To apply for trail funding in 2026, please visit the Maine Trails Program (MTP) website for more information.

Recreational Trails Program

What is the Recreational Trails Program?

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is an assistance program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The RTP provides funds to the States to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for motorized and nonmotorized recreational trail uses.

The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act reauthorized the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) for Federal fiscal years 2016 through 2020 as a set-aside of funds from the Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside under the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG).

The State of Maine has agreed to take part in the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the federal agency that administers the program at the national level.

The Bureau of Parks and Lands has been designated the state agency to administer the program in Maine. Within the Bureau, the Grants and Community Recreation Program provides day-to-day supervision of RTP matters.

Maine Goals for RTP +

  • Trails that provide linkages with existing or planned networks.
  • Trails that serve a wide spectrum of users.
  • Proposals that address landowners' concerns.
  • Trails that provide relatively high use levels.
  • Proposals that provide "close-to-home" trails.
  • Proposals that enhance tourism and economic development.
  • Proposals that facilitate trail use for youngsters, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
  • Projects that are well planned.
  • Trails that are destination-oriented.
  • Trails that further SCORP or other established planning goals.
  • Multiple-use trail projects that address conflicts between user groups.
  • Proposals that have adequate matching resources.
  • Proposals that consider operation and maintenance needs.
  • Projects that leverage other private and public funding sources.
  • Projects that rehabilitate existing, well-used trails.
  • Projects that preserve rights-of-way for public recreation purposes.
  • Trails that provide high levels of user safety.
  • Trails that provide aesthetic or cultural benefits to users.
  • Projects that provide for reasonable longevity.

Grant Information

Public Use and Access

Recipients of RTP funding must assure public access to the trails benefited by the program by maintaining clear and obvious signage indicating such. In addition, recipient must maintain signage acknowledging the assistance of the Recreational Trails Program, through the Federal Highway Administration in partnership with the Bureau of Parks and Lands.

RTP Allocation Requirements

RTP can fund up to 80% of eligible project costs. The balance must come from the project sponsor and can include cash and or in-kind / donated services and materials. RTP funding must be allocated to projects according to the trail types below.

  1. 30% of RTP funds allocated to the state shall be reserved for uses related to motorized trail recreation
  2. 30% of RTP funds allocated to the state shall be reserved for uses related to non-motorized trail recreation.
  3. The remaining 40% of funds shall be used for recreational projects that facilitate diverse trail use.

Project Eligibility

Eligible projects may include:

  • Maintenance and restoration of existing recreational trails.
  • Development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities and trail linkages for recreational trails.
  • Construction of new recreational trails.
  • Acquisition of easements or fee simple title to property for recreational trails or recreational trail corridors.

Who is Eligible for RTP Grants?

The state has determined it will provide funds received under this program as grants-in-aid to municipalities, other qualified subdivisions of state government, and to qualified non-profit organizations under guidelines established by the Bureau of Parks and Lands in conjunction with the Maine Recreational Trails Program Advisory Committee.

How are Grants Awarded?

All of the information and application materials are posted on this website in the column to the right. While the application itself is not overly complex, attendance at one of the regional grant workshops is recommended to help answer questions about the program and the application process.

Applications must be received by the announced deadline and must contain all required materials to be eligible for possible funding. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Bureau staff and the Maine Trails Advisory Committee will evaluate applications to determine their compliance with the program's established state goals. All applicants will be notified whether or not they have been selected for funding.

Local Funding Share

Recreational Trails Program grants are made on a matching basis. The federal share of the project costs shall not be more than 80% (maximum grant amounts may be set by the state). The local share may consist of cash or state-approved donations of labor and/or materials.

Reimbursement

Please include the associated Project Number (RTP1234) in the subject line of all email correspondence related to your project.

  1. Project Summary
    • This is a short description of the work completed during this portion of your reimbursement. This can be in the form of PDF, Word Doc, or included as part of your emailed request.
  2. Request Cover Page (Excel)
    • Please remember to sign and submit as a PDF.
  3. Reimbursement Worksheet (Excel)
    • Please remember to sign and submit in both PDF and Excel formats
  4. Supporting Documents

How do I show proof of payment?

If paying by check, provide a scan of both the front and the back of the canceled check. (This is something you can request from your financial institution) If making a digital payment, provide a statement from your card company that indicates the payment made to the contractor/company, with any information unrelated to your project redacted.

How do I include all of my volunteers’ times on the worksheet?

If a person volunteered multiple days, write the window of time they volunteered on-site in the date column (ex: 5/13-8/10/2025) and provide a sum of the hours under “number of units” column. If you have more than 5 volunteers involved at your site, please just enter the sum of all hours volunteered into the worksheet. In every instance, a detailed log of volunteer hours that includes name, dates, task(s) completed, and hours volunteered must be included in your supporting documents. (There is no standardized form for this. You may submit an excel doc, PDF, scan of signed notebook paper, etc.)

How do I provide estimated cost of donated materials or equipment?

You may either provide a quote from a local vendor or reference the Federal Equipment Fee Schedule for hourly rates of equipment.