Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a federal 80-20 matching reimbursement program for building and rehabilitating trails and trail-related facilities. The program is administered by the Federal Highway Administration and funded through 2026 by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The program mandates allocations be split among non-motorized, diversified and motorized trail categories.
Funding may be awarded to city, county, town, tribal or other government entities. Registered nonprofit organizations partnered with a government body are also eligible. The Recreational Trails Program and Virginia Recreational Trails Program Advisory Committee steer project selections after a competitive call for applications.
The program currently accepts applications for new trail construction in even-year grant rounds (2022, 2024, etc.). Existing trail maintenance and amenity project applications are accepted every grant round but are most competitive in odd-year grant rounds.
The 2025 RTP grant round closed May 6, 2025. Twenty-four applications were received requesting over $4.4 million in RTP funding. Applications are currently being reviewed for approximately $1.7 million in funding, subject to availability from the Federal Highway Administration. Applicants will be notified of status in July 2025. Only maintenance, repair and amenity projects on existing trails were eligible for funding in this grant round.
Applications were accepted for the 2024 RTP grant round from March 12-May 7, 2024. Read the press release announcing the grant recipients from the 2024 RTP grant cycle. Both new trail construction and improvements to existing trails were eligible for funding in this grant round.
Applications were accepted for the 2023 RTP grant round from March 16-May 9, 2023. Read the press release announcing the grant recipients from the 2023 RTP grant cycle. Only trail maintenance, repair and amenity projects on existing land and water trails were eligible for funding in this grant round.
Contact Recreation Grants Coordinator Kellie Seaton at recreationgrants@dcr.virginia.gov or call 804-786-1119.
Please email recreationgrants@dcr.virginia.gov if you would like to be added to the contact list for grant round announcements.
