WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 9, 2025) — Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) awarded $398,000 in grants through its 2025 Trail Grants program, supporting 40 community organizations and public agencies working to close gaps and expand connectivity across the nation’s growing trail networks.
RTC has distributed more than $3.7 million in trail grants since 2008, helping communities address missing links in their systems and accelerate projects that often fall outside traditional funding streams. This year’s awards back initiatives in rural, suburban and urban areas, focusing on expanding access, improving mobility, boosting local economies and introducing more young people and families to outdoor recreation.
“RTC’s Trail Grants remind us of the visceral impact that trails deliver in communities of all sizes,” said Liz Thorstensen, RTC’s vice president of trail development. She said this year’s projects underscore how trail infrastructure strengthens both physical and social connections at a time when many communities feel increasingly disconnected.
Thorstensen noted that more than 150 trail networks are currently in development nationwide. While the need for funding remains vast, she said RTC’s grants often serve as catalytic investments, helping groups secure additional public and private support and speeding progress on the ground.
This year’s grant recipients include:
- Laramie County, Wyoming, which will advance the Clear Creek Pathway, a key link in the Greater Cheyenne region’s emerging trail network.
- Harrison County, Ohio, where funding will support planning and design for the Bowerston–Dennison Rail Trail, a future connector between communities in Harrison and Tuscarawas counties.
- Riviana Trails Foundation Trailblazers in Virginia, which will use its grant for youth workforce development and deferred maintenance on local parks and trails.
- Groundworks Jacksonville, which will expand community engagement around the Emerald Trail, a network expected to connect more than 14 neighborhoods in Jacksonville, Florida.
- Special Olympics programs nationwide, which will receive support for on-trail programming that promotes physical activity and community independence.
A full list of grantees appears at railstotrails.org/grants.
“Every mile of trail, every new program, every story of a family discovering the outdoors adds up,” Thorstensen said. “That’s what we’re celebrating today.”
RTC’s Trail Grants program has provided more than 450 grants to over 280 organizations since 2008, investing in community-driven projects that expand access to trails and strengthen the nation’s outdoor infrastructure.
East Bay Regional Park District (CA): Planning and design for the Richmond Bay Trail gap closure.
City of Great Falls Park and Recreation (MT): Enabling restoration of the River’s Edge trail connection.
Park County (MT): Development of the Emigrant section of the Yellowstone Heritage Trail.
Laramie County (WY): Enabling development of the Clear Creek Park Pathway.
Wyoming Pathways (WY): Supporting continued coalition building across Wyoming
