Active Trails

Our national parks provide remarkable opportunities for outdoor recreation on more than 13,000 miles of land and water trails. These trails provide millions of people a year with opportunities to experience our nation’s immaculate natural beauty and its dynamic past. They also offer recreational benefits that improve health, boost energy and lift the spirits of a sometimes over worked and over stressed population.

Active Trails was designed to promote healthy lifestyles while protecting and enhancing our National Parks’ trail resources. This multi-faceted program offers many ways in which volunteers, community groups, corporate partners, students and educators can get involved with their national parks through hands-on trail work, citizen science, formal and informal learning activities, special events and community activities.

To help Active Trails and other programs, you can support the National Park Foundation by clicking here.

Chattahoochee River NRA, GA

Currently in its second year, this Active Trails Grant is implementing a trail plan to include the development of new and improved mountain bike trails for the area and close existing social trails / paths.

George Washington Memorial Parkway, VA

The Active Trails Program (Bike the Parks) will be a multi-park effort to engage existing and new park enthusiasts in visiting their national parks on bike by learning about and enjoying all the bike trails and pathways in the six DC area national parks. The parks participating include: the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH), George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), National Capital Parks-East (NACE), National Mall & Memorial Parks (NAMA), President's Park (PRPA), and Rock Creek Park (ROCR).

Golden Gate NRA, CA

Benefiting young and old alike, the Active Trails program at Golden Gate NRA is creating volunteer hands-on service learning projects and is enhancing related recreation amenities – all culminating with an event on National Trails Day 2010 focusing on trail recreational opportunities at the park.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC & TN

The Active Trails program is supporting “Reach Higher Ground – Hike the Smokies” – an incentive-based program that encourages park visitors and neighbors to get out and hike the over 800 miles of park trails, learn new skills, assist in trail stewardship, and record their results.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, IN

The Active Trails program is implementing 12 miles of the 1000 mile multi-state Lake Michigan Water Trail. Existing in the 50 mile stretch of the trail in Indiana, the 12 miles will be along the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore shoreline, with numerous access opportunities along the way.

Olympic National Park, WA

In Olympic National Park, Active Trails is creating an Adopt a Trail program around the park inviting neighboring communities and user groups to sponsor trail work and upkeep in each subdistrict of the Park.

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, VA/TN/NC/SC

The Active Trails grant is being used to assist and support communities in starting new events and programs, and to expand existing ones, to attract visitors to the recreational opportunities and historical significance of the Trail in their community.

Governors Island, NYC

The Active Trails grant is enabling the park to develop, pilot, and launch a ranger-led and self-guided bike tour of Governors Island National Monument. The Biking through History tours will serve thousands and focus on both youth and the general public.