's project gets a paid crew. RTP money can't be used for condemnation, and it can't open nonmotorized trails to motorized access.

The best route for most clubs is the first item. Maintenance and restoration of an existing, well-used trail is easier to justify than a new trail, and it doesn't need a land acquisition.

LWCF and AmeriCorps: 2 More Public Routes

The Land and Water Conservation Fund obligated $542.88 million in FY2025 for its state and local outdoor recreation program, according to USAspending.gov data. According to the National Park Service LWCF program page (opens in a new tab), those are matching grants to state and local governments. A trail nonprofit can't apply alone, but it can bring a town or county a ready project, volunteer labor and donor money toward the local share.

AmeriCorps is a different kind of help. AmeriCorps State and National grants pay organizations to run national service programs, so the money supports members on a crew rather than materials. AmeriCorps' FY2027 notice lists priority consideration for programs that expand outdoor recreation by maintaining public lands, along with wildland fire mitigation and reforestation.

The obligation figure is from USAspending.gov (opens in a new tab). AmeriCorps is a heavy lift for a small club. It suits trail groups that already run seasonal crews and can handle member recruitment, timekeeping and performance measures. Grantsights' AmeriCorps State and National 2026 guide covers the program in more depth.

Which Foundations Fund Trail Groups: What 990-PF Filings Show

Trail clubs, rail-trail groups and trail conservancies appear by name in the environment and conservation records Grantsights pulled on October 29, 2026, which hold 87,436 grants in all. According to IRS rules, a private foundation reports each gift on its annual IRS Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab), so a trail funder's history is open to anyone who looks.

These tax year 2025 grants went to trail organizations and trail projects:

Specifically, the Collins Companies Foundation's $150,000 gift named one phase of one trail, Knox and Kane Trail Phase II. Look at the range, too. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy alone drew 6 sample gifts, from $2,500 to $174,166, including general operating support. Smaller clubs like the Central Kansas Conservancy got project gifts tied to one named trail. A named trail with a clear phase or segment is easy for a family foundation to fund.

State counts for the environment cause:

Get the funder list for your state

Trail clubs can open the Grantsights environment and conservation funder list for their state without paying; funders that accept requests come first, with their recent grantees beside them. Watch for gifts to land trusts, state park friends groups and other trail clubs near you. Pay $29 once to see every state's full list, or $99 for all cause lists over a year, with a full refund available for 30 days on either.

4 Numbers Every Trail Request Should Include

Trail funders, public and private, want 4 numbers, and most trail groups already have them or can count them in a season.

If you don't have counters, borrow one from your land manager or budget for 2 in your next request. A year of real counts makes every later request stronger, and it gives state reviewers something better than an estimate.

Keep photos of the same spot before and after each project, and log the date and crew size with each one. A washed-out section followed by a rebuilt tread with drainage dips tells a reviewer more in 2 pictures than a page of narrative.

What FHWA Doesn't Tell You About Funding a Trail Group

These 5 points come from reading the RTP overview, the AmeriCorps notice and 990-PF filings side by side.

1. Your state's nonprofit rule decides everything. FHWA allows grants to private organizations, but some states don't make them. If yours doesn't, partner with a land manager or town that can apply.
2. Written access is required on private land. A trail across a farm or a timber tract needs a signed public-access assurance before it can use RTP money. Start those talks early.
3. The advisory committee matters. Every state has a trail advisory committee that meets at least yearly. Attend, and learn what it's ranking.
4. Equipment is fundable. Many clubs miss that RTP covers buying or leasing trail tools and machines. A shared tool trailer can serve many projects.
5. Foundations pay for the people. Public programs fund projects; the 990-PF examples above include general operating gifts. Ask private funders for crew leaders and coordination.

The honest view: RTP is the best-fit public program for trail groups, but its timing after FY2026 is uncertain, so a base of member and foundation support keeps work going between rounds.

Common Mistakes in Trail Grant Requests

Check every draft against these 5 points.

• Applying where your state doesn't fund nonprofits. A common mistake that wastes a season. Ask first.
• No landowner or land manager letter. A trail on someone else's land without written permission is a red flag for any funder.
• Underestimating maintenance. New trail is exciting, but funders ask who'll clear it after storms. Underestimate upkeep and the trail fails within a few years.
• Single-use framing. Projects that serve more than one kind of user can score better in some states.
• Missing registration. Federal and pass-through awards need a Unique Entity ID. See the SAM.gov registration guide, and plan your share with the grant matching requirements guide.

A 12-Month Trail Organization Funding Calendar

Grantsights' how to read a 990-PF guide shows how to check a funder's giving before you ask. The Grantsights grant database lists open federal and state notices for recreation and conservation.

Related Guides for Trail and Outdoor Groups

These 8 pages cover funders that overlap with trail work. Trail organizations share funders with grants for land trusts, grants for nature centers and grants for environmental nonprofits. Groups building accessible trails may use grants for adaptive sports programs, and youth crews often partner with troops covered in grants for scout troops. Towns adding an off-leash area near a trailhead can read grants for dog parks. Shoreline loop projects share state programs with grants for lake associations, and the volunteer teams that carry injured hikers out are covered in grants for search and rescue teams.

FAQ: Common Questions

Can a trail club get Recreational Trails Program money? Often, though some states don't fund private organizations.

What can RTP money pay for? Trail maintenance, trailheads, equipment, new trails, easements, assessments and limited education.

Is the Recreational Trails Program still funded after 2026? Its IIJA authorization covered FY2022 through FY2026; ask your state about new rounds.

Does AmeriCorps fund trail crews? It funds service members, and FY2027 priorities include maintaining public lands.

Do private foundations fund trail organizations? Yes, from $1,100 to $174,166 in the tax year 2025 examples above.

Sources

• FHWA: Recreational Trails Program Overview (opens in a new tab)
• FHWA: Recreational Trails Program State Contacts (opens in a new tab)
• National Park Service: LWCF State and Local Grant Funding (opens in a new tab)
• AmeriCorps: FY 2027 AmeriCorps State and National Grants (opens in a new tab)
• USAspending.gov award search (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: About Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab)