Trails are about people. An investment in trails is an investment in community development, a healthy and active outdoor culture, a place that attracts talent and inspires a high quality of life.

Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that formed in 1998 when four individual trail groups in the Traverse City area united to create a stronger force for recreation and alternative transportation in northwest Michigan. Those groups included work on what we know today as the Vasa Pathway, TART, Boardman Lake Trail, and the Leelanau Trail.

Led by 12 staff and 13 volunteer board members, TART Trails’ mission is to provide and promote a trail network that enriches people and communities throughout the greater Traverse region.

TART is dedicated to providing recreation and transportation opportunities through preserving open space corridors, building trails, and advocating for active living and outdoor recreation. Our work includes negotiating easements, hosting events that promote healthy lifestyles, and collaborating with community partners to support healthy, happy connected communities.