Current Grant Cycles

Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF)

Funding opportunity opens Nov. 2.

Recreational Trails Program

Complete the Trails (CCST): Connecting Communities to State Trails Grant

Application deadline is Oct. 8.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

Application deadline is Nov. 2.

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP)

Application deadline is Oct. 1.

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At a Glance: Grant Programs in North Carolina

434

local sponsors

assisted through PARTF

1,122

local projects

funded as of Fall 2026

$290,413,801

PARTF grants awarded

as of Fall 2026

318

local governments

assisted through LWCF

785

local government projects

funded with LWCF assistance

$57,832,564

LWCF grants

awarded to local government projects

Types of Parks and Recreation Grants

Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant

The PARTF grant cycle begins in the fall, with the application due in late spring or early summer of the following year. Grant recipients are announced in early fall.

Land and Water Conservation Fund Federal Grant

Helene Recovery Fund for PARTF

The Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 (SL 2025-26, House Bill 1012) was ratified on June 27, 2025, allocating $4,158,875 to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for eligible uses in the affected area for local governments. Per statue, the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority shall not impose the maximum grant size set forth in NCAC Subchapter 13K .0100 with respect to funds provided by this subdivision. The Helene Recovery Fund has been allocated to the Parks & Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), so the grant program will be administered through the PARTF administrative code and awards will be selected by the Parks & Recreation Authority.

2024 Accessible Parks Grant Program

The Accessible Parks Grant Program provides $12.5 million in matching grants for parks and recreation for people with disabilities. The grants fund the construction of special facilities or adaptation of existing facilities that meet the unique needs of people with disabilities or that enable them to participate in recreational and sporting activities, regardless of their abilities. This program is administered through the Division and PARTF.

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant Program

The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program is a subset of the LWCF, a grant program intended to provide new or significantly improve recreation opportunities for economically disadvantaged communities in larger urbanized areas (as designated by the Census Bureau) that are underserved in terms of parks and other outdoor recreation resources. The Division is awaiting guidance on the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) and will release a funding opportunity once received.

The Great Trails State Program

The Great Trails State Program provides funding for the new trail development and extension of existing trails within the state of North Carolina. This includes paved trails or greenways, natural surface trails, biking trails, equestrian trails, and any other type of trail recognized by the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

2022 Accessibility for Parks Grant Program

The Accessibility for Parks program was a non-recurring grant that provided $10 million in parks and recreation grants to benefit children and veterans living with disabilities in North Carolina. The AFP grants were awarded in March 2023.

Recreational Trails Program Grants

The Recreational Trails Program provides funding for construction of new trails, maintenance and repair of existing trails, land acquisition, purchase of trail tools and planning, and legal, environmental and permitting costs. For more information, please visit the North Carolina Trails website.

Complete the Trails Program

The Complete the Trails Program provides funding for the planning, construction, promotion, and maintenance of North Carolina state trails. For more information, please visit the North Carolina Trails website.

RRS Grant Locator Tool

The map below can be viewed in a full window on the ARCGIS website.

Recreation Grants and Outreach

The Recreation Grants and Outreach team with the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation provides local governments guidance in applying for and managing grants that "help build happiness" all over the state of North Carolina through land acquisition for and development of parks and recreation facilities. Our goal is to assist communities all across the state in their efforts to improve their parks and recreation services, which in turn improves the quality of life for their citizens and helps make their communities more inviting to businesses, new residents, and visitors.

Contact our Recreation Grants and Outreach Team