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.
The program is made possible through the generous support of The Coca-Cola Foundation.
Featured Project:
Governors Island National MonumentGovernors Island National Monument in New York developed a new bike route and tour, “Biking through History,” for visitors to experience their history and environment in a national park setting. Park visitors can now either grab a brochure and head out for a self-guided tour or participate in a weekend ranger-led tour of the island. As a part of this grant, the park held a ten-mile bicycle ride from Grant’s Tomb to Governors Island in celebration of the program.
Active Trails 2011 Grantees
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Antietam National BattlefieldMD Antietam National Battlefield This project will establish new trails, rehabilitate existing trails, and provide interactive points of interest along the park trails for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. |
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Blue Ridge Parkway This project will expand the Kids in Parks program established through a 2010 NPF grant to open an additional brochure-led self-guided TRACK Trail that engages kids and their families in a series of adventures. |
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Bryce Canyon National Park New Junior Ranger booklets will highlight 10 new educational interpretive panels along the popular hoodoo hiking trails. Junior Ranger candidates will make pencil rubbings of the benchmarks to document their outdoor recreation activity and show proof that they physically hiked the trails. |
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Catoctin Mountain Park This project will involve volunteers, local service organizations, and active and former military personnel in the renovation of the Spicebush Nature Trail to create an inviting wheelchair accessible interpretive trail that blends seamlessly into the eastern deciduous forest. |
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Gateway National Recreation Area NY Gateway National Recreation Area The park will work with the NYC Department of Transportation to install markings and signs to clearly mark routes and access points along the Jamaica Bay Greenway and, to promote the 26-mile continuous route to the six million people who live within a half mile of the Bay. |
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Golden Gate National Recreation AreaCA Golden Gate National Recreation Area This Active Trails project will work with 35-40 middle school students to highlight the connections between human health and the outdoors through hands-on trail-building, restoration, backpacking, and education |
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Grand Canyon National Park The ÒPassport to Healthy LivingÓ program will engage community members and visitors alike through a series of planned bicycle tours, guided hikes, rim walks and healthy living seminars. Participants will track the miles traveled in the ÒGrand Canyon Passport to Healthy LivingÓ book, which also provides valuable information about the park, 'Hike Safety' messages, bicycle safety, and tips on healthy living. |
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park HI Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Digital Mountain: It's My Trail Film Festival will serve as a dynamic vehicle for students to participate in trail maintenance projects and, through film, tell their story of why the trails are important to them and their families. |
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Little River Canyon National PreserveAL Little River Canyon National Preserve The staff and park partners will restore 8 miles along the Desoto Scout Trail in partnership with Boys Scouts and promote the trail through the Ò10,000 StepsÓ program in which park visitors are given log books and pedometers to track their ÒstepsÓ on the trail. |
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Organ Pipe Cactus National MonumentAZ Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument This Active Trails grant will fund six special events by the City of Yuma's Park and Recreation Department to promote the recently built waterfront and hiking trails and, will design and publish a trails and parks map for the entire city. Among its many health-related goals, the project aims to help the community lose a collective 280,000 pounds. |
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Overmountain Victory National Historic TrailSC Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail The project includes a number of strategies aimed at getting kids and their families outdoor. An annual commemorative march will be expanded to include increased focus on hiking opportunities and educational and interpretive components as well as a National Trails Day event will focus on community events ranging from recreation to trail building and cleanup. |
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River Raisin National Battlefield ParkMI River Raisin National Battlefield Park Twelve partners will unite to engage new audiences in the active use and exploration of the newly established River Raisin National Battlefield Park and Heritage Trail. The project includes the development of a trail brochure, youth activity guide, and achievement/merit patches for Boy Scouts and Junior Rangers. |
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Virgin Islands National Park VI Virgin Islands National Park The Hassel Island Historic Trails Project aims to recreate the historic passage that served as the main linkage between the many significant maritime history sites on the island. This trail system will provide an interpreted tour of local heritage sites for residents and tourists alike, along with a destination for educational and recreational outdoor activity. |
