In 1987, the Citizens for Better Ways applied to Rotary Charities for a grant to aid in the construction of a non-motorized trail from Traverse City to Acme. A $150,000 grant was awarded by Rotary in 1988 and the Friends of the Traverse Area Recreational Trail (TART) was founded in 1989. Trail paving with generous support from Rotary Charities, the City of Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, and the Michigan Department of Transportation occurred between 1991 and 1995.The Leelanau Trails Association was formed in September 1994. In March, 1995, the organization purchased (in two sections) the 15-mile railroad corridor between Greilickville and Suttons Bay to preserve the railroad for future railroad purposes and to establish interim use of the railroad as a multi-purpose commuter and recreational trail. Paving of the extreme northern section and the lower section of the trail took place between the years 1995 and 1997 with generous support from Rotary Charities of Traverse City and numerous other friends.

In May of 1998, four major trail organizations in Grand Traverse County and Leelanau County consolidated their operations. The VASA Pathway, the Traverse Area Recreational Trail (TART), the Boardman Lake Trail, and the Leelanau Trail are now all united as TART Trails, Inc. (Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails). A sixteen-member Board sets policy for our organization. Bob Otwell is the Executive Director, Missy Luyk is the Trail Program Specialist, Bob Wick is the Development Director and Lynn Geiger is the Office Manager.

Since TART's founding, the organization has grown considerably in both its size and scope. Beginning with a limited city trail system, today TART collaborates with Grand Traverse County, the City of Traverse City, the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, the Leelanau Road Commission, the Michigan Department of Transportation, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to maintain a network of four trail systems that traverse our local region.