TART Trails

Trails are about people. An investment in trails is an investment in community—supporting healthy, active lifestyles, strengthening local connections, and creating places that attract talent and inspire a high quality of life.

Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails, Inc. (TART Trails) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Traverse City, Michigan. Founded in 1998, TART Trails emerged when four local trail efforts came together to build a stronger, more connected vision for recreation and active transportation in northwest Michigan. Those early collaborations helped shape what are now known as the Vasa Pathway, TART Trail, Boardman Lake Loop Trail, and the Leelanau Trail.

Our mission is to bring trails to life. We envision a future where pathways are woven into everyday life—shaping culture and community, fostering movement and connection, and deepening care for each other and the environment, now and for generations to come.

TART Trails works to create and sustain recreation and transportation opportunities by preserving open space corridors, building and maintaining trails, and advocating for active living. Our work includes securing trail easements, partnering with communities, and offering programs and events that encourage people of all ages and abilities to get outside, move, and connect—strengthening communities across the greater Traverse region.