The Colorado Non-Motorized Grants Program provides funding for projects to improve outdoor recreation opportunities, while protecting wildlife, habitat, and cultural resources. Funded by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP), eligible project types include trail construction, maintenance, planning, and support.
Who can apply?
- Local, County, Federal or Tribal government agencies
- Recreation and Metro District
- Non-Profit Organizations
Which projects are eligible?
Eligible projects fall under one of the following non-motorized trails grant categories:
-
Construction - New trail or trailhead construction, including the installation or creation of new facilities where none currently exists.
-
Maintenance - Maintenance, re-route or reconstruction of existing trails and trailheads - Improvement of current trailhead facilities.
-
Planning - Trail layout, design, engineering, feasibility studies, inventory, use studies, analysis of existing and proposed trails and master plans.
-
Support - Building and enhancement of volunteer organizations, increasing volunteer capacity, and implementing trail training and education.
-
*NEW* - Trail Stewardship Crews - A pilot category to fund two to eight person trail stewardship crews who complete work on an existing trail system in 2024.
How much funding is available?
Applicants can request up to $250,000 for Construction/Maintenance projects and $45,000 for Planning/Support.
For Trail Stewardship crews, applicants can request up to $75,000 for 2-4 person crews, and up to $150,000 for 5-8 person crews.
There is no minimum request for any category.
When are applications due?
- September 5, 2023 - Pre-application submission
-
October 3, 2023 - Full application due
How can I apply?
Application documents are available below, along with the Non-Motorized manual which provides detailed guidance for new applicants.
What do I need to do for the pre-application submission?
All applicants must send a basic project scope that includes a high level overview of your project and a project site map that outlines where work will be performed to
trails@state.co.us by Tuesday, September 5th. This information will be sent to the appropriate CPW Area Wildlife Manager to initiate a pre-application review for identification of potential wildlife concerns. This process provides time for applicants to consider and begin addressing any concerns raised by CPW before the application deadline in October.
How are projects evaluated for wildlife concerns?
Read the following documents for more information on what to expect during the pre-application and full wildlife review.
CPW recommends that applicants review Colorado's
Planning Trails with Wildlife in Mind as you prepare your grant application. This guide focuses extensively on collaborative approaches to problem solving to meet both conservation and recreation goals, and includes the current best practices and science to Colorado's land managers, trail advocates, and conservationists engaged in trail planning. Applicants may also consider utilizing the
Conservation Data Explorer (CODEX).
What if I need help with my application?
To help navigate the application process, a 30-minute webinar will be held to cover application requirements and commonly asked questions. This will be scheduled in mid-August, and the registration link will be posted at that time.
2024 Grant Review Meetings - Denver Area
The State Recreational Trails Committee and its grant review and ranking subcommittees meet to review the non-motorized trail grant applications. These meetings are open to the public and provide a platform for verbal comments on the applications.
The 2024 Applicant presentations will be held in a hybrid setup
In-person: Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 13787 S. Hwy. 85, Littleton, CO 80125 (downstairs conference room) and via webinar. Presentation schedules, Zoom registration links and public comment forms are listed below.
- Tuesday, January 16, 2024 - 9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Construction Applicant Presentations
- Wednesday, January 17, 2024 - 9:00 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Planning/Support Applicant Presentations
- Thursday, January 18, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Trail Stewardship/Maintenance Applicant Presentations
Documents
Manual
This document is a useful resource for new applicants as well as organizations with existing CPW Trails grants. It provides information on the entire life cycle of non-motorized grants, from application, to selection, to project reporting and completion.
Application templates
*Right click, choose 'Save link as' to download
Other useful documents
Accessibility
The State of Colorado is committed to providing equitable access to our services to all Coloradans. Please contact
trails@state.co.us for personalized accessibility assistance with the documents available for download on this page, which are available in text format upon request.
