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Saxapahaw Island Park | Alamance County
North Carolina General Assembly
Approves $15 for Trails in New Budget
July 2026
- $15 million approved for trails and greenways.
- The Great Trails State Program will offer statewide support and grants!
The North Carolina General Assembly has approved $15 million for trails! This historic investment will help expand trail access, strengthen communities, and continue building a healthier, more connected Great Trails State.
Funding strengthens state trails, local communities, and the Great Trails State vision
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Great Trails State Coalition applauds the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor for approving $15 million in trail funding in the state budget, continuing North Carolina’s nationally recognized commitment to investing in trails as essential community infrastructure.
The investment will support trail development, statewide partnerships, and local communities across North Carolina through four key initiatives:
- $13.7 million that will be split between the Great Trails State Program, providing grants to communities to develop, improve, and connect trails and greenways across North Carolina, and the Complete the Trails Program, for authorized State Trails.
- $60,000 capacity-building grants for State Trail partner organizations, strengthening the nonprofit organizations that help steward and develop the state’s signature trail corridors.
- $100,000 to support statewide education, outreach, and partnership efforts led by the Great Trails State Coalition.
“This investment demonstrates North Carolina’s continued leadership in recognizing that trails are more than recreation—they are critical infrastructure that improve quality of life, strengthen local economies, support tourism, enhance public health, connect communities, and protect our natural resources,” said Palmer McIntyre, Director of the Great Trails State Coalition.
Through strong bipartisan leadership and the coalition’s 150 members, collaboration among state agencies, legislators, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and outdoor industry partners, North Carolina has become a model for strategic trail investment.
The Great Trails State Program, established in 2023 with $25 million is funding more than 70 trail projects in communities across the state, creating safer places to walk, bike, paddle, and explore while supporting economic development in both rural and urban communities.
The Coalition’s education and outreach funding will expand efforts to connect communities with trail resources, provide technical assistance, convene statewide partners at places like the Great Trails State Conference, and build public awareness of the many benefits trails provide.
“Our work is far from finished,” McIntyre said. “With North Carolina continuing to grow, investing in connected trail networks is investing in healthier people, stronger communities, and a more resilient future.
We are grateful to the General Assembly for recognizing the importance of trails and for continuing to invest in this vision.”
About the Great Trails State Coalition
The Great Trails State Coalition is a statewide coalition of 150 nonprofit organizations, local governments, businesses, agencies, and trail advocates working to increase investment in all types of publicly accessible, non-motorized trails across North Carolina. The Coalition’s vision is for every one of North Carolina’s 100 counties to experience the health, economic, transportation, tourism, and environmental benefits of connected trail systems.
The budget adds to the Complete the Trails Fund which supports authorized State Trails. There are now 16 authorized state trails, up from 12 when the fund was originally created in 2021. Much of the funding is allocated to specific State Trails, including $60,000 capacity building funding for each of the approved nonprofit partner organizations working on these State Trails.
Bodie Island Boardwalk Trail | Dare County
News from 2021
North Carolina Invests in Trails
September 2021
The General Assembly’s FY 21-23 budget included a historic $29.25M in nonrecurring funds in for the Complete the Trails Fund, marking the first time North Carolina has made a significant direct investment in trails.
This vital funding will lead to tremendous progress for the 12 authorized State Trails across North Carolina.
The Complete the Trails Fund will provide grants for State Trail projects, build capacity for State Trail nonprofit partner organizations, and creates a new Trail Coordinator position with recurring funds to pay for the new position. The Complete the Trails Fund will be managed by the NC Trails Program within the NC Division of Parks and Recreation.
There are also a number of earmarks for specific trail projects, $2M for trail feasibility studies, and authorization for our 12th State Trail, Roanoke River Paddle Trail.
The Great Trails State Coalition acknowledges and greatly appreciates the leadership of:
- Representative Dean Arp, R-69 (Union), Senior Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee
- Representative Hugh Blackwell, R-86 (Burke),
- Representative Mike Clampitt, R-119 (Haywood, Jackson, Swain)
- Representative Erin Pare, R-37 (Wake)
This group took the lead on this funding effort with help from many other members of the House, Senator Brent Jackson, and Governor Roy Cooper.
Trails are the foundation of North Carolina’s $28 billion dollar outdoor recreation economy and by promoting and investing in trail infrastructure, we are well-set to grow this number significantly.
We believe North Carolina is the Great Trails State.